For those who have tried to lose weight in various ways and were frustrated with the results, weight loss formulas seem like a magic solution that promises immediate effects.
Much is said about the risks of these medications. However, these alerts are only sometimes enough to prevent use. The search for the best appearance in the short term overlaps with long-term health care. Therefore, it is common to find people willing to take risks.
Did you know that many formulas harm the thyroid in addition to health risks? This becomes a detriment to maintaining a healthy weight and future weight loss. Therefore, it is a strategy that sabotages its result, as you will see in the following topics.
Interested? So, continue reading to find out more!
What Is The Composition Of Weight Loss Formulas?
In 1997, the Federal Council of Medicine published Resolution CFM number 1477/97, ​​prohibiting physicians from simultaneously prescribing amphetamine-like drugs.
One or more drugs are also prohibited: benzodiazepines, diuretics, hormones or hormonal extracts, and laxatives to treat obesity or weight loss.
Formulas are different from weight loss drugs. They can be better explained as cocktails with several substances, without regulation that guarantees care with the interaction between them and their side effects.
Weight loss formulas are usually made up of combinations of these elements:
Amphetamine Derivatives
The main amphetamine derivatives are fenproporex, diethylpropion, or mazindol. The main function of these substances is to inhibit appetite.
The effect is fast, often quite potent, but can be addictive. The side effects are numerous; we highlight constipation, insomnia and irritability, mood swings, dry mouth, and rarely high blood pressure and tachycardia.
Diuretics
Diuretic substances act in the elimination of liquids. This effect is temporary and does not affect lean mass or fat mass.
Excessive loss of body fluids leads to a debilitated state. In the case of the elderly or people with a chronic disease, the misuse of diuretics can cause the loss of important bodily substances, such as potassium.
This loss can cause anything from simple cramps to cardiac arrhythmias.
Laxatives
Laxatives are included in the composition to reduce constipation caused by appetite suppressants.
The laxative effects are not good for the body and may worsen intestinal functioning, desquamate the intestinal mucosa and cause hydroelectrolytic disorders.
Tranquilizers
It is not uncommon for overweight or obese people to have anxiety disorders. Incidentally, many of them discount this anxiety on food. Therefore, tranquilizers are part of the formula. They also act to combat the effects derived from amphetamine.
Benzodiazepines (diazepam, bromazepam, clobazam, clorazepam) and others of the same line are the most used because of their potency.
Antidepressant
The presence of antidepressants in the formula generally has the same function as tranquilizers. Only fluoxetine has an important effect on reducing appetite, but its action is felt after several days or weeks of use.
Plant Products
Some of the most common vegetables are Cascara Sagrada and Horsetail. Their effectiveness in weight loss has not been scientifically proven, but they are often used to increase the number of substances, “adding value” to the product.
Thermogenic Substances
Thermogenic substances are heat-producing and known to speed up metabolism. The most popular of these is caffeine, present in large amounts in coffee, but we can also mention phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, and aminophylline.
Although they seem a good measure to achieve weight loss, their side effects are dangerous. Among them, we can mention the risk to the cardiovascular system, with arterial hypertension and tachycardia.
These substances also affect the central nervous system, leading to mood swings and decreased reflexes.
Instead of resorting to these substances, there are natural and healthy ways to increase metabolism that also greatly favor weight loss. Formulas are prohibited due to the damage they can cause to patients, which can even lead to death.
How Do Weight Loss Formulas Affect The Thyroid?
The increasing and indiscriminate use of weight loss formulas that contain thyroid hormones has increased the incidence of hyperthyroidism.
These thyroid hormones usually appear in high doses in weight loss formula compositions, as they often cause significant weight loss. The risk lies in the fact that this weight loss occurs mainly through the loss of muscle and not fat.
The negative effects don’t stop there. Hormonal disorders greatly harm the body. Hormones can trigger chronic thyroid disease and affect the heart, leading to tachycardia, severe arrhythmias, and high blood pressure.
Other effects on the body that may appear are nervousness, mood swings, increased intestinal transit, diarrhea, and sweating.
Also Read: Why Does Biotin Lose Weight?