Diet Pills – Part 5 – Multiple claims
I’m going to do a series of short blogs on different diet pills and what they claim to do. They fall into different categories:
1) Fat binders/blockers;
2) Carb blockers;
3) Metabolism boosters;
4) Appetite suppressants;
5) Those that claim to do most of the above and then some!
This fifth blog is on the ones that claim to do everything:
Nature’s Best Verdesse™: The blurb says “Verdesse™, a product designed for people following a calorie controlled weight loss diet. Verdesse™ is a decaffeinated green coffee extract called Svetol™ containing high levels of active compounds called ‘chlorogenic acids’, and one in particular which is called ‘5-caffeoylquinic acid’.”
Body Perfect: The blurb says “If you’ve decided it’s time to lose weight or want to banish the flab to show-off your muscle development then Bio-Synergy’s Body Perfect is what you are looking for. This totally herbal, natural capsule will stimulate fat loss and sculpt your body to perfection. The key ingredients which Make it Happen in Body Perfect are Green Tea, L-tyrosine and Citrus Aurantium. Body Perfect promotes weight loss through thermo genesis – which can accelerate calorie burning, fat mobilisation and breakdown body fat. For centuries green tea has been a staple in the Far East and recently Western medicine has recognized its many health benefits. It’s effect on boosting immunity, in preventing cancer and as an antioxidant are far reaching. It’s also highly effective in reducing ‘bad’ cholesterol. But it’s also proved a great aid for weight loss – by both increasing the rate at which fat is burnt and also reducing the absorption of calories from the diet. Green tea may be useful as a glucose regulator – meaning it slows the rise in blood sugar following a meal by reducing the action of a particular digestive enzyme called amylase. Amylase is responsible for breaking down starches after a meal – which can increase your blood sugar level quickly. Citrus Aurantium extract may help control appetite and has been found to increase metabolism. Also known as ’bitter orange’, Citrus Aurantium raises body temperature but without increasing nervous energy – so unlike some other slimming aids you won’t get the ‘jitters’ or find it hard to sleep. L-tyrosine, another fantastic ingredient in Body Perfect capsules, has been shown to lift mood and fight depression. Many dieters find it hard to stick to their eating and exercise plan because they comfort eat. By including this amino acid you should be able to stay positive and see great results because you haven’t been tempted to reach for the chocolate! So give yourself the figure you have always wanted. Bio-Synergy’s Body Perfect will help you fight the flab – and win!” (I decided to put the full monty in for this one – Shakespeare would have been proud of that!)
Slender Pu’erh Tea: The blurb says “Pu’erh tea has been hugely popular in China for over 1,700 years where it is known as “wonder tea”. It can help the body to digest fatty foods, whilst boosting metabolism and reducing cholesterol levels, plus it is very rich in antioxidants which can prevent sun damage. Slender Pu’erh Tea, with its smooth rich flavour, not only tastes great but also aids digestion and fat metabolism making it an ideal tea to include in a balanced weight loss plan. Many coffee drinkers may also enjoy Slender Pu’erh Tea’s rich deep flavours. ”
Zoë comment: Some diet pills claim to do everything – suppress appetite, boost metabolism, regulate blood sugar levels, metabolise fat, reduce cholesterol, block carbs (all in some magical way) and they can probably arrange for the kids to be dropped off at school in the process! One claims to ‘sculpt’ your body and another claims to prevent sun damage. Puh-lease! The good news is that the ones we have looked at are mostly green tea based (or even green coffee based!) Hence they are not likely to harm anything other than your purse (again). If you like green tea – this is OK as part of your daily liquid intake (it’s not going to turn you into Madonna, however). Green tea is better than soft drinks or strong coffee, but not as good as other herbal teas. Green tea has (on average) 11mg of Caffeine (mg) per 100 mls, which is the same level as Pepsi.
The bottom line is – save your money and put your effort into eating real food in the form that nature delivers it. Oranges grow on trees, cartons of orange juice don’t; fish swim in the sea, fish fingers don’t. That’s how to work out what real food is and eat only real food, in three good meals a day (no snacking) and you will be the size you want to be quicker and safer than trying any pill and continuing to eat processed food at the same time.
Having reviewed the different types of diet pills my overall conclusion is – if any of them work, they must be messing with the natural functioning of the body in an unnatural way and that is not good. If they don’t work, the only damage done is to your purse! Save the money for meat, fish, veg and salad xx