Most of the over the counter, herbal weight loss remedies you see advertised are simply appetite suppressants. By suppressing certain receptors in the brain, they trick your body into thinking that it is not hungry. While this sort of diet aid gimmick can be initially effective, prolonged usage can lead to addiction and serious health problems.

In clinical trials of various herbal supplements, the loss of weight was noted to occur only when the medicine was being consumed. Unless other behavioral changes were made, such as diet and exercise, the weight was regained once the consumer had stopped taking the medicine. Before you begin to take any sort of diet aid, you should always consult your doctor. However, you should also be familiar with the most common herbal weight loss drugs on the market.

Ephedra has, for a long time, been one of the most popular herbal supplements on the market. Its primary ingredient, ephedrine, is the same chemical compound that is used in making asthma medication and the illegal drug, speed. Although it can suppress your appetite, it has not been proven in aiding a user in weight loss. Its known side effects have included high blood pressure, seizures, heart attacks, insomnia, and even death. The sale of any dietary with ephedrine was banned in the United States in 2004. However, for those who insist on using it, it is available for sale on the Internet.

St. John's wort is another popular herbal supplement aid. It is primarily used as an herbal antidepressant. There are very few studies available that support the idea it promotes the loss of weight. If you are currently taking this herbal remedy, you should avoid food that contains the compound, Tyramine. It is mostly found in foods that are aged, like cheese or meat. This herb can have harmful interactions with many other types of medications, particularly antidepressants, birth control pills, and heart medications. To use St. John's wort for weight loss is to put you potentially at risk physically.

Herbal diuretics are another derivative of herbal weight loss remedies. They are most commonly found in over the counter diet aid products and herbal weight loss preparations. Most of these diuretics are derived from caffeine. Most of these medicines are not toxic, but they have been proven to have negative interactions with certain other medications, such as lithium. Most herbal diuretics are ineffective at allowing a person to shed enough water weight.

Therefore, there is not a noticeable loss of weight. However, you should be shedding body fat weight, not water weight. You should always keep in mind that herbal diet aid supplements are not proven to provide a permanent weight loss solution, and there are multiple ingredients in these preparations that can have negative interactions with other drugs you may be taking.