Diet Pills: Are they really safe?

Diet Pills available over the counter (OTC) contain a combination of medications, usually phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and caffeine, which act to control appetite. The active agent in these medications, PPA, is a central nervous system stimulant and has many effects on the body, one of which is to depress the desire to eat. Caffeine, also a stimulant, results in increased alertness and decreased drowsiness and fatigue when taken in low doses (50-200 mg). Caffeine also has some weak appetite-suppressant properties.

Recently, the effectiveness of PPA-based diet pills as weight control agents has bee questioned. Studies show that although PPA may act on the brain to depress appetite, this effect is minimal, and PPA can produce some serious side effects, such as high blood pressure, nausea, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and hallucinations.

Caffeine also affects circulatory function and has unpredictable effect on blood pressure. Because overweight people run a higher risk of hypertension, using PPA-based diet pills in the recommended dosages may seriously damage health, especially in those people who are unaware.