Zoom

Bitter Orange Pills

After the brouhaha over ephedra’s controversial safety issues, it was discovered the extract from the bitter orange plant had positive ephedra-like qualities, without the same dangers (so it was thought). How does bitter orange stack up as an option for a diet pill?

A bit of history

The bitter orange herb, not surprisingly, comes from the bitter orange tree. It is developed as a powdered extract from the dried pill. When the FDA banned ephedrine, health experts offered the bitter orange supplements as a substitute. The bitter orange plant contains synephrine, which is a close cousin to ephedrine.

The good

Bitter orange is a weight loss aid. Not only does it prevent fat absorption, but it also suppresses appetite. The drug helps to increase heart rate and metabolism, producing faster burning of calories. That’s good news, and is the type of mechanisms dieters need and want to lose weight.

The bad

Unfortunately, that’s not the end of the story. Bitter orange is so similar to ephedrine in that it mimics its negative side effects, too. Severe headaches, dizziness and fainting spells are just the beginning. Bitter orange has been traced to strokes, heart attacks, and intestinal failure. These are all serious conditions, which are usually not worth the risk for weight loss. Now, in a broadly growing consensus, most authorities are warning against the adverse affects of bitter orange. It remains available in the market, and can be purchased online and in some pharmacies.

The Top 3 Diet Pills