How do appetite suppressants, fat blocks, or diet pills work?

Introduction

Many people find it difficult to lose weight. One big challenge is feeling hungry and wanting to eat certain foods when you are trying to eat less each day. It may result in overeating at one time, eating quickly, and giving up on your weight loss objectives.

Feeling hungry and craving food makes it hard to stick to a diet plan with fewer calories and reach a healthier weight. When diet plans make you feel like you can not eat what you want, it is difficult not to eat more than you should. That is why losing weight can be frustrating – your body tells you to eat more even when you are trying to eat less each day.

What are appetite suppressants?

Appetite suppressants are things that can lower your hunger or make you feel full after eating. They are natural or Synthetic and come in different forms like pills, capsules, powders, drinks, sprays for your skin, or shots. Some appetite suppressants are:

• Natural suppressants: These are plants, spices, fruits, veggies, fibers, and proteins from food that have been shown to reduce appetite. Some popular natural ones are green tea, coffee, red pepper, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, grapefruit, oatmeal, almonds, eggs, and water.
• Synthetic suppressants: These are medicines or supplements that are made by chemical processes or extracted from natural sources to have a stronger or more targeted effect on appetite. Some popular man-made ones are phentermine, orlistat, lorcaserin, naltrexone-bupropion, liraglutide, and semaglutide.

Natural vs. Synthetic Suppressants

The choice between natural or man-made depends on a few things, like your preferences, goals, health issues, budget, and availability. Here are the pros and cons of each:

• Natural suppressants: The good things are they are usually safer, cheaper, easier to find, and better for a balanced diet. They can also give other health benefits like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and reduce inflammation. The downside is they may not work as strongly or consistently as man-made ones. Some people could also be allergic or have reactions.
• Synthetic suppressants: The good things are they are often more powerful and reliable than natural ones. They can target specific things that control appetite. The disadvantages are they may have more side effects or risks. You may need a doctor’s prescription or approval from health officials. They could also be more expensive or harder to find than natural ones.

How Appetite Suppressants Work

Appetite suppressants affect the complex system in our body that controls feelings of hunger and fullness. This system involves the brain, hormones, and gut. Here are some key ways they work:

Changes in the Brain

The brain gets information from the body and outside about how much energy we use and take in. It then sends signals to regulate appetite. An important area is the hypothalamus, which has clusters of neurons that make chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals control hunger and fullness signals.

Some appetite suppressants work by changing the amounts or activity of these neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus or other brain areas. For example:

• Phentermine: This drug increases norepinephrine, a chemical that boosts energy use. It also decreases neuropeptide Y (NPY), a chemical that increases hunger and eating.
• Lorcaserin: This drug activates serotonin receptors, which are involved in mood and self-control. Serotonin reduces NPY and increases POMC, a chemical that lessens hunger and eating.
• Naltrexone-bupropion: This combo drug has two parts. Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors linked to reward. Bupropion boosts dopamine and norepinephrine, chemicals involved in motivation and focus. Together, they lower cravings and emotional eating.

Hormonal changes

Hormones and Metabolism Hormones are chemicals in the blood that communicate with organs and tissues. They help regulate energy use, weight balance, and appetite. Some key hormones are:

• Leptin: Made by fat cells, it tells the brain how much fat is stored. Leptin decreases hunger and eating by changing signals in the hypothalamus.
• Ghrelin: Made by the stomach, it tells the brain if the stomach is empty or full. Ghrelin increases hunger and eating by changing signals in the hypothalamus.
• Insulin: Made by the pancreas, it tells the brain about sugar in the blood. Insulin lowers hunger and eating by acting on the hypothalamus.
• Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1): Made by the intestines, it tells the brain about nutrients in the gut. GLP-1 reduces hunger and eating by changing signals in the hypothalamus.

Some appetite suppressants work by changing hunger hormones in the blood or brain. For example:

• Orlistat: This drug stops the enzyme lipase from breaking down fat in the gut. This reduces how much fat and calories the body absorbs from food. Orlistat also increases a hormone called GLP-1. This lowers hunger and how much a person eats.
• Liraglutide: This drug acts like GLP-1 and activates GLP-1 receptors in the body. Liraglutide lowers blood sugar levels. This decreases insulin release and reduces hunger.
• Semaglutide: Semaglutide is similar to liraglutide but lasts longer in the body and strongly activates GLP-1 receptors. It also lowers blood sugar. This decreases insulin release and reduces feelings of hunger.

Gut communication

The gut can communicate with the brain. It is not just for digestion, but also sensing. The gut talks to the brain using nerves, hormones, and immune cells. The gut can tell how full or empty it is based on:

• Stretching: When food or drink fills up the stomach and intestines, it stretches the gut walls. This triggers signals to the brain that make us less hungry through nerves or hormones like CCK or PYY.
• Taste: The gut can sense how good or filling the food tastes, feels, and smells based on taste receptors. This triggers signals to the brain that make us less hungry through hormones like GLP-1 or oxytocin.
• Inflammation: The gut can tell how healthy or unhealthy the food is based on its effect on gut bacteria or the gut barrier. Inflammation in the gut triggers signals to the brain that make us less hungry using immune cells or cytokines like IL-6 or TNF-alpha.

Some appetite suppressants work by enhancing or interfering with these signals from the gut to the brain. For example:

• Fiber: Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested by human enzymes, but can be fermented by gut bacteria. Fiber increases stretch, taste, and inflammation signals from the gut to the brain, which reduces hunger and food intake.
• Capsaicin: Capsaicin is a compound that gives chili peppers their spicy flavor. Capsaicin increases taste and inflammation signals from the gut to the brain, which reduces hunger and food intake.
• Probiotics: Probiotics are live microorganisms that can improve the health and diversity of the gut microbiota. Probiotics modulate stretch, taste, and inflammation signals from the gut to the brain, which reduces hunger and food intake, as we derived in our article on Gundry MD brand reviews.

Do Fat Blockers Work?

Fat blockers are weight loss supplements or over-the-counter medicines. They claim to prevent or reduce how much fat your body absorbs from the food you eat. You don’t have to change your diet or exercise routine to use them.

How do They work?

Fat blockers work by stopping an enzyme called lipase in your gut. Lipase breaks down fat. When it’s blocked, less fat and calories from your food get absorbed into your bloodstream. The fat that’s not absorbed passes through your digestive system and leaves your body as waste.

Fat blockers may also lower how much of some fat-soluble vitamins (like A, D, E, and K) and essential fatty acids you absorb from food.

How Effective Are They?

Fat blockers can help with weight loss a little bit. But they aren’t magic pills. One study looked at 11 tests and found fat blockers may reduce body weight by about 7 pounds on average over 4 to 24 months compared to placebo. But this effect is small and may not be that important for most people.

Also, fat blockers may not work for everyone since it depends on the amount and types of fat in your diet. Over time, your body could also get used to absorbing less fat.

Side effects to consider

Fat blockers can cause unpleasant and sometimes serious side effects, especially if taken in large doses or with high-fat meals. Some common side effects include:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms: The following issues can interfere with daily life stomach problems:
  • Abdominal pain,
  • Bloating, gas,
  • Diarrhea,
  • Oily stools,

  And anal leakage.

• Nutritional deficiencies: Fat blockers may lower the absorption of important vitamins A, D, E, K, and fatty acids. This could lead to dry skin, hair loss, night blindness, weak bones, bleeding problems, or weak immunity over time. Taking a multivitamin can help prevent deficiencies.
• Liver damage: Some fat blockers like Orlistat have caused liver problems in some people. Symptoms include yellow skin/eyes, dark urine, light stool, nausea, vomiting, no appetite, and abdominal pain. Blood tests or ultrasounds can detect liver issues. Stopping the fat blocker or liver-protecting medication may help treat it.

How To Choose The Right Weight Loss Pill For You

There are many diet pills on the market, and it’s hard to know which one is right. But thinking about a few things can help you choose. First, be clear on your goals. Ask yourself:

Consider your goals

• How much weight do you want to lose?
• How fast do you want it to happen?
• How long do you plan to keep the weight off?
• Are you willing to change your diet and exercise?
• How much money can you spend?

Then match your goals to a pill. For example:

• If you need to lose a lot fast, ask your doctor about prescription pills that strongly reduce appetite or boost metabolism.
• To lose some weight over a longer time, try natural supplements with mild effects on appetite or metabolism.
• To maintain after weight loss, look for low-impact pills that do little to appetite or metabolism.

Check ingredients

Once you’ve picked some pills that match your goals, look closely at what’s inside each one. Check for:

• The name and amount of each ingredient
• Where the ingredients come from and their quality
• Research on what each ingredient does and how
• Safety information and possible side effects
• Interactions with other medications or health issues

This lets you judge how well each pill might work and if it’s safe for you. For example:

• If choosing a green tea supplement, pick one with a high amount of catechins (the active part) and less caffeine (which can cause issues).
• If a prescription drug contains phentermine, look for a low dose to reduce risks, plus another ingredient to enhance effects and limit side effects.

Consult With Professionals

It’s important to talk to a health professional before starting any diet pill. See your doctor, pharmacist, dietitian, or nutritionist. They can check your health history and current condition. This helps them understand your weight loss goals and needs.

A professional can recommend the best pill for you. They’ll consider what you want to achieve, any medical issues, and what pills might work well or cause problems. They can monitor your progress on the pill too. This way, they can adjust the dose if needed. And they can help if any side effects occur.