The FDA is said to have recently instituted a crack down on weight loss supplements as a result of severe side effects and even death connected with some dietary supplements such as ephedra. The ban on ephedra products resulted to the creation of so-called ephedra free weight loss supplements, these too have been shown to yield their own fair share of troubles and they too might be most likely going to a similar fate as ephedra.
These ephedra free medications have been shown to trigger a rise in heart rate and a few other negative effects on healthy folks according to a health authority who was in the research.
The investigation conducted with the University of California at Berkeley was the primary one to look into the health effects of reformulated weight loss supplements. One of the things investigated for included blood pressure and pulse rate of volunteers who were given reformulated weight loss supplements made from extracts of bitter orange.
Since the ban slapped on ephedra by FDA, an ever-increasing amount of body fat loss product manufactures have turned to extracts of bitter orange. The USB investigation required 20 healthy volunteers, who were given sole doses of a weight loss supplement or a placebo.
The diet supplements examined in the research were Xenadrine EFX and Advantra Z, each of which contains bitter orange extracts. The used drug was shown to effect an increase in heart pulse rate all the way to 16 beats in one minute. The Thermogenic Xenadrine EFX for example was shown to rev up heartbeat by 13 per cent, something which makes it almost the same in performance to ephedra.
Bitter orange extracts include synephrine, a part present in over 90% of citrus fruits but found in increased concentrations in fruits such as Sour orange, Zhi shi and bitter orange and which is widely used as a medication in the control of respiratory tract congestion and high blood pressure. Xenadrine EFX includes a stimulant in the component, usually caffeine. The quantity of caffeine is Xenadrine is believed to be the same as 3 coffee cups. This is the ingredient the cause the increase in blood pressure and patients using this product are cautioned against over dosage.
