Losing weight is a big priority for lots of people, but not everybody likes the idea of diet pills that are made from chemicals. That’s why herbal weight loss pills have been introduced into the market. Nowadays, whether you’re in your local health store, drug store or just surfing the internet, you’re sure to come across herbal weight loss pills.

Although each type of herbal weight loss pill contains different ingredients, there are some ingredients that are common to many brands. There is some debate, however, about how effective and safe some of these components are.

Ephedra is an extremely popular component of herbal weight loss pills, but in fact it’s considered potentially hazardous by the Food & Drug Administration. It’s used as an ingredient in herbal weight loss pills that are designed to replace “fen-phen”. However, this anti-obesity drug has now been banned. Although this ban doesn’t necessarily reflect on ephedra in any way, ephedra based products certainly fall into the category of unapproved diet pills.

Of more concern, however, is the fact that ephedra is the natural source of the amphetamine-like stimulant called ephedrine. This is a powerful decongestant, as well as suppressing the appetite and helping to burn fat quickly. Despite these benefits, the risks are such that it’s best avoided. In herbal weight loss pills, ephedra has been known to cause insomnia, raised blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, seizures, strokes and heart attacks.