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Do ephedra-free diet supplements work? Part I

Let's face it — losing fat is not easy. It takes a combination of effective exercise and good nutrition to lose fat permanently. Even then, losing weight usually takes a lot longer than most people would like.

The promise of faster, easier weight loss is one reason that supplements containing ephedra have become so popular. Unfortunately, there are case reports linking ephedra-based supplements with a number of adverse effects, including stroke and high blood pressure.

In fact, many companies have been hit with lawsuits from people claiming they've been harmed after using a particular supplement. Skyrocketing insurance premiums mean that many of the larger supplement companies either have stopped or plan to stop selling ephedra-based supplements.

The result is a number of ephedra-free diet supplements that promise weight loss without the side effects. Unfortunately, the majority have little or no research to support their use.

In the first of this two-part series, you’ll learn how to evaluate the claims made about various products and ingredients. In part two, we’ll take a closer look at several popular ephedra-free diet supplements (Xenadrine®-EFX™, Metabolic Thyrolean™, Lean System 7 and Hydroxycut) to see if they live up to their claims.

Diet supplements

Many supplements lack an adequate research base simply because nobody is prepared to fund a study that might prove their effectiveness. Of course, some companies are worried that studies will prove the products they're selling don't work! What's more, unless a company can sell a product or ingredient exclusively, why bother paying for research to show that it works?

Supplement manufacturers should list the research supporting a product at the bottom of an advert or article. Be wary of adverts making reference to studies without listing them. Most studies are available in the public domain — you can check them out for yourself if you dig hard enough. If the studies aren't listed, you can assume that...

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