For many people losing weight is not just a matter of feeling healthy and great again, but a way of recovering self-esteem as well. No wonder then that there is a variety of weight loss products on the market, most of them being over-the-counter drugs. However, several questions rise regarding these weight loss products: how safe and effective are they?

Do you actually get the looks you hoped for? Are herbal supplements the real natural alternative to traditional weight-loss pills? Here are a few tips about such products and what you should actually expect from them. You can find yourself a totally different person after the administration of such products; let's make sure you're healthier too.

Popular weight loss products are available not only in local drugstores and supermarkets but on the Internet as well. Many of these are highly effective, helping people get rid of annoying extra pounds, yet there are also high potential risks consumers often are unaware of.

The regular buyer may check the compounds in a dietary supplement he or she may buy, but among the twenty or so herbs, vitamins and laxatives, it is hard to differentiate which is good or harmful for your body. There are two ways to avoid buying poor quality weight loss products. You can either talk to you doctor or check for the medical authority approval of the product. For instance all supplements and drugs issued in the US carry should carry FDA authorization.

Here is one very relevant example of how some weight loss products may do more harm than good. For instance, the former ephedra, the basis of many weight loss pills was withdrawn from the market because of the health concerns it raised, and it was soon replaced by another "magic" ingredient: bitter orange.

Many weight loss products now say: ephedra-free, which is by far a great thing, but they may contain an higher amount of bitter orange than it is safe for the body. Bitter orange used in high dosage may cause increased blood pressure, arrhythmias or can even inhibit metabolism. The doctor's advice is crucial in such cases. Don't start a pill-based diet without asking for his / her opinion.

To do justice to high quality weight loss products, we should also say that there are also completely risk-free dietary supplements that adjust well to the body's requirements. For instance the weight loss products based on green tea extract combined with ginseng root have proved a huge success on the market.

The green tea extract acts as a laxative and antioxidant, stimulating the body's natural metabolism, whereas the ginseng root provides the right nutrient and mineral vitality. In the same category we could range weight loss products based on seaweed such as chlorella or spirulin that are excellent tonics and great fat-burners. When starting a pill-based diet, remember one thing, the more natural its composition, the healthier you stay!