Edite Teixeira-Lemos
Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal
Title: Is the consumption of “safe and natural†weight -loss supplements completely safe? Focus on their putative effects in patients with chronic medication.
Biography
Biography: Edite Teixeira-Lemos
Abstract
For many people, the need for regular physical exercise and a reduced-energy diet, coupled with the need for constant avoidance of tempting, tasty energy-rich foods just seems too difficult. Therefore, over-the-counter (OTC) dietary slimming aids that promise easy weight loss and claim to be “Safe and natural” are a very attractive proposition. There is a huge and complex variety of OTC weight control products available in the market. The ingredients of these products are thought to act by either one or more of the following mechanisms: increasing satiety; decreasing absorption and increasing fat oxidation, increasing metabolic rate, or reducing lipogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the consumption habits of dietary supplements for losing weight in a Portuguese population living in the centre of Portugal. We will assess the main diseases and chronic medication and we will try to demonstrate the putative interactions between most consumed ingredients and medication. The risk for dietary supplement-drug interaction is the highest in patients with chronic conditions. However, according to our study, less than one-third of adults who use weight-loss dietary supplements discuss their use with their doctor or other health care professionals. In conclusion, people who are considering using weight-loss supplements should talk with their health care provider to discuss these products’ potential benefits and risks. This is especially important for those who have chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.