It seems like magic. Take a pill and lose 50 pounds. If you're thinking about resorting to diet pills for your weight problems, consider this.

Dizziness, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, blurred vision, fatigue, insomnia, heart failure, severe headaches, hair loss, urinary tract problems, tremors, hallucinations, heart attack, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, dry mouth, diarrhea, constipation, stroke, convulsions, hyperactivity, addiction to pills, and heart palpitations... These are some of the side effects of diet pills according to medical specialists. Prescription-based diet pills especially are often nothing more than speed. Active ingredients within popular diet pills include amphetamines, caffeine, and ephedrine. The substances are intended to "speed up your body" artificially in order to make your appetite suppress.

This is how it works. Think about your body and how it reacts to threatening situations. If your brakes went out on your car and you were driving down the interstate, your hunger would completely shut down. This is how your body is designed, for survival. You're not hungry when your body thinks your life is on the line. This is the feeling unhealthy diet pills aim to produce within you.

When on diet pills, the side effects include putting your body in a constant state of overdrive. The problem is that, although this may cut weight, you were not created for such intense tension all the time. Now can you see how the side effects listed above may occur?

These types of deadly diet pills should only be reserved for those with severe obesity problems, when weight issues have become too dangerous for your health. Furthermore, these diet pills should not be taken by anyone with glaucoma, an anxiety disorder, thyroid problems, diabetes, epilepsy, a history of substance abuse, and high blood pressure, to name a few. It's recommended that you consult your doctor before trying any diet pill.

Side effects of diet pills have been known to be horrendous. In recent times, however, there are a few healthy alternatives. Any supplement that contains hoodia gordonii, a natural extract from a South African cactus, is an appetite suppressor without the bad side effects of artificial diet pills. Hoodia gordonii doesn't send your body into overdrive like dangerous prescription-based or even many over-the-counter pills. Its organic substance simply "tells your brain that you're full."

What you have to remember with hoodia gordonii, though, is that it's not only a natural appetite suppressor, but it also suppresses your thirst. Therefore, it's important to drink water excessively while taking it. Otherwise you may be dehydrated and not know it.

There is also a healthy alternative to hoodia gordonii natural and safe appetite suppressant. A couple actually. Phase 2, which comes from the white kidney bean, is a carbohydrate blocker, which literally stops carbs from being stored as excess fat within your body. Phase 2 can be found in products like Dietrine Carb Blocker.

So what's the best thing you can do for yourself to cut weight? A structured, long-term healthy program including exercise, healthy dieting, and if inclined to try supplements make sure they're all-natural, organic, and that they actually work.