While laxatives can achieve some amount of weight loss, the overall loss is usually limited. It is also important for you to know that most of the weight lost during the use of laxatives is water weight. The important question is whether laxatives are really safe for losing weight? Could this be the downfall of young people who are desperate to lose weight to fit in with their skinny peers?
According to statistics, the largest groups of people who use laxatives are people who have anorexia or bulimia nervosa. These groups of people are more likely to use laxatives to achieve their weight loss.
Laxatives are any food, chemical compounds, or drugs taken to cause a bowel movement or to make stools loose. The use of laxatives is prescribed for some medical procedures (before surgeries or colon examination) in patients who are finding it difficult to pass stool. The method of operation is to clear the large intestine very rapidly. However, for people who want to lose weight fast, the use of laxatives falls under ‘extreme weight control strategies’ along with other methods such as fasting, vomiting, diet pills, cigarettes, and diuretics.
Note that there are many more herbal supplements containing laxatives on the market, but the ones listed here were found on the Dietary Supplements Label Database in the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM). To know if a herbal supplement contains a laxative, check the list of ingredients on the pack.
As much as using herbal supplements for only a short-term period sounds like a favorable option (more like a quickie), there are still some dangerous side effects ranging from mild to severe. The following lists some of the dangers even for short-term use of herbal supplements containing laxatives:
Medical research shows that there can be some dire long-term consequences for consuming excessive amounts of laxatives. Long-term consumption of excess laxatives in the human system leads to:
Herbal supplements containing laxatives possess chemical compounds called anthranoids. Anthranoids are known to stimulate the movement of the intestines while producing a faster transit time for bowel movements. Anthranoid-containing herbal supplements can lead to Melanosis Coli (disorder of the pigmentation of the colon), as well as a possible increased risk for colorectal cancer.
Source: http://ibs.about.com/od/treatmentofibs/a/herballaxatives.htm
There are a number of ways to lead a healthy lifestyle that can help weight loss, here are a few suggestions:
Eat healthy and avoid junk food: Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and avoid foods with high fat content such as junk food. Most fast food restaurants are concerned with their sales than the health of their customers. These restaurants tend to use cheaper or subsidized food products (for instance rice, wheat, corn, and soybeans) which contain higher calories (and/or higher fat content) than the healthier options with lower calories. You can avoid the junk by making delicious home-made meals with healthier ingredient options.
Eat smaller-sized portions of meals: Portion size is an important factor when it comes to maintaining a BMI within the healthy range. Most people don’t keep track of their portion sizes, however, the recommended amounts per meal can be found under the “serving size” information on grocery packets or restaurant menus.
Eat foods that have a natural laxative effect: it is better to consume foods with a natural laxative effect than to take an artificial herbal supplement. Examples of natural laxatives are banana, kiwi-fruit, prunes, aloe vera, blackstrap molasses, pears, and nuts.
Exercise regularly: If you combine exercise with healthy eating, you are bound to lose weight in the healthiest natural way. Most recommendations are for exercising thirty minutes a day, or every other day, or three times a week.
Drink plenty of water and avoid carbonated soft drinks: According to statistics, carbonated soft drinks are the number one source of daily added sugar in-take in the United States and in most parts of the world. Avoiding soft drinks will help you lose weight.
Add calcium to your diet: Diets with high calcium content are associated with reduced occurrences of being over-weight or obese. Daily vitamin A with Calcium is also suggested in literature for weight loss.
Go on a macrobiotic diet: This diet consists of dairy, fish, and other supplements based on the individual’s needs. It is a diet that stresses vegetarianism and whole healthy foods consumption. Nutrition deficiencies can occur with this diet, but not with proper menu planning.5
Spirulina Therapy: This is a very popular therapy that involves eating a type of blue-green algae, spirulina. It is marketed as a “vitamin-enriched” appetite suppressant. More research is needed to show connection to weight loss. Avoid if allergic to blue-green algae, are pregnant or breast-feeding, or have phenylketonuria (PKU).
Disclaimer: Our reviews and investigations are based on extensive research from the information publicly available to us and consumers at the time of first publishing the post. Information is based on our personal opinion and whilst we endeavour to ensure information is up-to-date, manufacturers do from time to time change their products and future research may disagree with our findings. If you feel any of the information is inaccurate, please contact us and we will review the information provided.
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