If you’re looking to avoid taking diet pills maybe a new diet aid that you stick on your skin might be the option for you. Slimweight Patch is claiming to provide excellent weight loss results. Though previously Slimweight patches promoted a patch with hoodia extract, a known stimulant found in many diet pills, the herbal patches appear to be the only product now available on their website. I broke down the patch ingredients to see what benefits and risks each might have towards weight loss success.
Fucus Vesiculosus
Fucus Vesiculosus, also known as bladder wrack, is a brown seaweed that is loaded with iodine. Iodine has an effect on the function of the thyroid which helps control metabolism. Too much iodine or extended duration of use could cause severe increase in thyroid function and eventually shutdown the thyroid.
5HTP
5HTP is used for insomnia, depression, anxiety, migraines and headaches. It reaches the brain and works to increase your supply of serotonin. There is a lot of controversy about the safety of this supplement. There have been reports that it may cause eosinophilia myalgia syndrome which involves severe muscle pain and a high white blood cell count. If you are currently taking an antidepressant like Paxil, or Zoloft you should avoid using Slimweight patch. Using the two in combination could increase your risk of an overproduction of serotonin called serotonin syndrome which could result in seizures.
Guarana and Yerba Mate
Guarana is a stimulant that contains caffeine and at high doses can cause insomnia and arrhythmias. It has about double the caffeine content that coffee has. Side effects with caffeine include insomnia, nervousness, nausea, vomiting and increased heart rate. If you are taking medication for attention deficit disorder medication you should avoid using this patient as this would increase your risk of side effects. Yerba mate is another stimulant with caffeine in it but its not as potent as guarana. Prolonged use of yerba mate may lead to certain cancers which include mouth, esophagus, larynx, kidney bladder and lung. Smoking or alcohol use increase this risk seven times!
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
DHEA has been used to help slow or reverse aging to increase strength energy and muscle and for weight loss. It may increase levels of estrogen in the body and may be used for hormone replacement therapy once a women has gone through menopause. At a dose of 200 mg it has caused side effects like acne in about one-third of patients and facial hair in about sixteen percent. Other side effects can include hair loss, voice deepening, changes in menstruation and resistance to your body’s insulin. DHEA is manufactured from soy and wild yams. If anyone is a Sex and the City fan they know that Samantha is a fan of homeopathic remedies to help with her menopause. She even resorts to using yams as a facial mask! With all supplement there are concerns as to whether a person is truly receiving the right concentration of the supplement as stated on the package. In the case of DHEA you may get anywhere from 0 to 150% the actual amount written on the package!
The Bottom Line
The patch is not available in retail stores and would have to be ordered online. The website offers options to purchase one, two, three and six month supplies of the patches. The maximum that can be ordered at 1 time is a six months supply and this is the maximum per person that can be ordered. Many studies have shown that using these products up to six months is safe but anything after that may be harmful and may not produce any additional weight loss benefits. Remember, if you start experiencing any side effects take off the patch immediately. Using different delivery systems for diet aids is another way that the diet industry is becoming more innovative. For someone who doesn’t like taking pills or is forgetful Slimweight patches may be a good option along with a healthy diet and exercise.