The best diet pills - rating 2021, how to choose effective and inexpensive ones at the pharmacy

The cheapest drugs

Inexpensive weight loss products include:

Fitolax

Chewable tablets, the main effect of which is to stimulate the intestines. The product removes harmful substances from the body, waste and toxins, and eliminates constipation. Digestive function is normalized.

Dosage form: 500 mg tablets, 20 or 40 pcs.

MCC Ankir-B (microcrystalline cellulose) Evalar

Natural dietary fiber for weight loss, cleansing the body of intoxications of various origins, improving digestion and removing waste and toxins.

Dosage form: tablets 425 mg, 10, 100, 300 pcs.

Glucophage long

A drug that blocks the absorption of carbohydrates. They are eliminated from the body. The medicine lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels, normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Purpose: type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults, especially in obese patients, with ineffective diet therapy and physical activity:

as monotherapy;
in combination with other oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin.

Active substance: metformin.

Dosage form: extended-release tablets 1000 mg, 28, 30, 56 or 60 pcs.

What drugs are the safest?

Doctors agree that taking only pills as an idea for weight loss is not entirely correct. Many medications are sold in pharmacies without a prescription, but they have a lot of side effects or contraindications, which in itself may not be safe for health. However, not all remedies are harmful; some of them actually help you lose a few kilograms. To know where to start, it’s worth understanding how one group of drugs differs from another.

dietary supplements

Dietary supplements differ in composition, origin and form of release - tablets, pills, capsules or syrups, but conditionally they can be divided into only two groups: homeopathic drugs and drugs with the addition of synthetic substances. The former reduce appetite, improve metabolic processes, and help cleanse the intestines. The vitamins and minerals contained in such medications have a beneficial effect on the condition of nails, skin and hair. A good example of natural dietary supplements are:

Liquid Chestnut;
Turboslim tea;
Eco Slim;
effervescent tablets Eco Pills;
Chocolate slim.

The second group of products usually includes all foreign dietary supplements: Mangosteen syrup, Chinese tablets Lida or Bilayt. On the label, the manufacturer claims only plant extracts, but some laboratory studies have revealed the presence of substances similar in their principle of action to amphetamines. According to medical statistics, such dietary supplements cause a number of side effects: dizziness, decreased visual acuity, loss of orientation and even hallucinations.

Hormonal

There are many conflicting opinions about this group of drugs from the pharmacy. On forums, women write about high efficiency and brag about their achievements in the fight against excess weight. However, doctors categorically prohibit taking hormones for weight loss without strong indications. Taking hormonal drugs to correct body weight is justified only when the body produces an insufficient amount of hormones: estrogen in women and testosterone in men.

Fat absorption blockers

The mechanism of action of this group of drugs is based on the action of only one active component - lipase. Essentially, it is a water-soluble enzyme that helps break down, separate and dissolve dietary fats directly from the gastrointestinal tract. Examples of fat absorption blockers are Xenical (Orlistat) and Orsoten tablets.

Any medicine for weight loss without harm to health should be taken with meals or an hour after meals. Thanks to the action of lipase, fat is not absorbed in the body, but is released into the intestines, from where it is excreted in the feces. Its main feature is that the effect lasts for several months after the end of the course.

Fat burners

Subcutaneous fat-burning weight loss products without harm to health can be divided into two groups: preparations for oral administration and preparations for external use. The second category includes gels, creams and lotions. Their mechanism of action is based on creating a steam bath effect. It is more effective to use such products during sports, during a morning jog or exercise. Creams help get rid of stretch marks, cellulite, and improve skin condition.

Medicines for weight loss without harm to health from the first category, in fact, belong to dietary supplements. Manufacturers often include caffeine benzoate, sodium dioxide, thyroxine, synephrine, and yohimbine hydrochloride in effective fat-burning drugs. Representatives of this category are:

Fluoxetine;
Lipoxin;
Rimonabant;
Litramine;
Chitosan.

Laxatives and diuretics

The action of these drugs is based on removing excess fluid from soft tissues and stabilizing stool. Diuretics and laxatives can also be divided into herbal and synthetic agents. The former act more gently, but the effect of their use does not appear immediately. The latter have a number of side effects, but they perform their task almost instantly.

From the huge range of products presented in the pharmacy, women often prefer cheap drugs: Furosemide, Polyphepan, Senade. Laxatives and diuretics are strictly prohibited for people with urinary tract obstruction, in the first trimester of pregnancy, or liver or kidney pathologies. In addition, uncontrolled use can be harmful to health and cause a number of side effects, the most harmless of which is considered to be dehydration.

Products based on biologically active compounds

This group is distinguished from dietary supplements by the presence of only one active component, due to the action of which weight loss occurs without harm to health. Among the wide range of products, women have a particular preference for:

L-carnitine – the active ingredient is the amino acid carnitine. The product normalizes metabolism, promotes weight loss, and slows down the absorption of protein and carbohydrates. Pregnancy and lactation are contraindications for use.
Goldline is the active component sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate. Used in medical practice to treat high-grade obesity. The drug has a number of contraindications, so it is advisable to use this medicine for weight loss without harm to health after consulting a doctor.
Dietrin is phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride. Recommended for correction of excess weight. Strictly prohibited for children under 12 years of age.

Psychotropic

The composition includes substances that affect certain areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for feelings of satiety and hunger. There are several similar drugs on the market for weight loss products:

Reduxin contains several active components: sibutramine and cellulose. The first affects the brain center, the second absorbs toxins and waste and removes them from the intestines. Use of the product is strictly prohibited for hypothyroidism, anorexia or bulimia, pregnancy, people with serious mental illness, patients with liver or kidney pathology, heart disease, pregnancy and lactation, adolescents under 18 years of age and the elderly.
Lindaxa has a similar composition to the previous medicine, it can reduce the feeling of hunger, influence the production of endorphins, and increase the body's endurance. Among the side effects it is worth highlighting: sleep disturbance, convulsions, tachycardia, digestive problems, nervous system disorders.

The Most Dangerous Pills You Should Avoid

Experts, through laboratory research, have identified the most dangerous pills that cannot be used for weight loss (especially those that are not intended for weight loss at all)

, namely:

Thai IBS tablets, Mishki, LiDa;
Sibutramine;
Dinitrophenol (2,4-Dinitrophenol, DNP);
Brazilian tablets (“Emagrece Sim” and “Herbaslim”);
Furosemide;
Fluoxetine;
Bomb 3.

Diet pills vs teas for weight loss

An attentive reader will probably have noticed that our rating is called “The 7 Best Diet Pills,” which probably excludes “weight loss” teas that are popular among many girls. And there's a reason for that.

Having studied the composition of the most popular teas for weight loss, we found senna or other herbs with a strong laxative effect and herbs with a diuretic effect. It is impossible to lose weight using such means: weight loss occurs only due to the contents of the intestines and concomitant dehydration. If, when talking about diet pills, one can talk about the balance of benefit and harm, then in the case of teas there is no talk of any benefit: constant stimulation of the intestines leads to the fact that it stops working on its own, and diuretic herbs increase the load on the kidneys, and prolonged dehydration and may even cause kidney failure. With constant loss of water through the intestines and kidneys, electrolytes are removed from the body, especially potassium, the lack of which can cause night cramps and arrhythmias.

Moreover, all these risks are completely meaningless: literally within a few days after finishing drinking the tea, the body restores the water balance and, excuse the rudeness, the amount of poop in the intestines, after which the scale needle safely returns to its original values.

Many people believe that teas are safer than pills due to the fact that the herbs are completely natural. We would venture to remind you that poisonous plants or mushrooms are also completely natural remedies. We described the side effects that arise from the abuse of teas for weight loss above.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the effectiveness and beneficial properties of such drugs, there are contraindications:

Individual intolerance to drug components.
Children under 18 years of age.
Pregnancy.
Lactation period.
Kidney, liver failure.
Colitis.
Gastritis.
Intestinal obstruction.

In order for these funds to bring benefit and not harm, you need to know about the correct use:

Do not take more than 3 tablets per day. The exact dosage is indicated in the instructions included with the drug.
If there are contraindications, the drug should not be used, as the likelihood of side effects is high.
Take the tablets with plenty of water. Drinks are prohibited.
Do not take these tablets before bedtime, as they can cause sleep disturbances.
If the drug reduces appetite, it is consumed 30 minutes before meals.
It is forbidden to chew the medicine; the tablets must be swallowed whole.
The tablets should not be taken for more than 4 weeks, otherwise side effects will occur. After 4 weeks, a break of two months is necessary, then, if necessary, the course of taking the tablets is repeated.

Furosemide

Furosemide diet pills [16] are intended to remove water from the body and relieve edema of various etiologies. Removing fluid from the body allows you to lose weight by several kilograms. The diuretic Furosemide attracts consumers with its low price and high efficiency.

Composition of Furasemide tablets:

Active substance Furosemide;
Potato starch;
Gelatin;
Lactose;
Povidone;
Talc;
Magnesium stearate;
Colloidal form of silicon dioxide.

Indications for the use of Furosemide tablets are not only weight loss, but also a significant number of severe pathologies:

Edema due to kidney pathologies and liver cirrhosis;
Pulmonary edema in heart failure;
Hypertensive crisis;
Brain swelling;
Eclampsia;
High blood pressure.

Contraindications to the use of furosemide:

Disturbances of water-salt metabolism;
Liver and kidney failure;
Cardiovascular diseases;
Intoxication after taking cardiac glycosides;
Systemic lupus erythematosus;
Anuria;
Urethral stenosis;
Individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

Side effects:

From the cardiovascular system - arrhythmias, tachycardia, collapse;
From the nervous system - apathy, parasthesia, headache, confusion;
Hearing and vision impairments,
From the digestive system - diarrhea, constipation, pancreatitis, anorexia, dry mucous membranes.
From the genitourinary system - nephritis, impotence, urinary retention, oliguria.
Disturbances of water-salt metabolism.

Furosemide tablets should be used under the supervision of a doctor, since removing large amounts of fluid deprives the body of potassium and magnesium, which are necessary for full salt metabolism.

How to enhance the effect of diet pills

If you know a few rules, you can enhance the effect of the drugs. Their effectiveness increases if:

Adjust your diet . It is necessary to exclude fatty, fried foods, sweets and baked goods from the menu. It is recommended to eat vegetables and fruits. Proper nutrition while taking medications will enhance their effect.
Exercise . Regular physical activity will help speed up your metabolism and fat cells will disappear much faster.
Drink enough liquid . Those losing weight need to drink at least 1.5 liters of clean water. Carbonated and alcoholic drinks are prohibited.

These measures really increase the effectiveness of the drugs and can speed up the process of losing weight. But medications are not effective without a proper diet.

The best drugs for weight loss

In this section we have collected medications designed to help in the fight against excess weight. All of these diet pills are prescription because they interfere quite harshly with the functioning of the nerve centers or metabolism, which can cause serious side effects. Therefore, most often such medications are recommended for people with severe obesity (BMI > 30) in situations where diet and exercise do not help.

On the other hand, unlike dietary supplements, for registration of which it is not necessary to confirm the effectiveness of action, all drugs for weight loss have confirmed their effectiveness in clinical trials - without this, registration of the drug is impossible.

Sibutramine

Rating: 4.9

Trade names: Reduxin, Goldline.

Sibutramine is ideal for people who are honestly trying to diet but cannot handle constant hunger. By acting directly on the satiety center in the brain, these tablets help you eat in small portions. And since the process activates serotonin and adrenaline receptors, an added bonus is increased activity and less need for sleep. True, this coin also has a downside: increased activity can easily turn into anxiety, a reduced need for sleep can result in insomnia, and the effect on adrenaline receptors can provoke an uncontrolled increase in blood pressure. Sibutramine increases the load on the heart and blood vessels: blood pressure increases by 1–3 mm on average. rt. art, and the pulse is 3 - 7 beats per minute. This is why it is banned in the countries of the European Union.

Many people who have used this drug complain of a complete loss of pleasure from eating. On the one hand, this helped them lose weight, on the other hand, such sensations are subjectively very difficult to bear.

People taking the medicine often complain of dry mouth, complete lack of appetite, changes in taste sensitivity, and constipation. Other side effects include traditional allergic reactions, headache, and a transient increase in the amount of “liver enzymes” (transaminases) in the blood.

Judging by reviews and publications in medical journals, sibutramine works great “for short distances” from a month to three, then you get used to it and weight loss slows down.

Taking the medicine for more than a year in a row is not recommended; no one has studied the safety of such long-term use.

You need to start with a dose of 10 mg once a day; if within a month it was not possible to lose 5% of the initial body weight, it is recommended to switch to a dosage of 15 mg; if it turns out to be ineffective, further experiments should be stopped.

Sibutramine is absolutely not suitable for people suffering from “binges” - attacks of uncontrollable overeating, when a person comes to his senses in front of an empty refrigerator with a heaviness in his stomach and confusion: why, exactly, did he eat all this? Such situations are not as rare as ordinary people believe, and require work with a psychologist. It is useless to control the appetite of people who eat not because they are hungry, but because of stress.

The list of contraindications to the use of the medicine is quite long:

age under 18 years;
pregnancy and breastfeeding;
obesity is caused not by overeating, but by disease (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, Itsenko-Cushing syndrome and others);
IHD, arrhythmias, heart failure at any stage;
Blood pressure is higher than 145/90;
thyrotoxicosis;
pheochromocytoma;
angle-closure glaucoma;
benign prostatic hyperplasia;
renal or liver failure;
alcohol, drug or drug addiction.

Sibutramine should not be taken with antidepressants, other diet pills, or tryptophan-based sleep aids.

Advantages

reduces excessive appetite,
helps reduce weight,
increases activity.

Flaws

puts stress on the blood vessels and heart.

Orlistat

Rating: 4.8

Trade names: Orlixen, Xenalten, Listata, Xenical, Orlimax.

If sibutramine acts on the brain, “turning off” interest in food and the pleasure of absorbing it, then orlistat works at the intestinal level, blocking enzymes that break down fats. Large fat molecules are not able to pass through the intestinal wall, and leave the body along with other undigested food debris. Since fat is the highest calorie part of the diet, the number of calories absorbed decreases and a person loses weight without limiting himself to his favorite foods.

That's what the theory sounds like. In practice, those who take orlistat have to control the contents of their plate very tightly. Because undigested fats irritate the intestinal wall. And as soon as their number in a dish exceeds a certain minimum, which is different for each, the intestines begin to contract uncontrollably, which forces, pardon the naturalism, to run to the toilet. Naturally, such awkward situations force us to limit fat in food, which means that those who claim that taking orlistat you can not change your eating habits are, at the very least, disingenuous.

By the way, this effect must be kept in mind for women taking contraceptives - due to the fact that the intestines are emptied faster, the hormones do not have time to be completely absorbed, which reduces the effectiveness of the medicine.

On the other hand, orlistat can perhaps be recommended to people suffering from eating disorders, since fat absorption actually decreases and a person will receive fewer calories during overeating. True, thrills will also be guaranteed.

It is intestinal irritation from undigested fats that causes most of the side effects that occur when taking orlistat:

the passage of gases, often with some intestinal contents;
sudden strong urge to defecate;
loose stools;
abdominal pain.

Other undesirable phenomena may include allergic reactions and problems associated with a decrease in the effectiveness of medications that a person takes constantly (antihypertensives, contraceptives, antiepileptics, and so on).

On the positive side, it should be noted that the tablets not only help you lose weight, but also normalize the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. In addition, it is almost impossible to be poisoned by them - that is, to create too high a dosage in the body: the active substance is not absorbed orally, remaining in the intestinal lumen. Therefore, orlistat has minimal contraindications:

maladsorption syndrome (impaired absorption of one or another food component in the intestines);
cholestasis;
pregnancy, lactation, childhood - no one has tested the safety of the medicine in these categories of people.

Orlistat should not be taken simultaneously with warfarin and other drugs that alter blood clotting, or simultaneously with cyclosporine.

You need to take these diet pills three times a day with meals. If within three months the weight has decreased by no more than 5% of the initial weight, further use of the medicine should be stopped. The duration of the course is not limited by the instructions. but you need to take into account that along with fats, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, which are vital for the body, is blocked.

Advantages

few contraindications,
normalizes blood lipid composition,
forces you to diet.

Flaws

extremely uncomfortable side effects.

Metformin

Rating: 4.7

Trade names: Glucophage, Siofor, Gliformin.

These pills were originally developed not for weight loss, but to correct sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. But after several years of sales, it turned out that they promote active weight loss - and the drug began to be used, among other things, to combat excess body weight. And, despite the fact that weight loss is not formally indicated in the instructions for use of metformin, among the indications for use there is a BMI > 35, that is, obesity, which sharply increases the risk of diabetes.

The main effect of metformin is to restore the body's sensitivity to insulin. It is the insensitivity of cells to this hormone, which reduces blood glucose levels, that causes type 2 diabetes.

The medicine acts in several directions, and we will not give all the mechanisms of its effect on the body, limiting ourselves to only those that are important in the context of losing excess weight. This:

decreased absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine;
transformation of glucose into lactic acid in the intestinal lumen;
activation of an enzyme called adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase, which reduces the synthesis of glucose by the liver and activates the oxidation of fatty acids.

Translating from medical language into understandable language, metformin not only reduces the intake of glucose from food, which indirectly reduces the amount of calories received, but also helps the body break down its own fat, using primarily fat reserves as an energy source, rather than glucose, which is produced in the liver decreases under the influence of the drug.

Metformin will be useful not only for those who have already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but primarily for people whose blood sugar levels still remain within normal limits, but insulin sensitivity is already impaired and the level of this hormone in the body begins to steadily increase. This condition is called prediabetes.

To detect it, you need to donate blood for analysis, which includes calculating the CARO and HOMA-IR indices. Without going into too much detail, these indices are based on measuring the relationship between the amount of insulin in the blood and fasting glucose levels. To find out if this test is needed, divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference. If the value is more than 0.85 for women or 0.9 for men, there is a high risk of metabolic syndrome, which, among other symptoms, is also manifested by impaired sensitivity of the body to insulin.

There are other indications for the use of metformin, besides prediabetes:

BMI>35;
type 2 diabetes mellitus in blood relatives;
previous pregnancy diabetes;
elevated blood triglyceride levels;
arterial hypertension.

You need to take metformin as weight loss pills 850 mg first once a day, after 10 days - 2 times a day. The medicine does not cause an excessive decrease in blood sugar levels, but with a gradual increase in dosage, the likelihood of side effects from the gastrointestinal tract, such as nausea, a sharp decrease in appetite, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, is less likely.

Other undesirable effects include taste disturbances and allergic skin rashes. It is extremely rare that lactic acidosis is possible - acidification of the body with lactic acid, which is manifested by symptoms such as weakness, muscle pain, and drowsiness. In this case, you should immediately stop taking the medication and consult a doctor. To prevent this condition, you cannot combine metformin with extremely strict diets - the daily calorie content should be at least 1000 kcal. The likelihood of developing lactic acidosis due to alcohol poisoning while taking metformin also increases, so it is strictly not recommended to abuse alcohol.

The drug is contraindicated in severe renal, hepatic and cardiovascular failure. Not recommended for pregnant women, as safety for the fetus has not been established. You should not take metformin 2 days before and 2 days after an X-ray contrast study using iodine preparations.

Long-term use of metformin reduces the absorption of vitamin B12, so it is recommended to periodically take multivitamin preparations.