Alli Side Effects By Dr. David Dahlman, DC ©	Ê Print this article ? Email this article Digg this article
Summary: Alli is a diet pill that promises to be the best diet pill. Formerly known as Orlistat or Xenical, it is now available over-the-counter for weight loss. The Alli diet pill is hoped by many to be a diet pill that works for those with weight loss problems. Alli diet pills have many uncomfortable side effects and will probably not be a diet pill that works.

The new over-the-counter weight loss pill called Alli is pronounced "Al eye"...but it is not your ally! Formerly marketed as a prescription drug called Xenical (aka Orlistat), this is one of the most dangerous over-the-counter medications available! How does diarrhea, gas, leakages, oily discharge and colon cancer sound to you?

Alli is the latest "solution" for the lazy when it comes to weight loss. Let's all just take a pill to cure our ills. The reality is it may not work at all. It's designed to block absorption of about 25% of the fat content of your food and let it pass out of your body. Sounds great doesn't it? Until you learn what that 25% of the fat content of your food can do to you.

So, the fat passes right out of your body.  OK, this minor alteration of the normal digestion process seems innocuous enough. But as with all things that alter Mother Nature, it's not. The gastrointestinal system is not designed to *NOT* digest foods that are in it and let them pass straight out. Two problems are created.

The first of the side effects are these undigested fats cause loose bowels. Worse than that could be the gas, oily discharge and gas accompanied with oily discharge that can lead to leakage. Educational materials from the manufacturer recommend people start using this medication on the weekend, when they have a few days off or at least bring extra clothes to the office. Lovely.

Recent research has also suggested in mice that the drug causes colon cancer.

The second side effect is that a portion of the fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K will be prevented from being absorbed. Those vitamins are important and that side effect should not be taken lightly.

The unintended consequence...and aren't there always those...some folks might think this the blessing they have been looking for and believe they can eat more fat than previously because it's passing out of their body.  Wrong!  Only 25% is blocked of the total you are eating.

Another issue is that an essential fatty acid deficiency in this country is running rampant.  You've probably heard of them as EPA or DHA. People are wrongly afraid of fats as a cause of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other ills. This also makes them afraid of "good" fats. Fats are important for human health and you must eat them.

So, once again science is focused on the wrong issue, but isn't that what blind ambition for profit is all about? The logical solution for weight loss is: If you are an over eater, eat less.  If you are not an over eater, eat less carbs.  Pretty simple.