The Difference Between Diet Drugs And Natural Diet Supplements

There are diet pills out there that can come in many different forms, such as prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and herbal supplements. Here is a more detailed look into the difference between the three types of weight loss diet pills.

Prescription: As you may have guessed, prescription diet pills are drugs that can only be obtained through a doctor’s prescription. Because of the potency of these pills, they are regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). The use of these types of drugs are going to be closely monitored by the doctor who has prescribed them to you.

Over-the-counter: Similar to prescription drugs, this is also another synthetically made drug, except you don’t need to worry about going to see a doctor to get a prescription to get these drugs. The Prescopodene diet pills can be found right in your local drugstore or supermarket, but are also regulated by the FDA. According to AnneCollins.com, "Products considered by FDA to be over-the-counter weight control drugs [as opposed to dietary supplements] are primarily those containing the active ingredient phenylpropanolamine (PPA)." Over a decade ago, there was a request made by the FDA that drug manufacturers voluntary reformulate PPA-containing products because it was found that phenylpropanolamine increases a person’s risk of a stroke. Because of this there are few diet drugs on the market that contain this ingredient.


Herbal: This form of supplement is also available for purchase without a prescription, just as OTC medications. You’ll find these forms of supplements in health food and nutrition stores, as well as being found in the supermarket. Theses diet supplements will usually have “All Natural” on the labels, and because of the all natural ingredients found in these pills, the FDA has classified them as food products, as opposed to drugs. One such example of herbal diet supplements for weight loss is Prescopodene. The diet pill was recently named one of the “Best Diet Pills of 2012” by The Diet Pill Review, an independent industry review group.

There is also a selection of diet aids that are administered by patch, as a powder or in liquid form. These types of drugs may fall into any of the above categories -- it is only the delivery method that is unique.