Just because the label on a diet pill reads “caffeine-free” does not mean there are no stimulants in the formula. Many supplement companies will remove caffeine so they can market the supplement as “caffeine-free”, but they never bother to tell dieters about the plethora of other stimulants in the formula. I drink three to four cups of coffee a day, so I don’t need additional caffeine. When I recently tried a “caffeine-free” fat burner, I quickly realized there was something in that formula causing my heart rate to skyrocket. Low and behold there were three stimulants in the formula, but the diet pill was “caffeine-free.”
Xanthine – Another name for caffeine.
Guarana – Guarana is in the maple family with twice the caffeine per bean than coffee.
Yerba Mate – Yerba Mate is in the holly family with leaves that contain caffeine.
Synephrine – Synephrine is an extract from under ripe fruit of the Citrus Aurantium tree.
Citrus Aurantium – Small citrus tree from which under ripe fruit containing synephrine is harvested.
Bitter Orange – Another name for citrus aurantium.
Sour Orange – Another name for citrus aurantium.
Advantra Z – Name brand extract of the citrus aurantium plant.
Zhi Shi – Another name for citrus aurantium.
Oxedrine – Another name for synephrine.
Theobromine – Stimulant alkaloid found in cacao, chocolate and kola nut.
Theobromide – Another name for theobromine.
Xantheose – Another name for theobromine.
Green Tea Extract – Extract of green tea leaves that contains caffeine unless noted as decaffeinated.
Black Tea Extract – Extract of oxidized tea leaves that contains caffeine.
Kola Nut – Nut from the Kola tree that contains both caffeine and theobromine.
Coffee Bean Extract – Source of caffeine extracted from roasted coffee beans.
Green Coffee Bean Extract – Unroasted coffee beans that contain caffeine.
Yohimbe – Plant extract with stimulant properties similar to caffeine.
Hordenine – Plant or seed alkaloid with stimulating properties.
The Dangers of Consuming “Caffeine-Free” Stimulants
Just because a diet pill label claims to be “caffeine-free” does not mean the stimulants used in the formula don’t come with potential health risks. Synephrine, for instance, is noted as one of the more dangerous stimulants. Synephrine became wildly popular as an ephedra alternative when the Food and Drug Administration pulled ephedra from the diet pill market. Potential side effects of using synephrine in place of caffeine include increased heart rate and increased blood pressure, but these are not the most dangerous potential side effects. Studies have linked synephrine to myocardial infarction (heart attack), cardiotoxicity (heart damage) and cardiac arrest. When synephrine is paired with another stimulant that may be a source of caffeine, but not necessarily labeled as caffeine, the risk and severity of side effects may increase.
Before jumping onto the next diet pill bandwagon because a new diet pill claims to be “caffeine-free” make sure to check the label carefully. Supplement manufacturers are not regulated by the FDA the same way drug companies are regulated and that gives companies the leisure of adding stimulants to “caffeine-free” supplements as long as they aren’t adding straight caffeine.
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