No, they’re not all the same. Metabolife is currently, IIRC, involved in a civil action lawsuit due to the ephedra in their diet “supplements”… the OTC stuff you see called “Metabolift” or “Metabolite” most likely has more ephedra than Metabolife did in the first place.
The two herbs combined in these supplements are Guarana and Ma Haung (ephedrine) - both are heavy duty stimulants, Guarana is extremely high in caffiene (something like 7x as much as coffee) and has a narcotic effect it also increases blood flow and stimulates the heart - Ma Haung is also a stimulant (similar to adrenaline), as well as a vasoconstrictor. This is what, IIRC, causes the heart issues.
Here’s the kicker - the stuff is great for a myriad of troubles, but on the other hand, it’ll make you absolutely bananas. Guarana is addictive, just like any other form of caffiene, and when I took the stuff in '99 the effect it had one me was:
constant jitters/flushed skin
irritability
irritability
irritability
Oh, hey, did I mention irritability? I have never felt so close to down right violent… I was taking Metabolite, which is nearly all guarana and ma haung. I’d take one in the morning and by 3 pm that day I was still a jittering fool.
Because a product contains herbs and claims to be “natural” does not mean it’s safer… in fact, I’d say it’s more dangerous because most OTC buyers trust that “herbal” = ok and buy the product without researching what’s in it… I can tell you five essential oils (another sore spot with me, essential oils are so dangerous in the wrong hands) that sound “safe” off the top of my head that could potentially cause a miscarriage (peppermint,basil, anise, cederwood, clary sage, clove), I can give you two herbs (blue cohash, pennyroyal) that if eaten will do the same = all have emmenagogue properties which means they can cause uterine contractions.
I really, really strongly urge you to go to http://www.howstuffworks.com and head for the health and nutrition section and read everything they have on diets, etc. If you want to lose weight, plan to make an overall lifestyle change -don’t fall for the quick fix diet thing - most diets “work,” but it’s not going to work forever and this stuff will just make you miserable on top of it while endangering your health. I know the urge to kick start things is really strong… but don’t fall for it. You set yourself up for failure by getting that quick drop in weight, then having a small gainback or plateau (sp?) and getting discouraged.
And don’t believe what you read on posters or see on commercials. Take “slim fast” for example… the diet plan? eat a shake for breakfast, one for lunch and a “sensible dinner” - breakfast is the most important meal of your day after 12 or more hours of no food and sleep, and you get a puny shake… then by the time 10 am rolls around, you’re starving hungry (your body knows it got gypped!) and by noon you get… a shake… by the time dinner rolls around, do you think anyone is going to eat a “sensible dinner”? And if they do, how long will they last following the thing to the letter before they go berserk (as much as they can with no energy) and binge? Not to mention that your body needs a certian amount of fat, etc. to function properly.
/soapbox
A couple books for you:
Nutrition for Dummies (don’t mind the title, the book is good)
The Little Herb Encyclopedia (Jack Ritchason)
The Complete Illustrated Herbal (David Hoffman) -it’s put out by B&N and like, 10$.
and again, the http://www.howstuffworks.com…
Oh, before I forget… one supplement, chromium picolonate, can be helpful in helping your body convert fat to muscle. However, like all herbs, there’s always a catch… if you’re not actively working out while taking it, it can work against you.
Good luck!
Meg