How Stimulants Suppress Appetite

You might think that stimulants are only designed to give you energy. While it’s certainly true that the right stimulant could give you a more energized feeling and more focus, it could go a step further, especially if you’re hoping to lose excess weight more quickly.

Basically, stimulants suppress appetite while also energizing you. Sounds great, right? But, how exactly do they work?

It Starts with Dopamine

According to Livestrong, ingredients like amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are found in stimulant products that are designed to help you stay alert and energized for extended periods of time. Put simply, they work because they’re able to boost the level of dopamine that’s released in your brain. What’s dopamine, you ask? Well, it’s a neurotransmitter (a.k.a. a chemical messenger) that’s involved in functions like motivation and movement.

Dopamine and Appetite

Dopamine is also involved in sending signals to your brain that you feel satisfied. So, as you can imagine, this could have an impact on how hungry you feel as well. In fact according to research, dopamine deficiency might even contribute to obesity. However, if you take a stimulant product, your dopamine level will be higher and your appetite will be lower.

Stimulants Suppress Appetite, but There Are Things to Consider

Sure, stimulants suppress appetite, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re a good idea. These products are often highly addictive, so they do come with some level of risk. Plus, some stimulants are capable of causing other unwanted and uncomfortable side effects while you’re using them.

If you need to lose weight, you can talk to your doctor about prescription weight loss products that are designed to be taken for a short period of time in order to boost your energy and suppress your appetite. However, there are also over-the-counter weight loss supplements that you can get without a prescription. These, too, are designed to work by increasing your energy level so that you can get more done and burn more calories, but they won’t contain the same strong ingredients that prescriptions contain.

Now that you know that stimulants suppress appetite, use this information to make the wisest and safest choice—with help from your doctor—for your weight loss goals.