Weight loss has become one of the biggest trends today, and people are doing a lot of different things to help them reach their ultimate weight loss goals – some of these things healthy, and some not so much.
Among the things that people are doing to lose weight (aside from the obvious exercise) include taking a number of different supplements, both natural and otherwise. Some of these supplements can be quite healthy and help people lose weight as an added bonus.
Others are not so healthy and are known for causing a number of side effects that can be very dangerous – even if the substance may work. One such substance is the DNP drug, or 2-4 dinitrophenol, a compound that many people have been using for weight loss despite the fact that others have been injured and even died from using it.
In this article, we’re going to explain what dinitrophenol is, outline the potential benefits and the reasons why people are willing to risk using this substance, and then explain why that might not be such a good idea.
What is the DNP drug?
2 4 dinitrophenol, also known as dinitrophenol or simply DNP (slang terms include Dinitro, Nitrophen, and Dnoc) is a very powerful substance that many people have been using as a weight loss substance.
It has a very different mechanism of action than other, more natural weight loss substances. Dinitrophenol basically impairs the way that your cellular respiration process works, meaning that it interferes with the way that your cells breathe.
The DNP drug was not developed for human consumption. In fact, its original use was as an explosive and a pesticide. Dinitrophenol was then used for a number of other industrial things such as dying or preserving wood, acting as a herbicide, and helping to develop photographs.
Dinitrophenol was marketed as a weight loss supplement in 1933, in an astounding example of how researchers are not necessarily working in the interest of the general public. It took 5 years for the FDA to recognize the DNP drug as extremely dangerous and for them to take it off the shelves.
One doctor attempted to bring the DNP drug back into action in the early 80s, selling it through his private clinic. Since then, many patients began reporting side effects, and one of them died. The doctor was eventually sent to jail.
The above things have led to some people referring to dinitrophenol as the world’s deadliest weight loss drug.
How does 2 4 dinitrophenol work?
The reason that dinitrophenol is so dangerous (and the reason that people began using DNP weight loss supplements) is a result of the way that the substance affects our cells. It interferes with their normal process, causing them to consume more oxygen and to raise the rate at which they burn energy.
By increasing the amount of heat that our cells produce, dinitrophenol works in a process known as uncoupling. Since our cells are busy producing heat, this means that they’re using valuable energy that should be directed towards other functions – like the respiration of ATP, the most valuable source of energy that our bodies use.
ATP is produced in the mitochondria; tiny organelles located in our cells which are referred to as ‘the powerhouse of the cell.’ Since every cell in our body produces ATP, it’s an incredibly valuable resource that influences our every action.
When the mitochondria can’t produce or use the ATP properly, like when you’re using 2 4 dinitrophenol, then the body’s metabolic rate skyrockets. This can lead to rapid weight loss – the only desirable effect of using the DNP drug – but can also contribute towards a whole number of other unpleasant side effects.
Why is the DNP drug unsafe? (DNP Side Effects)
There’s no doubt that DNP weight loss is a possibility. There have been reports of people losing up to 1.5 kilograms of weight per week after using dinitrophenol for weight loss. However, if you dabble in this drug, you need to know that you’re dealing with a substance that’s fairly harmful. The human body is simply not supposed to shed weight that quickly except under extreme, and usually unhealthy, circumstances.
So, despite the impressive DNP weight loss results, there are a number of reasons that you wouldn’t actually want to use this compound. One of the reasons is the huge number of potential side effects that can occur even when you’re just using a small amount. These can include:
- Rapid or abnormal heartbeat
- Quick breathing (hyperventilation)
- Fever (raised body temperature)
- Extreme dehydration
- Dizziness, headache
- Sweating and flushing of the skin
- Nausea and vomiting
These side effects will likely make the experience of using dinitrophenol uncomfortable, but some people can manage this while convincing themselves that they won’t do any long-term damage their body.
The real DNP side effect – if you can call it that – that you need to be worrying about is dying. In fact, as observed in the study linked to earlier, there have been 62 recorded deaths that were believed to be caused by the DNP drug. This may not be the majority of users, but the fact remains that DNP can kill you.
One such individual was hospitalized about 16 hours after taking what is believed to be DNP with an extremely high body temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. When he died, he was becoming delirious and his heart rate was very high. He was only 22.
Another man died within 24 hours of taking dinitrophenol. He also had an extremely high body temperature, his liver was failing, and he was struggling with what’s referred to as metabolic acidosis.
These shocking truths reveal that dinitrophenol is incredibly dangerous, and that even people who seek medical help very soon after noticing adverse side effects may not have a chance to survive. So what is DNP’s safety status? Not safe for human consumption.
Related Article: Phentermine Side Effects
Is dinitrophenol legal?
If you’re wondering about the legal status of DNP, it can be a bit confusing.
The drug has been illegal to sell and market as a dietary aid for almost a century now. This happened when the FDA first caught on to the dangerous nature of the substance in 1938.
That certainly wasn’t enough to stop people from using it, though. The DNP drug itself wasn’t actually made illegal for people to use per se until 2003, when the FDA labeled it unfit for human consumption.
Regardless of that, DNP is still legal to possess. This is because there are a number of other agricultural and industrial uses for the substance.
What You Could Use Instead of DNP for Weight Loss?
If you’re looking for a substance that’s going to help you lose weight as fast as DNP, then, unfortunately, you’re out of luck. The reason that DNP is able to help people lose ridiculous amounts of weight (up to 1.5 kg on a weekly basis), is because it drastically interferes with your body’s cellular metabolism.
This is NOT healthy and is a terrible way to manipulate the hard-working cells in your body to promote weight loss.
Fortunately, there are some other substances that can be useful for helping you to lose weight in a similar manner. Just remember, you’re going to have to keep your expectations lower. While these substances are much safer in the long run, but none of them will make you lose 1.5 kg a week. That’s just dangerous.
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Garcinia cambogia is a superfood that’s been touted for helping people lose weight. Some of these claims have been validated by science, but there are some who suggest not to use garcinia cambogia over the long-term due to there being some risk for developing side effects – none of which are nearly as dangerous as dinitrophenol.
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Green coffee bean extract. Coffee beans contain caffeine, and they are actually stronger when they are green before they are fully ripened. For this reason, green coffee bean extract has been a great source of caffeine and other health-boosting antioxidants that many people have found to be very useful for helping to lose weight. Caffeine boosts metabolism, and thus this stuff can function in a similar manner as DNP.
- PhenQ is a powerful weight loss supplement that contains a number of ingredients that help to boost metabolism and ensure improvement to weight loss. Things like caffeine, capsaicin (the active component in chilli pepper) and L-carnitine help turn the body into a fat-burning machine.
Of course, the best thing that you can do to lose weight is ensuring that you have a healthy diet, don’t eat too much junk food, and look for good aerobic exercises that are efficient at burning calories.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that weight loss supplements are popular, and there’s no reason to believe that they’re on the decline. Unfortunately, because of the rapid spread of misinformation, people are turning to dangerous alternatives like DNP to help them lose weight.
In this article, we’ve outlined the reasons that people use DNP, and also the reasons that you should not use it if you value your health and longevity. Instead, we’ve provided you with some healthful alternatives that you can use instead.
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