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The Top 5 Herbs For Weight Loss
The rise in health and fitness trends has lead to the increase in marketing gimmicks of natural supplements to aid in weight loss. While these herbs for weight loss show some evidence of being appetite suppressants, further scientific studies hasn’t found many of them to be effective.
If you are on a hunt for a weight loss supplement that’s natural and effective, be on the lookout for these herbs, as they are ineffective and even dangerous to your health.
1. Hoodia
Hoodia gordonii is a plant grown in south Africa. According to the Brent A. Bauer, M.D., Mayo Clinic internist, hoodia is marketed as an appetite suppressant to aid in weight loss. Interest in the plant has emerged over recent years due to reports of native Africans using hoodia as an aid to suppress their hunger during long hunts.
However, there is no solid evidence about the plant’s effectiveness in aiding weight loss, as well as safety for consumption. Still, you can find dietary supplements with this plant as their main ingredient being sold online.
2. Glucomannan
Extracted from the root of the plant Amorphophallus knojac, glucomannan is claimed to aid in weight loss by delaying the glucose absporption from the intestines. However, there were only small, limited studies that have shown glucomannan as effective in losing weight. The effect it gives is believed to be from the feeling of fullness a person feels after taking glucomannan, which may be due to the swelling of the extract in the gut once it has been exposed to liquids.
There had even been reports of the extract obstructing the esophagus of several people, which is why glucomannan and other products using it as ingredient have been banned in several countries due to its dangers in the gastrointestinal function.
3. Green Tea
Green tea has long been known to provide numerous health benefits to tea drinkers around the world. But not only is it healthy, but it also aids in weight loss by boosting your body’s metabolism and helping it burn fat. Because it has been the focus of many research, green tea has been found to have more health credibility than other kinds such as black tea. According to Hasan Mukhtar, vice chair of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the tea polyphenols found in most teas may protect against heart disease and a variety of cancers. Perhaps the secondary reason why many still drink tea is because they feel good drinking it, too.
4. Guar Gum
Also known as guar, guar flour, and jaguar gum, guar gum is obtained from the Indian cluster bean. Guar gum contains a lot of fiber, and so eating it will give you a feeling of fullness that keeps you from overeating. Aside from this, guar gum also lowers bad cholesterol and helps control diabetes, which is why it has been used in small amounts for making certain foods and medications.
However, like glaucomannan, this herb may also cause obstruction in the esophagus. Its water-retaining capacity permits the esophagus to swell up to 20-fold and has led to reported gastrointestinal problems. Aside from these, numerous studies have shown tha guar gum doesn’t really have an effect on weight loss.
5. Ephedra
Ephedra’s active ingredient called ephedrine is commonly found in herbal dietary supplements to aid in weight loss. However, ephedrine is actually used in asthma medicine and methamphetamine. While it can slightly suppress your appetite, no studies suggest that it is effective. Taking ephedrine can also be pretty dangerous (so we do NOT advise you use it), as it can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attack, and stroke. Sometimes, a high doze of ephedra can even lead to death. If you are taking other prescription medications and over-the-counter treatment, you should think twice about taking ephedrine as it can interact with your medication.
Robert
July 23, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Thank you for this post I am excited to find these herbs as soon as I can, I have had green tea before but I would really like to try the Hoodia and Guar Gum. I have never seen them in the health food place so would I have to go somewhere like GNC to find it? Do they also have HGH all natural? I want something that will help me melt away the fat.
Admin
July 27, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Hey Robert,
Your local health food store should carry them. You can also look online. Just make sure that if you buy herbs online that they are high-quality.
- Sara
Salvador
July 23, 2012 at 9:31 pm
That was very interesting, where can you even get herbs like that? I would like to know if you can get Ephedrine in a health food store or not. I would like to try all of these herbal treatments but I would imagine that it would take a lot of money wouldn’t it? Why is everything that is good for you high priced and bad tasting?
Admin
July 24, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Hey Salvador,
Ephedrine is NOT safe and I don’t recommend that you try it. I would go with Green Tea and possibly Hoodia.
-Sara
Robin
July 23, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Some of these herbs are pretty exotic. I have not heard of these before, and I am pretty aware about antioxidant teas, fruits and vegetables. To think that there are more types of herbs that can help your body’s metabolic rate is intriguing to say the least. Green Tea is known to everyone, but I wonder where I can buy some of these other herbs.
Sara
September 20, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Hey Robin,
You can check your local health food store. Also, I’ve read that Richters.com is an excellent place to buy herbs online.
- Sara