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Testing Weight Loss With Chinese Herbal Trials

Thursday, January 28th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed

Bathing suit season is just around the corner, so it’s time to lose those extra pounds you put on over the winter. Instead of living on boring salads and spending painfully long hours at the gym, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about using herbs and spices to speed up your weight loss.

Some Chinese herbal trials have shown that some herbs can be helpful for losing weight. However, for most consumers, it’s difficult to tell between fads and an effective product.

Before you take any herbal diet supplement, make sure that it is manufactured and distributed by reputable companies. The FDA standards for herbs are not very high, but they have linked certain herbs to serious side effects and even death.

It is definitely best to avoid the use of these herbs. Herbal laxatives sold as a diet herbal tea, cascara, senna, buckthorn, aloe and rhubarb root can all cause cramping and diarrhea. If overused, they could cause your bowels to no longer function without laxative stimulation.

High doses of ephedra can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and over stimulate the central nervous system. The FDA states there are more than 800 reports of side effects linked with the use of ephedra, including heart palpitations, seizures, stroke, chest pains and heart attacks.

This herb is believed to have caused at least two deaths. The diet drug fen-phen contains ephedra as the main ingredient. Herbal fen-phen has not been shown to be ineffective in Chinese herbal trials, and can produce serious side effects like irregular heartbeat, heart attacks and strokes.

The latest herbal supplement for weight loss with clinical studies, that’s causing buzz is Hoodia. Clinical studies at Brown University indicate that Hoodia appears to work by interrupting or stopping the hunger mechanism in the brain.

Simply put, the herb “tricks” your brain into thinking you’re full even if you haven’t eaten yet. While this can be helpful, never forget that your body needs proper fuel to function.

Reducing calories is key to losing weight, but make sure that you energize yourself with calories that come from fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Diabetics should not take Hoodia because this herb may interfere with the function of normal physiological processes that indicate when blood sugar is becoming dangerously low.

Some herbs and spices have been trusted for generations as a means of losing weight. Cayenne pepper contains an ingredient called capsaicin that stimulates saliva, stimulates digestion and boosts your metabolism.

Delicious green tea is a natural stimulant that contains vitamin C and health boosting antioxidants. You can regulate the strength of the stimulant by steeping the
herbal tea punch for short of long periods of time.

Green tea is also available in capsule form. Seaweed provides minerals such as chromium and iodine, and is a natural thyroid stimulant. It is usually contained in kelp capsules or tablets.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that drinking teas rich in catechins, which is found in green tea extract, leads to a lowering of body fat and cholesterol levels.

Instead of struggling with fad diets and ineffective workout equipment, herbal supplements can promote a safe and natural way to lose weight. Products like caffeine, ginger root, cayenne and green tea can all boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories than diet and exercise alone.

Some of these herbs and spices are also rich in vitamins and antioxidants. If you’re trying to shed extra pounds, consult a doctor or pharmacist and try herbs as a weight loss aid.

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