Modern changes in lifestyle and diet have greatly contributed to the alarming rise of excess weight and obesity. As one of the leading preventable causes of death in the world, obesity can lead to other more serious and sometimes fatal diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, many are looking into sustainable, effective diets to counter the health and aesthetic disadvantages of obesity. The following natural supplements have weight-loss properties that may make them invaluable to a successful diet.
Acai Berry
One of the lauded “superfruits” of recent years, the acai berry contains high amounts of antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, and dietary fibers. The acai berry may contribute to weight loss by increasing metabolism, though there are no substantial studies to support this.
Hoodia Gordonii
A succulent, cactus-like plant found in South Africa and Namibia, hoodia gordonii has traditionally been used by the indigenous Kalahari Bushmen as an appetite suppressant during long treks. Hoodia Gordonii experienced a sharp spike in popularity after being famously featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes. The substance responsible for appetite suppressing in hoodia has been isolated and named as P57. Although several preliminary clinical trials showed extremely promising results for P57, there is as yet no definitive scientific evidence of the efficacy of hoodia, and most claims made about hoodia come from anecdotal evidence.
Caralluma Extract
Like Hoodia, Caralluma is a succulent cactus plant that has similar appetite-suppressing properties. As the next big weight loss supplement poised to take the natural health market by storm, Caralluma is generally acknowledged to be safe for consumption, with no serious adverse side effects other than minor gastrointestinal irritations.
Chitosan
Chitosan is derived from chitin, which is what forms the shells of crustaceans. Due to its strong absorbency and fat binding properties, chitosan is alleged to be able to bind to fat in the human body, which then is passed out as a stool. There have been studies that show chitosan combined with restricted calorie-intake caused more weight loss than just a restricted diet, although another study has also shown that taking chitosan caused an insignificant increase of fat in fecal matter, which is how chitosan is reputed to help lose weight.
Garcinia Cambogia Extract
Resembling a small pumpkin, garcinia cambogia contains the extract hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which is considered to have appetite suppressing and fat-burning properties. The theory is that HCA achieves this through inhibiting the citrate lyase enzyme, which turns excess cholesterol into fat. Since citrate lyase is unable to function with the presence of HCA, the body simply burns the extra cholesterol instead of turning it into fat.
Green Tea
Most of the green tea’s weight loss properties come from its abundance of catechins, an antioxidant tannin compound. According to a 2009 double-blind study published by the Journal of Nutrition, overweight test subjects lost more weight when combining green tea and exercise than with exercise alone.
Guggul Extract
Guggul extract is traditionally used in Indian Ayurvedic practices to combat high cholesterol and obesity. A 2009 study showed that subjects who took guggul capsules had a greater drop in total cholesterol levels than those who took a placebo pill, although there were no significant reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol between the two groups.
References
“Acai”. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Facility, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
“Caralluma”. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Facility, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
“Chitosan”. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Facility, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
Colombo P. et al. “Nutritional Aspects of Chitosan Employment in Hypocaloric Diet.” Acta Toxicol Ther. 17 (1996): 287-302. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
“Garcinia”. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Facility, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
“Green Tea”. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Facility, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
“Guggul”. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Facility, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
“Hoodia”. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Facility, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
Kuriyan R. et al. “Effect of Caralluma Fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women.” Appetite. 48.3 (2007): 338-344. St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
Maki, Kevin C. et al. “Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults.” The Journal of Nutrition. 139.2 (2009): 264-270. The American Institute of Nutrition. Web. 27 Jan. 2011.