Natural herbs that decrease appetite and support weight loss can be classified as stimulants and appetite suppressants. These exist in natural substances we commonly use. Stimulants are known to encourage the body to burn more calories by affecting the processes of thermogenesis. Natural appetite suppressants decrease hunger symptoms by creating a feeling of fullness in the stomach, altering your mood, or providing a satisfying taste that makes further eating undesirable.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is said to assist the body's thermogenic process. As it reduces LDL, or bad cholesterol, it keeps HDL, or good cholesterol, levels, intact. It is cinnamon's effect on blood sugar that makes it an ally in the battle against obesity and insulin resistance. Studies have shown that just 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol. Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially effective to decrease appetite.
Nettles
Nettles are rich in vitamins C and E and several minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, silica and potassium. This herb helps clears toxins, but also has another possible effect on weight loss by feeding your cells at a micronutrient level, which reduces cravings. Nettles are dried and steeped in hot water to make a soothing, nourishing tea. Nettles also contain serotonin, which is a mood-enhancing hormone naturally produced in the human brain. This produces feelings of calm and satiation similar to those one experiences after eating carbohydrates. In this sense, nettles function as an appetite suppressant as well.
Chickweed
Usually recommended in combination with burdock root, which helps balance oils and fats in the body, chickweed breaks down fat, and burdock helps transport it out of the body. As a tea, it has been touted as an effective way to curb cravings, assist digestion and lose weight. As a mild diuretic containing saponins, chickweed emulsifies fat cells, helping to push them out of the body. In "Healing Wise" by Susun Weed, chickweed is reported to be an excellent metabolic balancer with a potentially regulating effect on the thyroid.
