The term "herbal weight loss" implies using herbs to facilitate your weight reduction plan. Consumers should know these dietary supplements, sometimes containing vitamins too, make weight loss claims on product labels not backed by scientific evidence or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The qualities of these and other dietary supplements are relatively unregulated by the U.S. government in comparison to prescription medications and depend on the integrity of the manufacturer to follow good- faith quality-control practices. If you decide to use these products, talk to your doctor first.
Vitamins and Weight Loss
One myth surrounding vitamins and weight loss includes the rumor that vitamin B-12 injections help you lose weight. Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., debunks this rumor and reports this water soluble vitamin does not improve weight loss results.
Efficacy
Natural, over-the-counter, weight loss formulas may not help you lose weight according to a study conducted by the Institute for Nutrition and Psychology at the University of Göttingen Medical School in Germany and presented at the July 2010 International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, Sweden. The study, involving 189 obese or overweight middle-aged men and women, found slimming supplements offer the same degree of efficacy as a placebo. Specific weight loss formulas used in the study included green tea, bitter orange and calcium.
Vitamin D and Obesity
A vitamin D deficiency may play a part in obesity and other life-threatening health conditions, according to data gathered by author and leading vitamin D expert, Michael F. Holick M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University Medical Center, indicates his body of research published in his 2010 book "The Vitamin D Solution" shows adequate levels of vitamin D in the human body can help to reverse obesity and other ailments such as high blood pressure and arthritis.
Safety Alerts and Recalls
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration releases safety alerts and issues recalls regarding herbal weight loss products every year. These products may contain vitamins as well as herbs. Reasons for safety alerts and recalls include consumer reports of adverse side effects and traces of prescription medications, such as sibutramine, detected in the product. Consumers in possession of suspect herbal weight loss products should discontinue use and report any experienced side effects to the MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program, which is affiliated with the FDA.
Bitter Orange
You may find bitter orange included as an ingredient in some herbal weight loss products, claiming it increases calories burned. This ingredient produces a stimulant-like effect and manufacturers use it as a substitute for ephedra, now banned in the United States. According to information provided by the Mayo Clinic staff, bitter orange is possibly unsafe and insufficient scientific evidence exists to back the claim that this herb increases calories burned. Additionally, bitter orange poses serious health risks, such as heart attack and stroke.
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