Herbs For Weight Loss & Energy

Natural herbs and herbal supplements offer a tempting alternative to pharmaceutical weight loss and energy products. Manufacturers promise that their products will turn your body into a fat-burning machine, melt off pounds and boost your metabolism into high gear. While some herbs may help you lose weight and boost your energy, they may also have side effects or interact with medications that you take. Before you start using any herbs to help you lose weight, consult your doctor to be sure that they're safe for you.

Warning

The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements, and many of these herbs have not been tested for safety either alone or in combination. Stimulant herbs may increase your blood pressure and heart rate, and some herbs interact with many prescription and over-the-counter medications. Always check with your doctor before taking any herbs or herbal supplements for weight loss.

Types

Weight loss and energy herbs fall into two broad categories --- appetite suppressants and metabolism boosters. Herbs that contain caffeine, such as green tea, seem to have both effects. Some herbal weight loss supplements also contain herbs that have a diuretic or laxative effect, and others that may block fat absorption. If you are considering an herbal supplement for weight loss, check the label carefully to see which herbs are included, and check with your doctor to make sure that it is safe for you to take.

Common Herbs

Green tea and EGCG, an extract of green tea, appear in many weight loss supplements and energy drinks.

Guarana, a South American herb, is a common ingredient in energy drinks and some weight loss products. It contains caffeine.

Bitter orange extract contains synephrine, a compound similar to the main chemical in ephedra.

Guar gum, a fiber found in the Indian cluster bean, absorbs liquid and swells in your stomach. Manufacturers claim that this helps you feel full longer, so you eat less.

Hoodia gordonii, an African cactus plant that grows in the Kalahari desert, may suppress the appetite.

Evidence

A 2008 trial conducted in Thailand and published in the February 2008 issue of "Physiology and Behavior" concluded that green tea can reduce body weight by increasing calorie and fat metabolism. The study only followed 60 people for 12 weeks, however. Medline Plus notes that insufficient evidence exists to state that green tea is effective as a weight loss aid.

Guar gum is not effective as a weight loss aid, concluded the authors of a study published in the Jun 15, 2001, issue of the "American Journal of Medicine." In addition, reviewers M.H. Pittler and E. Ernst found that the risks of using guar gum, which include abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea and intestinal blockage, outweigh any possible benefits.

Guarana and green tea contain caffeine, which make both effective energy boosters; however, both may raise blood pressure and increase your heart rate, which could put a strain on your heart. This is especially true if you take them in combination with other stimulants, or if other herbal stimulants are included in the herbal supplement.

Little evidence exists that bitter orange extract helps you lose weight, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and it may carry the same dangers as ephedra.

A review published in the October 2010 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics" found no published, peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials of Hoodia. NCCAM notes that no studies of its use in people have been published, and that its safety, risks and possible side effects have not been studied.

Banned Herbs

The FDA banned the use of ephedra, also known as Ma Huang, and country mallow in dietary supplements because of the increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.