Nearly 17 percent of adolescents have become obese, according to an April 2011 survey in "Journal of Behavioral Medicine." The percentage of overweight adults remains even higher. Being overweight puts adults and kids at risk for physical and mental disorders. Such ailments also increase the probability of being obese. Breaking out of this cycle remains an important goal for many people. Surgeries and drugs may help patients lose weight, and ancient herbs can support conventional weight-loss treatments. Speak with a physician before using herbal remedies for weight loss.
Ginseng
Traditional healers in South Asia have used the Panax ginseng plant to treat patients for thousands of years. Modern scientists have started providing the research data necessary to justify its use. According to a December 2010 report in "Fitoterapia," American ginseng inhibits pancreatic lipase activity, triggering weight loss. An experiment described in the August 2010 issue of the journal "Cytotechnology" determined whether Korean ginseng would have similar effects. Laboratory animals maintained on a high-fat diet received either the herb or no treatment for two months. Relative to rats given no treatment, rats given Korean ginseng lost body weight and fat mass. No side effects were observed in this study, but the long-term effects of ginseng remain unknown.
Yerba Mate
South American doctors have given extracts from Ilex paraguariensis to patients for centuries. This plant, commonly called yerba mate, contains caffeine. According to a June 2010 review in "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," Ilex reduces cholesterol. These energy-enhancing and cholesterol-lowering effects suggest that yerba may prove useful in treating obesity. An investigation presented in the March 2011 edition of "Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology" tested this hypothesis in rodents maintained on a high-fat diet. Rats received either Ilex or water for three months. Yerba intake reduced body weight relative to water intake. It also reduced the inflammation -- as well as symptoms of diabetes -- caused by the high-fat diet. While promising, data obtained in rats may not apply to humans.
Gabiroba
Brazilians have used fruit from the gabiroba plant, Campomanesia xanthocarpa, to treat ulcers. Lowering triglycerides has become another traditional use of this extract, according to a February 2010 article in "Journal of Ethnopharmacology." Given the causal relationship between triglycerides and obesity, gabiroba extracts should therefore cause weight loss. A study offered in the August 2004 volume of "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" evaluated this idea in laboratory animals given a high-calorie diet. Rodents received either the extracted Campomanesia or an inert treatment. This protocol triggered weight loss in the rats given gabiroba. It also lowered the blood sugar of treated rats. The authors considered these findings preliminary, and additional tests remain necessary before patients can safely use Campomanesia.
Roselle
People in Thailand drink tea made from the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant. Also known as roselle, Thais sometimes consume this tea to lower their cholesterol. Scientists have also shown that Hibiscus extracts have diuretic properties, according to an October 2007 paper in "Journal of Ethnopharmacology." These effects should facilitate weight loss. An experiment described in the July 2009 edition of "African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines" evaluated roselle's effects on organ physiology, blood work and body weight. Healthy rats received Hibiscus extracts or no treatment for three weeks. Rats given roselle lost weight relative to controls. This effect occurred irrespective of food intake. The latter finding suggests that Hibiscus reduces weight without suppressing appetite. More testing is needed to evaluate the mechanism, efficacy and safety of roselle.
References
- "Journal of Behavioral Medicine"; Association Between Major Depressive Disorder and Obesity in U.S. Adolescents; Alison K. Merikangas, et al.; April 2011
- "Fitoterapia"; Anti-Obesity Effects of Protopanaxdiol Types of Ginsenosides Isolated From the Leaves of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.) in Mice Fed With a High-Fat Diet; Rui Liu, et al.; December 2010
- "Cytotechnology"; Effects of Korean White Ginseng Extracts on Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice; Young-Sil Lee, et al.; August 2010
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacology"; Recent Advances on Ilex Paraguariensis Research; Nelson Bracesco, et al.; June 2010
- "Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology"; Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Yerba Mate Extract (Ilex Paraguariensis) Ameliorate Insulin Resistance in Mice With High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity; Demetrius P. Arcari, et al.; March 2011
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacology"; Effects of Campomanesia Xanthocarpa on Biochemical, Hematological and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Hypercholesterolemic Patients; Jonatas Zeni Klafke, et al.; February 2010
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