The likelihood that fenugreek tea can aid in weight loss is doubtful. When it comes to losing weight, calories are the key to your success. Drinking or eating something can't change the way your body metabolizes food --- or uses the calories from this food, for that matter. In fact, your body's energy needs, which affect how you burn calories, aren't easily changed. The only factors that have any impact on this number are diet and physical activity.
Potential
A study conducted by the Departments of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph in Canada found that supplementing the diet with a combination of fenugreek, glucomannan, chitosan, Gymnema sylvestre and vitamin C could promote greater weight loss results in obese individuals. After six weeks of use, those people taking the supplement experienced an average weight loss of 2.3 kg, or roughly 5 lbs., whereas the placebo group experienced none.
Issues
Due to the combination of ingredients, however, results can't be linked to fenugreek alone. Also, no specifications were made on the caloric intake or activity level for either group, so dietary changes or increases in physical activity could be the cause of the weight loss. A greater test group is necessary to better gauge its impact on weight and health. Plus, one of the authors of this study is the president and owner of the company making the supplement containing the above ingredients.
Contradictions
In contradiction to the study's finding, the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine explains that fenugreek is often used for loss of appetite. It appears that this herb can help stimulate the appetite and lead to weight gain, particularly in individuals with anemia, anorexia or tuberculosis. In other countries, fenugreek is actually fed to livestock as a way of fattening the animals prior to slaughter. Drinking tea made from fenugreek seeds may not have this affect on you, but it probably won't encourage weight loss either.
Caloric Deficit
Instead of trying to use a tea to promote weight loss --- or any other product, for that matter --- look for ways to improve your lifestyle. Decreasing your caloric intake and increasing your level of physical activity can help generate what's known as a caloric deficit. It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat. If you're able to reach a shortage of 500 calories a day, you can expect to lose 1 lb. a week, while a shortage of 750 calories a day can promote a weight loss of 1.5 lbs. a week.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories; October 2009
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Fenugreek; July 2010
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Fenugreek; April 2011
- Current Therapeutic Research; Effects of a Stimulant-Free Dietary Supplement on Body Weight and Fat Loss in Obese Adults: A Six-Week Exploratory Study; Derek Woodgate and Julie Conquer; February 2003
- "Herbs, Botanicals and Teas"; G. Mazza; 2000
- National Institutes of Health; Tips for Losing Weight; October 2009
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