A sensation of hunger can lead to overeating and undermine the good intentions of a weight loss diet. Taking the edge off hunger can help make it easier to choose smaller portions of healthier foods instead of grabbing whatever is handy. Home remedies to decrease appetite can give dieters a quick, safe and inexpensive boost in their weight loss efforts.
Water
Drinking water leads to eating less. Adults who drink two or more glasses of water before eating a meal eat fewer calories, according to the Oregon Health and Science University. Water helps fill your stomach, decreasing your appetite and leading you to eat smaller quantities. Unlike those using other diet strategies or over-the-counter diet supplements intended to suppress appetite, dieters who drank water did not add the skipped calories back in at a later meal, but continued to eat less through the whole day. Continuing to drink water daily led to long-term weight loss and helped to keep the pounds from returning.
Chewing Gum
Chewing gum helps to decrease the appetite. While chewing any flavor gum helps suppress appetite, fruit-flavored chewing gum is more effective than mint-flavored gums, according to student researchers at the Indiana University Human Biology Program. Although gum chewing helps to decrease appetite generally, it is less helpful the more time passes since the last healthful meal. Chewing gum is therefore more effective in helping to stave off post-meal snacking than in substituting for meals at regular meal times. The flavor and jaw motion of chewing gum may trick the body into thinking it is getting food, but over time, the need for real fuel and nourishment will overcome the appetite suppressant effects of gum chewing.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek, or Trigonella foenum-graecum, is one of the most commonly used culinary herbs in the world, although it is not a feature in most American cooking. The sweet, maple syrup-like flavor of fenugreek enhances dishes in Mediterranean, Asian and Eastern European cooking. Fenugreek seed has the highest concentration of dietary fiber of any food product, according to student researchers at the University of Wyoming. Eating the seeds in food or as a dietary supplement suppresses appetite, as the concentration of fiber creates a sensation of satiety and fullness. Fenugreek seed is also rich in protein, phosphorous and potassium and has had positive effects on cholesterol levels and serum glucose.
Green Tea
A component of green tea called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, has significantly decreased appetite in rats, report researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Drinking green tea helps burn body fat, according to the Huntington College of Health Sciences. Drinking green tea regularly suppresses the appetite. It helps to remove excessive body weight and fat, and then keep the unhealthy weight off over time. However, researchers don't yet fully understand the mechanisms by which green tea works, and believe it might connect with systemic hormonal changes. Consult your doctor before relying on large quantities of green tea or any home remedy to suppress your appetite or aid in weight loss to ensure the remedy will not damage your health.
References
- Huntington College of Health Sciences; Hoodia, Coleus and Green Tea: Botanicals to Promote Weight Loss; Gene Bruno MS MHS; 2009
- The University of Chicago Medical Center: Green Tea Derivative Causes Loss of Appetite, Weight Loss in Rats
- University of Wyoming; The Many Uses of Fenugreek; Tyler Harran et al.
- Oregon Health and Science University: Drinking Water Before Meals Decreases Hunger
- Indiana University Human Biology Program; The Effect of Various Flavors of Chewing Gum on the Hunger Levels of Male and Female College Students; J. L. Creech et al.
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