Obesity is a major health concern in this modern world and people are desperately trying to get rid of the excess body weight. There are numerous people who are trying herbs for weight loss with much success. In fact there are more weight loss success stories with natural herbs and plant products than with using drugs or hormonal supplements.
Are Herbs the Safest Weight Loss option?
The best thing about using herbs to tackle your weight problem is that they are comparatively safer and have fewer side effects if used properly and as recommended. But that does not in any way mean that I am trying to put a blanket term of ‘all safe’ for these herbs.
Herbs like any other drug or medication, have to be used with ultra-most caution and care. Misusing anything, even herbs or natural plant products for that matter, can wreak your health and well-being. So use herbal weight loss methods only on the recommendation of a licensed medical practitioner.
That being said and out of the way, let us now see what the popularly used herbs for weight loss are.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a wonder herb that finds an all-important place in Oriental medicine, Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine and of course in many of the traditional medicine practices of natives of various countries across the globe.
Speaking of ginseng, everyone knows that it has loads of health benefits and that probably is the reason why many ethnicities have developed a habit of drinking ginseng tea to maintain good health and to avoid diseases. The recommended dosage for ginseng tea is to add 1 teaspoon of the extract powder to a cup of water and boil. You could also sweeten this tea with a few drops of honey if needed. It is recommended to stop the usage after 2 weeks and to take a break and then restart.
But very few realize that this wonderful gift of Mother Nature is also one of the important herbs for weight loss. There are numerous advantages of using ginseng for weight loss. It is well known that when you try to lose weight you usually end up weak and tired too. But ginseng acts like a powerhouse of energy. So using ginseng for weight loss is a great aid to lose weight without draining out your body energy.
Ginseng also is said to reduce blood sugar levels in people who suffer from Type-II diabetes. So it could be a great option for diabetics who are also overweight.
Citrus Aurantium
This herb is more popularly known by another name, which is “bitter orange” and some clinical studies that were conducted in Montreal, Canada have shown that this herb can boost thermogenesis. In plain words it means that it aids in ‘burning of fat’. To be more specific, this herb for weight loss brings about its slimming down effect by helping to burn off the most stubborn fat tissue in your body which is the brown fatty tissue.
It also helps to mitigate the hunger pangs by bringing about easy satiety and this in turn proves to be beneficial in losing weight by reducing the amount of calories consumed per day.
Like ginseng this herb also is said to boost the energy levels. The recommended dosage is just 30 mg/ day of the supplement.
Guggul
Indian traditional medicine (Ayurveda) describes very highly of this herb and has found its place in many of the Ayurvedic medicines. But the commonest way of utilizing the weight loss benefits of this herb is by using it in combination with Triphala and Medohar.
When combined with Triphala the recommended dosage is to take 1-2 tablets thrice a day with a warm drink. It is necessary to avoid using cold water to consume these tablets as the desired effect will not be achieved.
It helps to lose weight by boosting the thyroid gland functions and there is an increase in the amount of thyroid hormones circulating in the blood. It also enhances the metabolic breakdown of fat and inhibits or slows down the generation of new fat cells in the body.
Guggul is also used as a potent herb to cure high blood cholesterol levels and diabetes.
Using herbs for weight loss is a trend that is catching on nowadays with great gusto. But it should always be kept in mind that herb usage also needs medical supervision.