Weight Loss with Herbs

For over four thousand years, the Chinese, Indians and Egyptians have practiced herbal medicine. In actual fact, the Indian discipline of Ayurveda is still very active and often practiced today. Once considered "charlatans" by the medical community, herbs have ever since imposed their beneficial qualities on modern day treatments, as science has managed to expose some of their more beneficial chemical components. Herbs are known as natural products that can be nutritious and healing, providing the body with certain micronutrients which might not always be readily available with normal diets.

Herbs include plant products which comprises the bark, berries, leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, stems, as well as gums. Today herbs are available as capsules, tablets, bark bits, extracts, powders, creams, salves, lotions and oils. Herbal products must have first been standardized on the bottle as most are not always FDA approved and the label must indicate dosage and contraindications. The consumer must always look for freshness in herbal products. Loosely or bulk sold herbs are usually without any kind of nutritional value and freeze-dried herbs are better than air-dried herbs.

Herbs also have weight loss and appetite suppression properties. Adding herbs to a normal diet can sometimes help towards weight control and weight maintenance. Herbs are however not the choice for rapid and massive weight loss, and certain herbs can also have some undesired effects and must be used with caution. All diets and weight-loss plans must be accompanied with proper exercising and a healthy diet. Let's first try to take a look at some commonly used appetite curbing and dieting herbs.

Brazilian Cocoa: Almost identical to caffeine, brazilian cocoa is a central nervous system stimulant that increases the metabolism and is known to be mildly diuretic. Adverse effects are usually similar to those of caffeine and excessive use can sometimes cause sleeplessness, trembling, nervousness, anxiety and restlessness.

Cayenne: Capsaicin found in cayenne pepper can sometimes stimulate salivation, aid digestion and accelerate metabolism which is in charge for burning calories.

Green Tea: A natural stimulant such as coffee, and green tea also contains antioxidants and vitamin C. The strength of the infusion can be controlled by the steeping time. Although green tea is available as capsules, it is more beneficial in its liquid form.

Evening Primrose: Also known to be an efficient and natural cholesterol reducer, evening primrose can also help with proper fat processing and can thus helps with weight reduction.

Seaweed: Seaweed usually contains trace minerals and iodine, a natural thyroid stimulant. Often taken as tablets and capsules, it is available widely in health food stores.

Psyllium: Psyllium seeds and husks, which are loaded with soluble and insoluble fiber, ingested with water, is able to curb appetite additionally to regulating bowel movements and helping with diarrhea. Some recent findings tend to show that it can help in decreasing cholesterol along with battling diabetes.

Queen's flower: This beautiful flowering tree has several very healthy properties. It is high in dietary fiber and contains zinc and magnesium. It also has some weight reducing properties and phytochemicals such as corosolic acid to help in lowering blood sugar in diabetes.

Herbs can also be consumed as infusions or teas, juices, tinctures, decoction etc. or consumed as prepared capsules, powders, tablets, concentrated syrups which are sold in health food stores.

Herbs are amongst nature's health providing "goodies". Today, even some more conventional medicines have begun to sit up and take notice of its beneficial properties, which have been known to and used by man for thousands of years.