Herbal Weight Loss - Lesson 4: Appetite Suppressing Herbs
Thursday, June 9th 2011 @ 1:57 AM (not yet rated)
People worry about losing weight because they’re afraid they’re going to be hungry all the time.
This doesn’t have to be true, especially when there are some great herbs that can suppress the appetite and give a feeling of fullness.
That full feeling can occur, even when cutting back on the volume. Losing weight is a combination of several factors. It isn’t just a matter of eating less food and exercising more.
While those two things will go a long way to help someone lose weight, taking herbal appetite suppressants will make the weight loss more successful. And it can help you keep it off.
The herbs that help suppress appetite are; guarana, garcinia (hydrocitric acid HCA), gymnema sylvestra and hoodia gordonii.
Garcinia (Hydroxycitric acid, HCA)
This herb which comes from a tropical fruit helps curb the appetite by satisfying the body’s demands for energy. It causes the liver to send a signal to the brain when enough food has been eaten.
Besides decreasing appetite, Garcinia increases calorie burning and discourages the body from storing fat. Garcinia provides the body with more energy and less bulk while at the same time accelerating more fat to be broken down and dispersed.
It enhances the liver and muscles ability to store glycogen, which reduces fat production and diminishes appetite.
Studies done on animals show that garcinia can suppress fat production by 40 to 80 per cent for 8 to 12 hours after eating.
This herbal fruit is best taken with chromium which balances blood sugar levels, for best results. Garcinia continues to be effective with long term use but is less effective with a high fat diet. However, essential fatty acids can be taken with garcinia as deficiencies with these good fats can lead to ravenous hunger.
Contraindcations: Garcinia should not be taken by pregnant or breast feeding women or given to young children. Avoid it if you suffer from migraines. Diabetics should consult their doctor before taking it with chromium.
Gymnema Sylvestre
This herb from Southeast Asia has a long reputation for weight management by Ayurvedic doctors in India. It works by decreasing sugar cravings by acting on the pancreas, which helps it to maintain a steady blood sugar and decrease cravings and hypoglycemia.
The herb is best known for its benefits in diabetes, as it has been shown in research to metabolize glucose and maintain healthy insulin levels. Drinking a gymnema tea is a good way to control appetite and encourage weight loss.
It should be noted that it becomes more effective as it builds up in the body over a few weeks. It is best taken before each meal so a low dose capsule that can be taken three times daily is a better choice than one capsule.
This is another herb that works well in combination with chromium.
Hoodia Gordonii
This herb is well known in Africa where it has a reputation for staving off hunger pains for bushmen in the Kalahari desert during hunting trips. They were said to have cut off the stem and eat the bitter tasting plant.
Hoodia is often called a cactus but is actually a succulent plant. It has an active ingredient identified as a steroidal glycoside called p57. While there are over 13 types of hoodia, only one type is thought to contain this glycoside. Researching reputable companies and shopping at reputable health food stores is the best option to get pure hoodia.
Contraindications: As hoodia tricks the brain into thinking it has enough blood sugar, those with diabetes should be cautious about using it. It should also be avoided by pregnant or nursing women, children or people with liver or kidney disease.
