Although some herbal supplements and diet appear to help people lose a little weight, it is not enough to benefit their health, according to the joint conclusions of the first two comprehensive studies of all herbal and dietary supplements for weight loss for over 15 years.
"Currently, there is insufficient evidence to recommend any of the supplements included in our comments for weight loss," lead author Erica Bessell, a doctoral candidate at the University of Sydney in Australia, said.
Some products with promising results warrant further study, however, she said.
But in general, it says that there should be fewer products on the market that do not have evidence of efficacy, "because, as we found, many of the products currently marketed for weight loss simply do not work."
"Herbal supplements and diet may seem like a quick fix to weight problems, but people need to be aware of how little we really know about them," she told Medscape. "We recommend that people trying to lose weight should save their money and seek care based on evidence.".
The research was presented in the online European congress this year on obesity.
Herbal supplements included in the analysis included green tea; mangosteen; white beans; ephedra; African mango; mate herb); velda grape; licorice root; Thistle and East Indian globe.
Success In Weight Loss - No Evidence Weight-Loss Supplements Work
Although most supplements were safe for short-term use, very few have been found to produce clinically significant weight loss, "Bessell said." Those who were found to result in clinically significant weight loss were only investigated in one or two essays, so they need more research. "
The first review on herbal supplements, found that only white white beans led to a significant weight loss compared to a placebo, with a mean weight difference of 3.5 pounds. The result was not clinically significant, however.
other dietary supplements, including modified cellulose - a vegetable fiber expanding in the stomach to induce a sensation of fullness - and orange juice extract, also showed encouraging results, but were only investigated in a trial and need more Evidence before they can recommend themselves for weight loss, Bessell added.
Weight loss supplements are growing in popularity, and have become a large global industry. In the United States, the herbal and dietetic supplement industry was estimated at $ 41 billion in 2020, with 15% of Americans have tried a weight loss supplement in their efforts to pour pounds.
In light of this, Bessell said it is increasingly important to ensure that supplements are effective and safe. "The popularity of these products highlights the urgency of achieving larger and stricter studies to have the reasonable assurance of their safety and efficacy for weight loss."
Commenting the study and broader issues related to increased sales of herbal and dietary supplements, Susan Arentz, PhD, said the test is similar to that of other things that people try for weight loss, in which There are many of them and most are low quality.
A problem with supplementary studies is that it is difficult to confirm what is in them.
"Given the chemical variability of cultivated plants and harvested under different conditions, and the presence of heavy pharmaceuticals and heavy metals found in some supplements ... Future investigations of standardized herbal supplements ... are needed," Arentz, A member of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association, said.
"In addition, even more [studies] are guaranteed due to consumer preferences for natural treatments, especially in health environments with the predominant use of traditional medicines and practices," Arentz said.
