Herbs for weight loss – types, effectiveness and possible side effects
If you have a lot of problems with your diet, you may find that you need to take a look at your diet, but if you have a lot of problems with your diet, you may find that you need to take a look at your diet. Unfortunately, they do not always turn out to be as effective as we would like them to be and they often cause incalculable side effects, especially when we buy them from unverified sources, e.g. on suspicious internet auctions. So sometimes it is worth thinking about the sense of such treatment, which usually ends with a yo-yo effect after discontinuation of the taken preparations and fast return to the old weight. It is better to rely on what nature gives us in this matter and use herbs for slimming, allowing you to lose weight in a controlled and almost completely safe manner.
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Herbal medicine and phytotherapy – advantages and disadvantages
After a period of rapture with slimming preparations composed exclusively of artificial ingredients, in recent years we can observe, not only in our country, a return to natural medicine, one of the bases of which is the use of herbs. Let’s face it, these are natural remedies, plants commonly found in gardens or meadows in the nearby woods, known and valued for centuries for their health properties. With time, this branch of natural medicine has even gained a separate name of phytotherapy, i.e. treatment of diseases, mainly chronic ones, with the use of substances obtained from them. One of its most important branches is herbalism, and from various, usually generally available herbs, various infusions, ointments, tinctures are prepared and they are also included in many medicines, which we can buy in pharmacies. Of course, dealing with herbal medicine requires specialist knowledge, since the diversity of herbal species makes it necessary to thoroughly learn all their properties, which will allow to avoid using those that can harm rather than help. Deciding to use herbs, not only for losing weight, it is worth to get to know all the advantages of this method, and the most often emphasized by specialists are
- availability, after all, herbs grow practically everywhere;
- easy and long-lasting storage, usually in the form of a practical dried product;
- almost no side effects, a large number of guides, also online, allows you to correctly identify species of herbs and avoid poisonous ones, and because of the widespread access to the network we can do this with a smartphone directly while collecting them;
- speed of action, depending on the method of application, can be used internally and externally, the effectiveness is sometimes even comparable to some pharmaceuticals;
- low price, usually a fraction of the cost of buying a similarly acting pharmacological agent.
The advantages are obvious, but let’s not get too enthusiastic right away, because herbalism and phytotherapy, just like any other methods, have their disadvantages, fortunately small ones, such as:
- difficulty of use, labor-intensive preparation of appropriate medicinal preparations or, in our case, slimming preparations;
- Unfortunately, its low effectiveness in treating the most serious diseases, such as cancer, despite information appearing from time to time that it is actually possible.
Herbs for weight loss – why it is worth using them
The effectiveness of herbal medicine in treating many, but unfortunately still not all diseases, has been repeatedly confirmed by conducted studies. However, when it comes to using herbs in slimming treatment, we can already have full confidence in them. Of course, they will not make the weight fall off exponentially, they will be effective only when they become one of the elements of the slimming process, next to a large portion of physical activity and a properly composed diet. Properly selected herbs will support the whole process, accelerating first of all the metabolism aimed at faster burning of fat tissue. It is one of the most frequent causes of overweight, which if untreated may even lead to pathological obesity, threatening not only health, but also life. Apart from supporting our metabolism, many herbs also have laxative properties, helping to get rid of toxins or deposits from the intestines.
They are also effective as diuretics, but in both cases they should be used with due caution, allowing you to avoid dangerous dehydration or digestive disorders, which can occur if they are used for too long. It is also worth to pay attention to herbs suppressing the feeling of hunger, which swell in the stomach after being consumed, thanks to which we can avoid the second frequent cause of overweight, uncontrolled snacking. However, we should remember that herbs, just like everything else, when used in excess, may simply do harm, so it is worth keeping proper moderation and in case of any doubts, consult a doctor or at least a pharmacist.
Ranking of the best pills for slimming
Herbs for slimming – which ones are worth introducing into our diet
We already know how herbs work, so it is time to get to know the most effective ones helping to get rid of not only all the excess weight, but also the excess fatty tissue accumulated in different parts of the body. The herbal preparations or supplements having these plants in their composition, available on the market in our country, can be divided into a few most important groups, because of how they specifically affect our body.
Herbs for slimming – speeding up metabolism and burning fat.
Accelerating fat burning and improving metabolism is an absolute priority during weight loss, and any disorder in this regard causes immediate weight gain. That is why our home pharmacy should include preparations made of such herbs as:
- Dandelion, precisely dried root and leaves of this popular plant, commonly used in natural medicine. They contain a lot of valuable nutrients, also supporting the weight loss process, B group vitamins, vitamin C and PP, flavonoids, polyphenolic acids, carotenoids, i.e. plant dyes allowing to eliminate especially dangerous free radicals from the body, which may cause cancer, and minerals: potassium, iron, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium. It is thanks to them that dandelion has a beneficial influence on the digestive system, having, above all, a cholagogic effect, supporting the proper functioning of the liver. Thanks to that, we are able to quickly digest fats and, additionally, other aspects of digestion are also regulated, which results, among other things, in a complete lack of problems with regular emptying;
- Pansy, and extracts and infusions prepared from the well-known pansy are effective not only in treating acne lesions. It works equally well for weight loss, and its diuretic properties allow you to get rid of all the dangerous toxins and remnants of metabolic processes from the body. Regularly drinking pansy infusions also speeds up our metabolism, so we are able to burn fat and unnecessary calories faster and more efficiently;
- yerba mate, this extract from the Paraguayan holly, which has been gaining popularity in recent years, is a real treasury of ingredients bringing the weight loss process to the highest level of effectiveness, beating even the green tea used so far. The plant contains a number of valuable substances essential for maintaining full health, including B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6), vitamins C, E and H, minerals: zinc, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron and caffeine, a source of energy necessary for physical activity. The slimming action of yerba mate comes down to detoxification of the body and reduction of pancreatic lipase activity, thanks to which we assimilate less fat. Apart from that, it also supports other digestive processes and lowers blood sugar levels.
Ranking of the most effective fat burners
Herbs for weight loss – suppressing excessive appetite
Overweight and obesity being a frequent consequence of it is sometimes caused by excessive, even uncontrollable appetite. This extremely troublesome condition results in so called compulsive eating, especially intensified in times of nervousness or strong stress. Unfortunately, there is no denying that a person who is constantly overweight lives under constant stress, so the natural consequence is an uncontrolled increase in body weight. It is true that this can be limited with the use of pharmaceuticals, however their positive effects usually cease after the withdrawal and the side effect is usually the yoyo effect. So it is better, as in the case of fat burning, to rely on the power of herbs, and the highest effectiveness is demonstrated by:
- white mulberry, most often used and recommended by professional nutritionists. We usually associate this plant with silkworms, the secretions of which are used to produce luxury material, and we are not even aware of its valuable health and slimming properties. The action of white mulberry is primarily to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood, bringing it to a safe, non-threatening level. Thanks to this, almost immediately we stop craving for particularly fattening sweets and everything that contains large amounts of harmful sugar, not without reason called the white death;
- Flaxseed, and looking at these inconspicuous grains, we do not realize their health-promoting power that even helps in losing weight. While at first it will be difficult to convince ourselves to consume them, the benefits achieved will certainly be worth it, and the content of valuable nutrients will make us enjoy full vitality for a long time. Inhibition of appetite by linseed is based on the fact that its grains swell in the stomach, filling it thoroughly and thus giving a feeling of full satiety. They also have a diuretic effect, thanks to which they cleanse the body of toxins, allowing for better and more efficient absorption of nutrients from other products, so we automatically eat less of them.
- amla, increasingly widely used in phytotherapy and herbal medicine, better known in our country under the name of Indian gooseberry. Its multi-level action on processes leading to rapid weight loss has been repeatedly confirmed and comes down to regulation of digestion and metabolism, so it can also be successfully included in the first, described above, group of herbs that help reduce body fat. It is also worth noting that it maintains blood sugar at a level that allows you to fully control your appetite, just like white mulberry.
Herbs for weight loss – laxative and diuretic
Specialists in weight loss have repeatedly pointed out in various articles and professional periodicals that one of the bases of a properly conducted treatment is a thorough cleansing of the body of toxins. For this purpose, it is necessary to use herbs with a laxative and diuretic effect, eliminating diseases that hinder digestion, such as constipation, and particularly recommended are:
- senescence, absolute number one in the field of natural laxation, an ingredient in many popular dietary supplements facilitating this, although it arouses some controversy. The active ingredient is an extract from the leaves of a plant called ostrich containing anthranoid glycosides which increase intestinal peristalsis. This enables faster movement of digested food content and, as a result, regular, trouble-free emptying. According to some studies, however, senesce may, in case of long-lasting use, cause addictions, increase existing digestive ailments, e.g. diarrhoea or constipation, which it is supposed to cure, cause pains in abdominal cavity and is not recommended for children and pregnant women;
- mint, and especially its pepper variety, the leaves of which are used to make a tasty and healthy infusion, having an extremely beneficial influence on the functioning of practically the entire digestive system. It improves intestinal peristalsis, has a diastolic effect, cures and prevents liver disorders, facilitates digestion by increasing the secretion of digestive juices and, thanks to the essential oil, menthol, especially needed bile, thus removing annoying and often painful ailments, such as constipation, flatulence or gas accumulated in the intestines;
- nettleNettle is a weed, but at the same time a herb most commonly used in many fields of natural medicine, not only with diuretic properties, also included in anti-acne preparations or those effectively preventing baldness. Regular use of nettle juice, which is for example an ingredient of many slimming supplements, regulates the functioning of the urinary system, improving primarily the functioning of the kidneys. It increases the excretion of harmful urea, excess water and other harmful toxins accumulating in the body, so specialists recommend nettle for kidney disease, especially difficult to treat kidney stones. However, be careful with its consumption, because it can also flush out the vitamins and minerals we need.
