Are you looking for an herbal supplement to help you in your weight-loss program, but are confused about the many choices available?

Many people ask me about herbs for weight loss-what really works, what is hype, but more important, what will work for them! Below is a list of herbs that are often used in herbal weight loss formulas. Hopefully this will help you to be more informed before you purchase any weight-loss supplement.

Ma Huang (Ephedra equisetina)

In Western medicine and herbology, few plants in the past century have attracted so much attention as ephedra. Ma huang, the common Chinese name for ephedra, is one of the most popular medicinal plants.

The name, ephedra comes from the Greek words "epi" upon and "edra" seat, since the plant climbs and grows upon rocks. In Chinese characters, "ma" means astringent and "huang" means yellow, probably in reference to its taste and color. It is highly regarded in Chinese herbology, where it has been used for over 5,000 years to treat colds, coughs, fevers (including malaria), headaches and skin eruptions.

Ephedra and its active constituent, ephedrine, were popularized at the University of Peking in 1924 and promoted as a decongestant and anti-asthmatic agent. Scientists showed that ephedrine was a cardiac stimulant and a central nervous stimulant. In keeping with the philosophy of allopathy, chemical methods where employed to synthesize ephedrine, which resulting in the discovery of an entire new class of drugs, amphetamines. Amphetamine-containing inhalers were very popular in the mid-1900's for the relief of nasal congestion and depression associated with influenza. Today, however, these inhalers are strickly controlled. Over-the-counter remedies made from Ephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Contac, Primatine, and Bronkaid) both work when taken orally and, unlike amphetamines, are available without a prescription.

Today, Chinese ephedra is used in most decongestant formulas and to promote thermogenesis, which is the body's way of maintaining its temperature. It does this by burning brown fat located around your kidneys and near your sternum. This is survival fat and accounts for 15% of your caloric usage daily-50% more than caloric usage due to exercise. By promoting thermogenesis, more calories are burned and little physical effort is required.

Precautions

Ma huang is a vasoconstrictor (meaning it contracts the blood vessels), and at the same time it has a stimulate effect on the heart muscle, increasing circulation and blood pressure. This forces more blood to the peripheral blood vessels (ie, brain and limbs), and provides a stimulant action on the brain and nerve centers, thus reducing fatigue and weariness. This is what makes ephedra popular as a dieter's herb. As blood flow is diverted from the digestive tract to the limbs, hunger instincts are lessened. This is most effective when ephedra is taken on an empty stomach, otherwise digestion that is in progress is merely slowed and indigestion can occur.

Care should be exercised when taking this plant, especially persons with weak internal organs or those with hypertension or heart conditions. Persons suffering from high blood pressure should avoid taking any herbal product that contains ma huang. Children or pregnant women should never take ma huang. Be sure to check with a qualified health professional before taking ma huang.

Guarana (Paullinia cupana)

Often touted as a natural stimulant, Guarana is natural, and a stimulant. However coffee, cola nuts and black tea are also natural stimulants. Natural does necessarily mean non-addictive or safe. Guarana contains a high amount of guaranine, a chemical substance with the same characteristics as caffeine.

In fact, Guarana is one of the richest sources of caffeine in the world. It has 2.5 times the caffeine content of coffee and extracts or concentrates of the plant can enrich the caffeine content 13-21 fold. Caffeine is, of course, quite harmful and addictive. Therefore, guarana is addictive like other caffeine bearing plants and can cause all the unpleasant symptoms of heavy coffee drinking.

Appealing to those who want that caffeine boost, Guarana is now becoming popular in the "high-caffeine" drinks available on the market to give you an extreme amount of energy from caffeine.

Precautions

Using Ma huang and Guarana together in weight loss formulas is based on some research, which shows that caffeine has a thermogenic (heat producing or calorie burning effect) in the presence of ephedrine (a chief alkaloid in ma huang or Chinese ephedra). However, any potential benefits in weight loss with such a combination should be measured against the addictive and possibly harmful side effects of these two herbs.

Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre)

Did you ever think sugar could taste bad? If you take gymnema, and then try and eat some sugar - yuk! Sweet foods no longer taste sweet because gymnema prevents the taste buds from being activated by the sugar in foods.

A tree native to Africa and India, and used medicinally for over 2,000 years, gymnema is now common throughout the world. It is one of the most popular herbal preparations sold in Japan today and is also popular in India.

Its leaves have the unique ability to block out one's sense of sweetness when chewed. Granulated sugar tastes like sand after chewing gymnema leaves. It does not block out sour, astringent and pungent tastes, and the effect lasts 1-2 hours.

Its sweet-taste blocking ability apparently led to the folk legend that gymnema could block the absorption of ingested carbohydrates (every dieter's dream.) This claim has not been proven, but eating sweets after gymnema is quite disgusting to the palette, and it is commonly used in diet formulas for these reasons. It is often available in tablet and/ or tea form.

Its history and use is solely based on the management of blood sugar disorders like diabetes. Clinical studies show that it has proven ability to lower one's blood sugar.

Gymnema has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine primarily in the treatment of diabetes and other similar conditions. Additional Ayurvedic uses for the plant include astringent, stomachic, and tonic, diuretic. The root is thought to be useful in treating snakebites, fevers, and coughs. Gymnema is also used in traditional African medicine. A majority of the African uses for this plant center around its ability to adjust abnormal glucose levels. Modern use of the plant is also for both diabetic and overall metabolic control.

Gymnema preparations have been found effective in treating persons with both types I and II diabetes. Some of these researchers suggest that the extract may also aid in the repair/regeneration of beta cells. In addition, gymnema may also help lower cholesterol and serum lipid levels in persons with diabetes. Sweetness perception is also reduced in humans when gymnema extracts are applied directly to the tongue.

Gymnema owes its hypoglycemic properties to gymnemin and a group of related bitter compounds. Its mode of action has yet to be determined but it probably works by increasing the efficiency with which insulin is released from stores in the body and by making individual cells in the body more sensitive to insulin. This last mechanism, if proven, would be very important to insulin dependent diabetics who build up insulin over time.

Gymnema won't affect the taste of good food, but will suppress the desire for sweets. As always - be careful not to hap-hazardly experiment with herbs if you have an insulin-dependent diabetes or serious blood sugar problems. Always consult a qualified health practitioner.

Garcinia (Garcinia cambogia)

Also known as Malabar tamarind, or Brindal berry, Garcinia is a fruit. Containing hydroxycitric acid, garcinia signals the liver to allow dietary sugars to go into the blood stream without being changed into fat. This remarkable effect means that blood sugar remains high after a meal and therefore dampens the appetite between meals.

Traditionally garcinia has been used in Indian medicine to treat open sores, diarrhea, and dysentery, fever and to help expel worms and parasites. It is often used in Indian and Thai cuisine.

There are few published studies of garcinia in humans. One study compared groups that consumed a low calorie diet for 12 weeks. The study in mildly overweight women found a significantly larger decrease in weight with garcinia, but no affect on appetite.

A second study in overweight men and women found no statistical difference. It was hard to determine who paid for these studies, and as with any information, you should always know who paid for the information before you just look at the outcome. This doesn't mean that garcinia will or won't work for you. You should check with your health professional to see what would work best with your body type.

With only two studies completed, research on this particular function and the herb, in general, is lacking. Additional research is necessary before any definitive statements can be made about the effectiveness of garcinia for weight loss. I am sure there are many people that are out there who have had good success with garcinia. It will be encouraging to see what future studies will uncover.

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Chickweed is a weed, one of the most common weeds in the world. The common name chickweed comes from the old custom of using the seeds as birdseed. It is a mild herb and very nutritious and is used as a poultice on external abscesses and rashes, where it removes the heat of infection, draws poisons and weakens infections.

The most famous folk use of chickweed is an old wives' remedy for obesity. This is probably due to the diuretic action of chickweed. Chickweed is a mild diuretic, but the effect is only temporary as the body neutralizes this effect after about a week. Chickweed does aid the body in absorbing bowel toxins, lowers bowel transit time, and regulates colonic bacteria and soothe inflamed tissues. And, since fat contains mostly toxins, this can help some people with weight loss, which is often why it is used in weight loss formulas.

In Summary

Regardless of what herb(s) you choose to help yourself lose weight; be sure to contact a qualified professional before attempting any weight loss program. There are a lot of herbal products and companies wanting you to purchase from them. Just like anything else, some are very good, and some are not. Make sure you know the company is reputable. If you don't know, call them and ask if you can have a tour of the facility. And remember you get what you pay for.

Using herbs, I have helped many people lose weight over the years, each with custom tailored programs specifically for them, but mostly because the people took ownership of their life and their bodies, listening to their own inner wisdom, instead of the billions of dollars of media.

We all have the power within us to achieve our goals. I wish you the best of luck for your goals in the coming year.

Yours in health, Kasara