Weighing in on Herbal Weight Loss Products< May 7, 2002 > The US Surgeon General recently issued this sobering statistic—more than 61 percent of adult Americans are now overweight. It is no wonder that over-the-counter weight-loss products are flying off store shelves in what is reportedly one of the fastest-growing segments of the consumer market. Among the top sellers are herbal or "all natural" remedies and treatments that ostensibly help you lose weight without the usual side effects of more traditional diet drugs, such as appetite suppressants. But do they really work? And more important, are they as safe as they claim? Many physicians offer a resounding "no" to both questions. "The ads for these products make you believe that because they are natural, they are safe, at the same time claiming to 'melt' the fat from your body, sometimes even while you sleep," says one of the nation's leading weight-loss experts, Dr. Lou Aronne, an endocrinologist at the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Unfortunately, says Aronne, you can't have it both ways. "If it's powerful enough to 'melt' fat off your body, you better believe it's not going to be harmless—whether it's natural or not," he says. Many of the most popular of these natural weight-loss products contain the herb ephedra, also known as ephedrine or Ma Huang. While it is true that some physicians will use ephedra to speed up your metabolism to help you lose weight, you should never use it on your own, says Aronne. "It can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure, and an equally dangerous increase in heart rate, which, for some people, could even prove fatal," says Aronne. Dr. James Dillard says these products can also shoot your anxiety level sky high. "The effect in the body is similar to adrenalin, only longer acting," says Dillard, clinical advisor to Columbia University's Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in New York City. And, Dillard cautions, ephedra can also be habit-forming. Use ephedra-based products for any length of time and "your body becomes resistant"—meaning you will have to take more of them to achieve any weight loss, he says. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 1,000 reports of "adverse events" stemming from the use of ephedra products. In response, the FDA is seeking to limit over-the-counter sale of products containing ephedra. Another controversial "natural" weight-loss supplement is known as guarauna. A plant that grows in the jungles of South America, guarauna has seeds that are touted as having almost magical fat-burning powers. But, according to Dillard, there is no magic in how guarauna works. Its effects, he says, are purely the result of the high caffeine content of the seeds. "It's a stimulant, pure and simple. And at best, its effects are temporary," says Dillard, who adds you can save your money and just grab a cup of coffee for a similar short-term effect. In high or sustained doses, however, guarana "can cause rapid heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, vomiting and abdominal spasms," he says. Many herbal diet supplements combine both ephedra and caffeine, for what is often termed "super-effective fat-burning potential." According to a recent report by the Mayo Clinic, however, while this combination may stoke up your metabolism, it also dramatically increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, seizure, and sudden death. A third popular weight-loss supplement is called chitosan, a substance taken from the skeletons of crabs and other crustaceans. It was originally used to mop up industrial oil spills, and some enterprising nutrition gurus thought it might help weight loss by binding to fat in the body, thereby flushing it out before those calories hit the hips. Aronne says there is no truth to its weight-loss claims. "Every reputable study done on chitosan has shown that, while it binds to fat, it only carries it as far as the intestines," says Aronne. Once there, he says, the body breaks down the fat the same way it would as if the chitosan were not present. So, it makes no difference at all. According to a recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found no correlation between chitosan and weight loss. Always consult your physician for more information. Online Resources:(Our Organization is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.) European Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
For more information about herbal supplements, please visit our Complementary & Alternative Medicine clinical content module. Eat Right to Stay FitMore Americans than ever are eating a more healthful diet—almost one-third of the population. But that means more than two-thirds of us have yet to get the message that balanced meals and proper nutrition are the keys to good health, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) says. During the last decade, 28 percent of Americans, the highest percentage ever recorded, have changed their eating habits in an effort to improve their health, says Lola O'Rourke, a dietitian and ADA spokeswoman. "There is more awareness of the need for good nutrition, and awareness is the essential first step toward making change," O'Rourke says. Still, she adds, most people are not taking advantage of the compelling research that shows how a good diet can reduce the risks of such major diseases as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and improve many other areas of their lives. "Improved health is clearly the primary benefit of good nutrition," O'Rourke says. "A healthy diet is better for long-term health, reducing the risk of chronic diseases. "But it also gives people a greater sense of well-being, more energy," she says. "And among children, there is some research that shows that eating breakfast improves school performance." Changing entrenched eating habits can be a hard thing to do. But there is a wealth of information to start you down the path to good nutrition. One of the best places to start is the US Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid. It breaks down food into five groups, and recommends not only how many servings of each group to eat each day, but in what portion sizes, too. There's the:
And go easy on the fats, oils, and sweets, the pyramid warns. Interestingly, portion sizes are smaller than you might think. A serving of meat, for instance, is only two to three ounces. A serving of cooked vegetables is half a cup. And a slice of bread equals one serving in the Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group. But "super-sized" meals, increasingly popular at many restaurants, can make limiting portions a challenge. "Portion control is one of the most important aspects of eating well that people can do for themselves," says David Klurfeld, chairman of the department of nutrition and food science at Wayne State University in Detroit. "Most people, for instance, eat more protein than they need. One serving of meat, about three or four ounces, the amount recommended in the Food Pyramid, is the size of a deck of cards," he says. Klurfeld says it is also important to eat whole grain foods, like whole wheat, brown rice, oats, whole grain corn, and oatmeal. And high-fiber foods, like fruits and vegetables, are not only good for you, they fill you up more so you do not overeat. "If you eat two apples, it takes you 15 minutes to eat and you feel full for four hours," he says. "If you cook those apples into applesauce, it takes you about five minutes to eat and you're full for two hours. And if you squeeze the apples into juice and drink that, it takes about 30 seconds and you're hungry a half hour later." Motivating people to change their diet often means getting them to change their mindset, O'Rourke says. Many are afraid they're going to have to "give something up." "There's this idea of deprivation," she says. "But you can come up with a diet that includes your favorite food by cutting out fats in other areas of the diet that aren't as important to you. It's a matter of balance." Always consult your physician for more information. |