To lose weight, in herbal medicine, medicinal plants are used with an adjuvant action, in the context of controlled low-calorie diets, for the reduction of body weight . Some of these carry out a stimulating activity on the basal metabolism, others favor the physiological process of thermogenesis, others still intervene by enzymatic synthesis or because they are able to limit the absorption of fats and sugars . We see the various herbal remedies for weight loss.
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Adipose tissue has several important functions in the human body: it constitutes a considerable reserve of energy substances and water ; acts as an insulator, limiting the dispersion of heat from the body surface; and facilitates the adaptation of the different parts of the organism between them.
Under normal conditions it constitutes about 10% of the total weight, while pathological accumulations occur in obesity and in some hormonal disorders, as the adipose tissue and is closely connected to the basal metabolism (defined as the minimum energy expenditure necessary to maintain the vital functions and the waking state) of which follows the oscillations.
The basal metabolism represents the amount of energy used in conditions of thermal neutrality, from the awake subject, but in a state of total physical and mental relaxation, fasting for at least 12 hours; and is influenced by nutritional status and diet type ; hormonal factors ; pregnancy and lactation (especially in the final stage of gestation); states of anxiety ; and use of drugs (sedatives slow it down, while stimulants increase it).
In a healthy and sedentary individual it represents about 65-75% of the total energy expenditure. For these reasons, adipose tissue increases when the amount of food introduced exceeds the requirement, in relation to energy consumption.
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Medicinal plants for weight loss
- Citrus aurantium : the phytocomplex contained in the rind of the unripe and dried fruit of bitter orange is able to significantly reduce excess fat, through an increase in the so-called thermogenes i. Thermogenesis is a particular metabolic process, which consists in stimulating the body in the production of heat, to dissolve the deposited fat . This extract contains a rare composition of sympathomimetic amines, responsible for its selective thermogenetic action on beta-3 adrenergic receptors, mainly present in adipose tissue and in the liver, responsible for the fat demolition processes (lipolysis).
- Fucus : also known as marine oak, it is used in herbal medicine to lose weight, because it is a great natural source of iodine . This mineral is an essential nutrient for the thyroid gland . Being the main component of fucus, iodine can help in a condition of weight gain due to a slow metabolism or a malfunction of the thyroid . For this reason it is an excellent starter in diets to reduce overweight, as it accelerates the basal metabolic rate so as to use fat reserves faster, and consequently to gradually lead to greater weight control . The presence of alginates in the phytocomplex also gives it a slight laxative action similar to that of dietary fiber.
- Chitosan : it is a polymer of D-glucosamminache that is obtained from chitin, a component of the skeleton of crustaceans . This molecule has the ability to capture fat and then be eliminated through the faeces at the intestinal level. Chitosan is therefore useful for limiting the absorption of carbohydrates and fats, thus favoring the balance between fat mass and lean (or muscular) mass. shellfish
- Glucomannan : its root contains a non-assimilable dietary fiber, capable of swelling in contact with water and increasing its volume up to 80 times compared to the drug. This ability gives the plant a satiating action of a mechanical type at the gastric level. As a fiber, glucomannan is also able to reduce the intestinal absorption of fats and sugars, interfering beneficially with their assimilation process.
- Garcinia : in phytotherapy, garcinia is used to lose weight and lower the blood cholesterol level. The hydroxycitrate contained in the peel of the fruit helps to synthesize and eliminate fats, reducing hypercholesterolemia and triglycerides. This substance is naturally present in our body with the function of dissolving the adipose tissue, where the substances of the assimilated foods accumulate, not yet used by the organism to produce energy.
- Gymnema : the gymnemic acid contained in the leaves carries out a hypoglycemic action through the inhibition of the absorption of sugars and the metabolic transformation at the cellular level. In other words, it makes glucose reserves available, preventing 50% absorption of simple and complex sugars (carbohydrates). The plant also has an "anti-sweet" action, in fact, by putting a small amount of gymnema on the tongue, the perception of sweet and bitter is canceled within a few moments (leaving the perception of salty, acid and metallic taste unchanged instead ), and there is less desire for "sweet". The ability of the gymnema to synthesize and facilitate the disposal of sugars also gives it a slimming action, favoring weight loss, in the presence of a diet rich in sugars and carbohydrates such as sweets, bread and pasta.
Lose weight with minerals
Chromium is a mineral that enhances insulin function and influences the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats .
The use of chromium in slimming food supplements as an additive to lose weight and to improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes is justified by the fact that, enhancing the effect of insulin, it has a beneficial effect on protein anabolism at the level of muscle.
An increase in muscle mass, in turn, accelerating the basal metabolic rate would also favor the reduction of body fat .
