Consumption of herbs or dietary supplements does not contribute to a “clinically significant weight loss.” This follows from the first overall review of complementary weight loss medicines in 16 years, combining 121 randomized placebo-controlled trials that include nearly 10,000 adults.
The results of two studies, presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO), and echoed by Europa Press, suggest that, although some herbal and dietary supplements show a statistically greater weight loss than placebo, it is not enough to benefit health, and the authors call for more research on their long-term safety.
Weight loss
Our rigorous evaluation of the best available tests concludes that there is insufficient evidence to recommend these weight loss supplements. Although most supplements seem safe for short-term consumption, they will not provide clinically significant weight loss, says lead author of the research, Erica Bessell, from the University of Sydney, Australia.
Bessell explains that dietary and herbal supplements that are sold without a prescription for weight loss are becoming more popular, but, unlike medications, no clinical tests of their safety and efficacy are required before they go on the market.
Herbal supplements
The authors report on herbal supplements containing a whole plant or plant combinations as an active ingredient and dietary supplements containing isolated compounds of natural origin of plants and animal products, such as fibers, fats, proteins, and antioxidants.
To provide further evidence, in their research, the authors conducted a systematic review of all randomized trials comparing the effect of herbal supplements to placebo on weight loss, until August 2018. Data from 54 studies were analyzed with 4,331 healthy adults who are overweight and obese of people aged 16 and over.
The herbal supplements that were analyzed were: green tea, Garcinia Cambogia, and mangosteen; white beans; ephedra; African mango; yerba mate; veld grapes; licorice root; and East Indian globe thistle.