Weight loss is meant to be easy right? Eat less, eat sensibly and up the exercise. Unfortunately, even though this is the back bone for achieving a desired and healthy weight it doesn’t always work that way for all people and some need some supplemental help.

There are some herbal medicines and nutritionals which can support the journey. These include supplements to reduce sugar cravings, balance blood sugars, support healthy metabolism and energy levels.

Reduce Cravings/ Balancing Blood Sugar

It is hard to reduce food intake when all you think about is eating. There is strong evidence which shows for some people sugar can be an addictive behaviour, and for others it can be a nutritional deficiency or making poor dietary choices.

Gymnema sylvestre. This herb is known as the sugar destroyer with constituents which suppress the taste of sweetness.

Gymnema can help with blood sugar balance, support the pancreas as well as controlling sugar cravings.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). Cinnamon has the potential to lower blood glucose.

Brindleberry (Garcinia cambogia). The skin of the fruit contains a chemical called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) thought to be the key ingredient attributed to its ability to help with weight reduction. HCA stimulates fat oxidation, increases serotonin release and normalizes blood lipid profile. Serotonin is related to satiety, supporting a reduction in food intake.

Kelp (Fucus vesiculosus) provides a natural source of the mineral iodine, which is a precursor for the production of thyroid hormones. Important for energy production and maintaining the body's metabolic rate. Zinc, selenium and vitamin D also support healthy thyroid function.
Click Here for further reading

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia). Bitter melon can be used to inhibit intestinal absorption of glucose, increases insulin levels and enhance the sensitivity of insulin. Bitter melon can stimulate the synthesis and release of thyroid hormones and adiponectin (a hormone which is involved in regulating glucose levels and fatty acid transport). It supports the transport of glucose and fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells of adipose and skeletal muscles - for energy.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) is useful for lowering blood glucose and can significantly increase satiety, allowing for reduced energy uptake.

Psyllium (Plantago ovata). When psyllium is added to a meal or taken directly before or after it can significant decrease glucose absorption. Psyllium can also help you feel full for longer. Remember when increasing fibre, also increase water intake.

Garlic (Allium sativum). Studies have shown that garlic and its bioactive constituents exhibit many health benefits including antiobesity and antidiabetic activity.

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract. Studies have proven regularly consuming green tea can reduce abdominal fat and improved metabolic syndrome.
Click Here for further reading

Green Coffee Bean helps reduce glucose absorption, helps regulate sugar metabolism and supports the breakdown fatty tissue for energy.

Chromium is an essential trace mineral for carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Chromium picolinate and has been shown to improve body composition by maintaining lean body mass. 

Balancing Blood Sugar 

Why is this important?

When the sugar (fuel) in your blood drops, your energy levels fall and body needs to find fuel. This can be the time when fats are burnt, and also the time you need fuel to keep metabolism going. A drop in sugar can also lead to extreme tiredness and headaches. Achieving the right balance is important. When fasting, as in over-night when sleeping, your blood sugar becomes low, but as soon as you eat your blood sugar becomes high. Dysregulation of blood sugar can lead to dysfunction and even diabetes. When we talk about sugar as a fuel for the body, this is the fuel from carbohydrates. 

• Carbohydrates are foods which are converted to glucose or sugar during digestion and are the main source of fuel for the body. The brain relies on glucose to function. Carbohydrates provide energy for all cells and spare the use of protein from the muscles and organs. Carbs help maintain blood glucose during exercise and restore muscle glycogen during rest and recovery from exercise. All carbohydrates turn into glucose but some do it faster than others. Carbohydrates are important to a healthy diet. Choose complex carbohydrates over simple and reduce portion size when aiming for weight loss. Choose whole grain, whole fruits and foods with a low glycaemic rating. 

Click Here for Low Glycaemic article

Protein. Increasing protein can help reduce the hunger hormone and boost several satiety hormones. Metabolising protein burns calories due to a higher ‘thermic’ effect than that of carbohydrate and fats. High protein intake helps preserve lean body and muscle mass during weight loss. Protein shakes are an easy way of increasing good quality protein.

VLCD. A very low-calorie diet (VLCD) can achieve rapid weight loss and is based on meal replacement powders and ready to drink beverages. VLCD have been shown to be very effective in the management of obesity – helping with insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels. 
Click Here fro further reading

Fibre. Adding fibre to the diet is beneficial by contributing to satiety and its fat binding capacity, decreasing absorption. Some supplemental fibres used to absorb dietary fat include:

• Alpha-cyclodextrin (alfadex), or FBCx is a fibre derived from corn
• Chitosan is a natural marine fibre derived from the shells of crustaceans

Gut microbiota

Modulating the gut microbiota using probiotics may help with weight loss. The microbiota, the pathogenic community of the digestion, is known to protect gastrointestinal mucosa permeability and to regulate the fermentation and absorption of dietary polysaccharides. It is thought a dysbiosis of gut bacteria (an imbalance) could be responsible for obesity in some people.

Probiotics supplements may support weight reduction by aiding the release of the satiety hormone, reducing inflammation, reducing fat absorbency and improving gut health. The gut contains hundreds of different types of microorganisms, totalling over 100 trillion microbes, finding the right probiotic strain which may help with balancing the microbiome is individual.

Some strains of lactobacillus shown to help with weight reduction include:

Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus amylovorus,
Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei.

In summary

Supplementing with weight-loss products will often be a catalyst to following a healthy life style and diet changes. Some supplements can reduce body fat, but may also reduce muscle mass. Exercise can help with maintaining and improving muscle mass. Endurance and resistance-type exercise help preserve muscle during weight loss, and resistance-type exercise also improves muscle strength.
Click Here for more inspiration

Note: It is important to check with your health-care provider before taking any supplements to avoid interactions with medication and other health risks.

www.superpharmacy.com.au  Australia’s best online discount chemist

References

Sugar Addiction: From Evolution to Revolution https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6234835/

https://www.thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/the-science-behind-sugar-cravings

Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of Gymnema sylvestre: An Important Medicinal Plant https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3912882/

The glycaemic outcomes of Cinnamon, a review of the experimental evidence and clinical trials https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4609100/

Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) intake on glycemia: a meta-analysis of clinical trials https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3901758/

The potential of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) as a functional food and nutraceutical and its effects on glycemia and lipidemia. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21861724

A fenugreek seed extract selectively reduces spontaneous fat intake in overweight subjects. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20020282

A comprehensive scientific overview of Garcinia cambogia. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25732350

A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258944/

An Overview of Herbal Products and Secondary Metabolites Used for Management of Type Two Diabetes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5499308/

Antidiabetic potentials of Momordica charantia: multiple mechanisms behind the effects. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22191631

Body Composition Changes in Weight Loss: Strategies and Supplementation for Maintaining Lean Body Mass, a Brief Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315740/#B32-nutrients-10-01876

Bioactive Compounds and Biological Functions of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678835/

Efficacy of tea catechin-rich beverages to reduce abdominal adiposity and metabolic syndrome risks in obese and overweight subjects: a pooled analysis of 6 human trials. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29914623

Dietary fibres in the regulation of appetite and food intake. Importance of viscosity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21115081

Preserving Healthy Muscle during Weight Loss. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28507015

Effect of Lactobacillus on body weight and body fat in overweight subjects: a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2017161

Insights into the role of gut microbiota in obesity: pathogenesis, mechanisms, and therapeutic perspectives https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5960470/

Probiotics: How Effective Are They in the Fight against Obesity? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6412733/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325291.php

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/probiotics-and-weight-loss

The effect of green-coffee extract supplementation on obesity: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31398662

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/carbohydrates--good-or-bad-for-you

Assessing the evidence for weight loss strategies in people with and without type 2 diabetes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5648990/