May 7, 2013 by Laurianne Macdonald, B.Sc., MPH, CHt, and Licensed RTT Practitioner
Part II: Herbs & Supplements
It is no wonder, what with the US being named third fattest country in the world, 50% of Americans already dieting, and nearly 65% of us wishing to lose 20 lbs or more, that in 2012 over $1 billion dollars was spent on weight loss pills alone. Market data suggest the weight loss products and programs make up a $60 Billion dollar a year industry. Amazingly, over half of all diet industry’s claims are false. But that explains why $147 Billion dollars were spent on obesity related medical issues in 2012.
There is no and never will be a little magic pill that shrinks fat cells, burns calories, and curbs cravings… that is in anyway natural. Pharmacology is derived from the classic Greek word ‘pharmakon’, meaning poison. Pharmaceutical companies have wizened to the market trend, fooling consumers and loop-holing labeling legislation with corporate subsidiary names like
And my all-time favorite, NATUREX. (Am I the only one who sees an oxymoron here?)
So, now these types of manufacturers get away with touting their All Nature, From Nature, or Ultimate Botanical Benefits hoping consumers looking for that healthy pill, will not look past the pretty green label. They hope you will not remember that it is the processing of “active ingredients” that turns an organic compound into poison. Below is a list of some of the products these companies are currently producing besides Green Coffee Bean with Svetol®. There’s a bit of redundancy for you. Did you know that Svetol is simply a brand name for Green Coffee Bean Extract? Does too much of a good thing ring a bell?
- Re-Body/Green Coffee Bean Extract products
- ResVitale
- Reserveage
- Hydroxycut/Hardcore and Hardcore Elite
- Genesis Today/Pure Green Coffee Bean with Svetol
- Xenadrine XT
- RealDose Weight Loss Formula No.
- Nutrigold®
- NanoLean™
- go4trim
- Diet Formula With Svetol®
- Total DIET Success
- Kleissinger Labs
- Bodylogix®
- Thermogenesis™
- Trim Energy®
- NatureWise™
- Sports Research SVETOL/Green Coffee Bean Extract
- Wonder Labs 100% Svetol
When there are more shelves filled with powders, products, and pills than those that carry natural and organic whole foods, it’s easy to understand how we lost our way and why it is so hard to tell the difference between the good, the bad, and the ones that actually work.
The one thing we should all know by now is that health does not come in a bottle. Be wary when the great O (Oprah) orates on how wonderfully easy it was to lose fifty while supplementing with Hoodia or as Dr. Oz endorses Svetol®. Dr. Oz’s latest wonder product is taking the market by storm: Garcinia Cambogia. Hydroxycitric acid, the active ingredient in this little green pumpkin shaped fruit from India is what is in Hydroxycut and many other diet pills and supplements. It is also the ingredient that like ephedrine was recalled by the FDA because of an association with health problems like liver damage, seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and rhabdomyolysis, (a type of muscle damage that leads to even more health problems). That is not to say that the product itself is bad for you, but the processing used to extract the active ingredients often results in the lost synergy with other alkaloids and tannins in the originating plant. Again I will refer to Food Synergy, written by Eliane Magee.
And don’t get me wrong. There are many pure and natural extracts and whole extract products out there that help curb an appetite, regulate blood sugar, maintain good cholesterol level, and even burn fat. Ginger root, capsicum (hot pepers), Avena Sativa (oats), and cynara scolymus (globe artichoke) all aid fat metabolism. Turmeric, blue cornflower, berberis vulgaris (barberry) help liver function and therefore possibly lipid digestion. B12, raspberries, and caffeine (the subtler organic green coffee bean extract, not Svetol®) are all easily accessible supplements that are used to help maintain a healthy weight and stimulate the metabolic processes. Traditional Chinese medicine often combines the following herbs in weight loss and appetite suppressant remedies.
Humulus lupulus (Hops) may help with emotional eating, perhaps because of its calming effects.
Alchemilla Vulgaris (Lady’s Mantle, Lions Foot, Bear’s Foot, Nine Hooks), is an astringent used for detoxification.
Olea Europea, (Olive) is a diuretic and glycolic stabilizer that helps maintain metabolic homeostasis.
Cuminum Cyminum, (Parsely) and
Mentha spicata, Longifolia (spearmint) are popular digestive aids.
Simply Natural & Cafe carries a wide variety of weight loss and metabolic enhancing products and the staff is always happy to help you find what might work best for you.
Healthy Living 