What Is All This Hype About Herbal Weight Loss Products?

An analysis of two particularly controversial products

- Nirvana Afsordeh

Herbal remedies, along with vitamins and various other types of dietary supplements, have long been popular with the customers of health food stores. But now they are part of a boom in alternative remedies and are widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies. In recent months, there has been an incredible surge in the sheer volume of scientific studies that have discussed the effectiveness of such herbal products. Medical scientists consider such findings promising but preliminary; additional research must definitely be explored. However, herbal supplement manufacturers are using such studies to boost the credibility of traditional herbal remedies. There are currently no government regulations to specify the purity, dosage or effectiveness of these products. Many consumers are opting to try them, assuming that the "natural" products with a long history of use will undoubtedly be safe.

As herbal remedies continue to gain in popularity, reports by consumers of serious complications are also increasing. In one statistical report it was stated that 500 incidents were reported to the Food and Drug Administration last year alone. Leading the list of dangerous and ineffective ingredients are ephedra (or Ma Huang) and Chromium. Ephedra alone has accounted for more than half of the complaints in the past three years and has been associated with more than three dozen deaths. Thus the validity and the efficacy of these claims will need to be addressed.

What are the claims of "Natural" Healing?

It is obvious that our bodies are remarkable machines. However, the claim is that natural remedies aid the body's immune system toward total body wellness. They supplement the body with natural substances that have been thought to be time proven over years. One company claims that natural healing "starts with healthful living practices, good nutrition, exercise, and use of nature's herbs and plants to aid the body's immune system toward wellness."(http://www.altika.com/natural/)

Other such companies such as SlimUSA, claim that specific blends of ALL NATURAL herbs promotes rapid weight loss. They substantiate their claim by examples such as the fact that the Chinese have used these herbs for hundreds of years. They state that this new program of weight loss will control cravings, stop snacking, and increase energy. However no explanations are given as to how these claims can be validated other than personal testimonies of which there are plenty.

Another company, Imagine Herbal Weight Loss Formula, is in the market for an organic, product that contains a blend of 20 herbs that can be taken in capsule form or as a tea. The general trend among these products are fast effective weight loss, that has yet to be accomplished by other weight loss programs. This formula claims to increase the body's fat burning metabolism, thereby, burning the fat and keeping the muscle. They also include a list of all the ingredients. However, it is interesting to note the disclaimer attached to many of these product's descriptions stating that this information has not been approved by the FDA, and one should proceed with risk.

Other such companies can be found at http://www.angelfire.com/biz/thermolift/index.html and http://www.midwest.net/cherokee/

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