Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Losing Weight The Natural Way

Unless an obese person, or people who are morbidly obese, are diligent, disciplined, and determined enough to watch their diet and weight gain they will not be able to lose weight. Now, more and more remedies are being offered in the market to lose weight. And one of the most popular among these is natural or herbal weight loss remedy that comes in the form of products, supplements, and programs.

NATURAL REMEDIES

Since the emergence of natural or herbal alternatives in the market, more and more herbal or natural products have been considered as natural weight loss remedies.

One of the most popular among these natural weight loss remedies is the use of aloe or aloe vera. Commonly used as a topical product for healing wounds, many manufacturers came out with oral forms of aloe, which are usually added to natural weight loss products. Oral aloe is usually marketed as internal cleansers because they produce strong cathartic response for faster bowel movement.

Be careful in using products that contain aloe because these are not meant to be ingested orally. Neglect in the use of aloe containing products may lead to side effects abdominal cramps, severe diarrhea, electrolyte disturbances, and potassium decrease in the body. This natural weight loss remedy is known to deliver therapeutic effects but no study has yet to prove its potential in permanent weight loss.

Cascara or bitter bark,chittem bark is one of the most common ingredients used in various herbal weight loss products today. Considered as a strong stimulant laxative, the use of this natural weight loss remedy is strictly prohibited for pregnant women especially if they are lactating or planning to breastfeed. Inappropriate use may lead to disturbances of electrolytes in the body like as potassium and sodium.

While cascara is known as a strong laxative, dandelion or lions tooth is known as a natural diuretic. The use of this natural weight loss remedy may result in dehydration or water loss in the body. Dandelion containing products have become popular natural weight loss remedies because they lead to significant weight loss due to decreasing water in the body.

Although its natural weight loss potentials are lauded, the use of dandelion in products were reported to cause allergic reactions and cancer causing effects.

Now just before you read any further let me say that at the end of this article I will be pointing you towards other places where you can get more information on this subject, so, having said that, lets continue with our reading.

Glucomannan or konjac is quite effective in losing weight because it is known to delay the absorption of sugar from the intestines. Since it plays a role in the reduction in fasting blood glucose, some studies show that it is an effective natural weight loss remedy to decreasing body weight. Use it in proper doses because glucomannan and konjac containing products may cause obstruction of gastro intestines and of the esophagus.

Guarana or zoom is considered as a good central nervous system stimulant because it contains 2.5 to 5 percent caffeine. It is now known as an effective natural weight loss remedy because of its diuretic effects. But, be careful because it can cause high blood pressure and several side effects.

Here are some helpful tips before you opt for natural weight loss remedies:

1. Dont take any natural or herbal weight loss remedies if you are under a chronic therapy and if you are taking medications that have a narrow margin for safety. Make sure you consult a physician or health care professional first.

2. Be careful in using herbal diuretics as a natural weight loss remedy because many of these may interact with specific medications. The majority of these do not also provide enough of a diuresis properties to work properly.

3. Excessive use of herbs or natural weight loss products are linked to various fatal cases.

4. Dont take natural weight loss remedies or herbs if you are pregnant or attempting to become pregnant or if you are breastfeeding.

5. Avoid taking herbs in large quantities on a daily basis because none of these have little clinical effect when taken in large doses.