Probably you noticed that problems of obesity and overweight in the modern population are still being pretty significant. You may also hear a lot about the main ways of treating these conditions, which are, in most cases, surgical or medicinal. But, are there any other decisions?
Luckily, evidence-based information tells that various types of complementary medicine therapies, e. g., Chinese herbs for weight loss, may be beneficial. Ph. D. Brett R. Martin, for example, does a great review of various medical and scientific literature and finds many proofs of that. That's why this topic is essential to research for everybody interested in losing weight.
Main Types of a Chinese Herbal Tea For Weight Loss
There are lots of different types of these beverages. But, unfortunately, lots of them have an insufficiently expressed effect. Nowadays, among the most popular types of these drinks worth to be mentioned are the following:
- Pu-erh tea
- Dark tea
- Sesam cassiae tea
- Jasmine tea
- Lemon tea
Also, such types of potables, as traditional green and black teas, can become powerful weapons in the fight with additional body weight. But, as they are cultivated and packaged not only in China, it will not be entirely right to mention them above.
Now, let's take a closer look at each type of drink from the list.
1. Pu-erh Tea
Actually, there are many different kinds of that tea available, but all of them are united by one process - using the fermentation process during the final preparation. Most often, Camellia Sinensis leaves are the primary raw material for producing this type of tea.
Those beverages are well known for a wide variety of specifications. For example, it can raise a human's life tonus, give them a lot of energy, and increase brain activity. At the same time, it is one of the most excellent Chinese herbs for losing weight.
2. Dark Tea
The history of this beverage counts more than 400 years. The main reason which makes this tea to be named so is a unique color, which appears after a special long period of fermentation. This type of tea has an extremely hard and replete taste.
Nowadays, more than 15 different subtypes of this drink are available for the customer. That's why you should choose wisely before making a final decision, as not every one of them is beneficial for weight loss. The best ones for the weight reduction purposes are Xiuren, Liupu, Hunan Hei Cha, and Hubei Hei Cha teas.
3. Sesam Cassiae Tea
Sesam Cassiae is one of the typical traditional medical plants that is used as a great and extremely useful weapon against excess body weight. This tea is not only one of the most effective Chinese medicines for weight loss, but also have lots of other benefits for human health, e. g., decreasing of the blood pressure, high antioxidant activity, a vast antibacterial activity, and many others.
Usually, this type of tea doesn't pass a severe fermentation, but in some cases may be fried right before the packaging. Lot's of different products and dietary supplements (for example, the Golden Saffron extract) have almost the same effect on the human organism as that drink.
4. Jasmine Tea
Jasmine tea is probably one of the simplest, easy to cultivate and prepare tea from the whole list. In fact, it consists of only one component - dried jasmine leaves. This beverage doesn't need any additional fermentation or other similar preparations processes. In some cases, extra traditional green or black tea leaves may be added to highlight the taste.
These traditional Chinese herbs for weight loss can also bring a lot of benefits to your everyday life. For example, according to the clinical study from the "Eur. J. Appl. Physiology", this beverage can be beneficial for the nerve system, thanks to the linalool's smooth sedative effect.
5. Lemon Tea
Technically speaking, lemon is not a herb, but in most cases, in different Chinese medicine, it is used along with lots of various herbs. So, probably, that's why that beverage is worth mentioning. Especially if taking into account it's unbelievably great benefits for everybody who decide to lose some weight.
Lemons are enormously beneficial for the human organism. They not only help to suppress hunger, but also give a lot of energy, stimulate the immune system, and help to improve general vitality. When lemons are prepared as tea, all biologically active chemical substances are absorbed more effectively in the gastrointestinal tract. That makes drinking the lemon tea much more efficient than just eating those fruits.
What Makes Chinese Herbs For Weight Loss So Effective?
Unfortunately, as herbs mostly have much more complex chemical composition than regular medications, sometimes it's almost impossible to determine and understand all the mechanisms of their work. Basically, that's what the "Journal of integrative medicine" tells us in one of their reviews in the 2019 year. At the same time, a few interesting findings and discoveries were already made.
For example, according to scientific research and evidently-based information, one of the most important mechanisms of weight loss by Chinese herbs is fatty acid synthesis inhibition. That process usually leads to a significant weight loss. Some of the herbs known for this effect are:
- Ginkgo leaf
- Parasitic Loranthus
- Green tea leaf
- Tuber Fleece Flower root
Among other exciting reasons, which makes еру Chinese herbs for weight loss so extremely effective, there is also a possible inhibition of the α-amylase synthesis. That may potentially lead to a decreasing in the hydrolysis of amylum to sugars. As a result, an organism will not absorb after drinking some herbs (including, e. g., Chinese Formula RCM - 107) too many carbs, even if you eat many flour products.
Unfortunately, in some cases, using those herbs without the prescription of your doctor may be dangerous. That's why you should ask a specialist first, before the usage of any of those. For example, the tuber fleece flower root may even cause severe problems with the process of food intake in rats.
A Few Tricks About Chinese Herbs For Weight Loss
You probably understand that one of the main ideas of any treatment is to take medicines correctly. If taken the wrong way, the effect of medicines may be more harmful rather than beneficial.
But, as you already know, these plants are exceptionally chemically complex, so determining the greatest way of using each is very hard. So, here are a few tips that make the Chinese herbs' usage more effective and lower the potential harm.
Tip № 1: Use Herbs When They Are Warm
It's a well-known fact that when you consume too cold or too hot meals and beverages, they may potentially do a lot of harm to your digestive tract. For example, according to the case report by Yosuke Inaguma, Satoshi Matsui, Mayumi Kusumoto, Hiroshi Kurosawa, and Ryojiro Tanaka, too hot meals can become a reason for severe injuries of the bronchial mucous membrane and thermal epiglottitis during ingestion.
That's why most of those Chinese products recommend consuming them when they are warm. The best temperature for the digestive tract is about 30°- 40° C. You can quickly determine if this meal is okay for you by simply putting a few drops or pieces on your wrist. If it doesn't burn and feels alright - you may use it without any doubts. A thermal effect won't harm your digestive tract.
Tip № 2: Don't Use Them After 19:00
It is well-known that you shouldn't eat after 19:00. At all. Or, at least, try not to do that. That works as well for various types of Chinese herbs for losing weight. Why? Well, because they may be harmful, cause different inadequate effects, may lead to a problem with sleep, and even become a reason for multiple types of neurological and physical illnesses.
As you already know, those herbs can become a severe source of energy and increased vitality. Try to imagine what happens if you drink, for example, lots of energical drinks before going to bed. You will not sleep well , and maybe even won't at all. The same effect may affect you in case you will use those medications after 19:00.
Tip № 3: Try To Avoid Mixing Too Many Various Herbs
The drug interactions are a tricky question of medicine, and pharmacology still can't give a proper answer for many aspects, even of the intercommunication of traditional for western medicine meds. Will that be easy for the Chinese herbs if we will remember their high chemical complexity? Definitely not!
In some cases, even inside one particular plant may appear such interaction of different biologically active substances, which may cause severe allergy or even death of some humans. That is another excellent reason to visit your doctor before taking the mentioned above or any other Chinese herbs for weight loss.
Possible Side Effects From Taking These Medications
There are a wide variety of possible side effects that may occur due to these plants' usage. They may also vary a lot, depending on different comorbid conditions, age, gender, habits, and many other reasons. Among the most common of them, for example, are the following:
- Troubles with sleep
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Fainting
- Stomach pain
- Allergic reactions
If you feel any of those or any other uncomfortable feelings during the use of these plants, you should stop for some time the treatment course and get your doctor's consultation. Oppositely, you may do lots of harm to your organism, which potentially may even lead to a severe chronic pathologies occurrence.
Is Any Detoxification Allowed During the Usage of Chinese Herbs for Weight Loss?
If you understand the basics of the human organism physiology, you should know that good detoxification should remove all the exogenous (outer) chemical substances from the body. That's why it's not an enormously smart idea to make it during a course of treatment with any medication, including herbs.
However, in some cases, for example, when you feel intoxicated due to an impact of them or got an allergy reaction - it is a great idea to take a course of detoxification therapy. Among the great medications for these purposes is e. g., Detox Complex from BeHerbal.
Also, it's essential to use a lot of water during your detoxification course. The main reason for that is that two main organs in the human body, which helps detoxification processes flow naturally, should work together. Those organs are kidneys and liver. While the liver will proceed with the toxins with the help of medications, the excess flow of water will help the kidneys to do their part of the job.
Conclusions
Chinese herbs for weight loss may become a powerful weapon for everybody who wants to lose a couple of pounds. It would be best if you didn't treat them like a joke, as they have not only beneficial effects for the organism but may also do lots of harm if they are misused.
Probably, future scientific researches will show us a lot more benefits and potential complications that may occur due to their usage.
References:
- Martin BR. Complementary Medicine Therapies That May Assist With Weight Loss: A Narrative Review. J Chiropr Med. 2019 Jun;18(2):115-126. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2018.10.004. Epub 2019 Jul 2. PMID: 31367198; PMCID: PMC6656908. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31367198/
- https://www.theteamakers.co.uk/blog/puerh-tea-explained.html
- Dong X, Fu J, Yin X, et al. Cassiae semen: A review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology (Review). Mol Med Rep. 2017;16(3):2331-2346. doi:10.3892/mmr.2017.6880 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5547955/
- Kuroda K, Inoue N, Ito Y, Kubota K, Sugimoto A, Kakuda T, Fushiki T. Sedative effects of the jasmine tea odor and (R)-(-)-linalool, one of its major odor components, on autonomic nerve activity and mood states. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005 Oct;95(2-3):107-14. doi: 10.1007/s00421-005-1402-8. Epub 2005 Jun 23. PMID: 15976995. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15976995/
- Farrington R, Musgrave IF, Byard RW. Evidence for the efficacy and safety of herbal weight loss preparations. J Integr Med. 2019 Mar;17(2):87-92. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2019.01.009. Epub 2019 Jan 30. PMID: 30738773. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30738773/
- Tian WX, Li LC, Wu XD, Chen CC. Weight reduction by Chinese medicinal herbs may be related to inhibition of fatty acid synthase. Life Sci. 2004 Mar 26;74(19):2389-99. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2003.09.064. PMID: 14998716. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14998716/
- Luo S, Lenon GB, Gill H, Hung A, Dias DA, Li M, Nguyen LT. Inhibitory effect of a weight-loss Chinese herbal formula RCM-107 on pancreatic α-amylase activity: Enzymatic and in silico approaches. PLoS One. 2020 Apr 29;15(4):e0231815. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231815. PMID: 32348327; PMCID: PMC7190128. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32348327/
- Inaguma Y, Matsui S, Kusumoto M, Kurosawa H, Tanaka R. Thermal epiglottitis: Acute airway obstruction caused by ingestion of hot food. Pediatr Int. 2019 Sep;61(9):927-929. doi: 10.1111/ped.13948. PMID: 31569296. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31569296/