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Show references Dietary supplements for weight loss. Office of Dietary Supplements. Accessed Oct. Perreault L. Obesity in adults: Drug therapy. Dietary supplements. Food and Drug Administration. Barrea L, et al.

Nutritionist and obesity: Brief overview on efficacy, safety, and drug interactions of the main weight-loss dietary supplements. International Journal of Obesity Supplements. Bray GA, et al. The science of obesity management: An Endocrine Society scientific statement.

Endocrinology Review. Raynor HA, et al. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Interventions for the treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Esteghamati A, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of obesity: A critical review.

International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Using dietary supplements wisely. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The truth behind weight loss ads. Federal Trade Commission. Bauer BA expert opinion.

Mayo Clinic. Products and Services The Mayo Clinic Diet Online A Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet Bundle. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press.

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ART Healthy Lifestyle Weight loss In-Depth Dietary supplements for weight loss. Show the heart some love! Give Today. Help us advance cardiovascular medicine. Find a doctor. Explore careers.

Sign up for free e-newsletters. About Mayo Clinic. About this Site. Contact Us. Before using an over-the-counter or herbal diet remedy, talk with your health care provider. Nearly all over-the-counter supplements with claims of weight-loss properties contain some combination of these ingredients:.

In addition, some products contain ingredients that are found in prescription drugs, such as blood pressure medicines, seizure drugs, antidepressants, and diuretics water pills. Some ingredients in over-the-counter diet products may not be safe. The Food and Drug Administration FDA warns people not to use some of them.

Do not use products that contain these ingredients:. Barrea L, Altieri B, Polese B, et al. Nutritionist and obesity: brief overview on efficacy, safety, and drug interactions of the main weight-loss dietary supplements.

Int J Obes Suppl. PMID: pubmed. Lewis JH. Liver disease caused by anesthetics, chemicals, toxins, and herbal and dietary supplements.

In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements website. Dietary supplements for weight loss: fact sheet for health professionals. Updated May 18, Accessed July 8, Reviewed by: Linda J.

Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.

Editorial team. Share Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Home Health Library. Herbal remedies and supplements for weight loss Weight loss - herbal remedies and supplements; Obesity - herbal remedies; Overweight - herbal remedies. Weight-loss Product Options There are many over-the-counter diet products, including herbal remedies.

Nearly all over-the-counter supplements with claims of weight-loss properties contain some combination of these ingredients: African mango Irvingia gabonensis Aloe vera Aspartate Carnitine Chromium Coenzyme Q10 DHEA derivatives EPA-rich fish oil Green tea Hydroxycitrate L-carnitine Pantethine Pyruvate Sesamin White kidney bean Phaseolus vulgaris There is no evidence, or only very weak evidence, that these ingredients help with weight loss.

Curcumin blocks the synthesis of fat. Turmeric provides anti-inflammatory properties that reduce systemic inflammation. It can also suppress fat tissue growth and regulate glucose levels by lowering insulin resistance. Finally, turmeric increases bile production, which is used by the body to emulsify fat.

Ginger is a plant from Southeast Asia and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. The main compound in ginger is gingerol and provides many of the medicinal properties found in this potent, yet delicious herb.

Ginger provides powerful anti-inflammatory effects and helps reduce oxidative stress in the body. Ginger supplements can help significantly reduce body weight and waist to hip ratio. Ginger also helps reduce BMI and insulin levels.

Research has shown that ginger increases metabolism while reducing systemic inflammation. Oregano is a potent, fragrant herb used in Italian cooking.

This delicious herb has powerful compounds and antioxidants that can help you lose weight and feel great. Oregano contains terpenoids, terpenes, and phenols, including carvacrol, thymol, and rosmarinic acid.

Carvacrol may boost your weight loss efforts. It works by affecting specific proteins and genes in the body that are responsible for controlling fat synthesis. Oregano also helps to reduce systemic inflammation and reduce pain , so you can exercise more.

Fenugreek has been used in alternative medicine for many years and is also an herb used in a plethora of Indian dishes. This household spice gives a sweet, nutty flavor to your dishes. One tablespoon of fenugreek seeds provides iron, magnesium , and manganese to support health.

Fenugreek may also help with metabolic conditions like diabetes. One study found that taking 50 milligrams of fenugreek powder with meals can improve glucose levels, improves insulin function, and reduces bad cholesterol levels. Fenugreek helps control appetite thanks to its fiber content.

Reduced hunger and food intake can aid in weight loss. Ginseng is another herb commonly used in alternative medicine. This root plant has been studied extensively. Research has proven time and time again that ginseng can help boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. When ginseng is combined with daily exercise and a healthy diet , you will lose more body fat and weight than those who depend on exercise and diet alone.

Ginseng affects the metabolism of fat and cholesterol through its effects on adiponectin, leptin, and insulin. The active compounds in ginseng ginsenosides stimulate fat loss at a molecular level, which helps decrease hunger and maintain insulin levels.

Finally, ginseng increases your energy levels and reduces fatigue. It is important to know that herbs can provide many medicinal benefits as well as enhance the flavors of foods.

Diet and Nutrition. Rose Wellness offers Holistic, Integrative and Functional Medicine services for treating chronic issues as well as for preventive care.

Join us and take control of your health, your most important asset. Hypothyroidism Natural Treatment Options. Thyroid disorders can occur in many forms, but hypothyroidism is one of the most common. Symptoms of hypothyroidism are varied Women must navigate varying hormonal imbalances and changes throughout their lives.

From puberty to pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause, fluctuations in Hormone Health- The Untold Connection. Hormones are special chemicals that travel through the bloodstream. They carry messages from the glands where they are produced to Stimulate Your Thyroid and Lose Weight.

If you have an underactive thyroid, you know how difficult it can be to lose weight. A sluggish thyroid can Weight Loss. How to Balance Hormones for Weight Loss. Are you having difficulty losing weight even when you cut your calories, follow a weight loss diet, and exercise regularly?

Both chemicals can cause nervous system and heart problems. Bottom Line Before you take any supplement, be sure to consult your healthcare provider to make sure that the product is safe for you to use. Devika Umashanker is an Obesity Medicine Specialist at Hartford Healthcare Medical Group.

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Weight Loss Aids: Avoid These 3 Herbal Supplements, 4 Stimulants July 24, Dr. Connect With Us. Subscribe to Our Newsletters Get the latest healthcare news directly in your inbox.

Reports have also described 10 cases of liver toxicity, resulting in one death and two liver transplants, in people taking products containing Garcinia cambogia [ 43 , ].

In most of these cases, the products contained other botanical ingredients and minerals as well, so the toxicity cannot be definitively attributed to Garcinia cambogia. Because all clinical trials of Garcinia cambogia and HCA have been short, its long-term safety is unknown.

Glucomannan is a soluble dietary fiber derived from konjac root Amorphophallus konjac that can absorb up to 50 times its weight in water [ 16 ]. Like guar gum, glucomannan has been proposed to increase feelings of satiety and fullness and prolong gastric emptying by absorbing water in the gastrointestinal tract [ 16 , , ].

It might also reduce fat and protein absorption in the gut [ 16 ]. Glucomannan appears to have beneficial effects on blood lipids and glucose levels [ ], but its effects on weight loss are inconsistent. At the end of the study, glucomannan produced significantly greater weight loss mean loss of 2.

In another study conducted in the United States, supplementation with glucomannan 3. Eight weeks of glucomannan supplementation 1.

The authors of a systematic review of six randomized controlled trials with a total of participants concluded that 1. Similarly, a meta-analysis of eight trials that included participants found that glucomannan did not significantly affect weight loss compared to placebo [ ].

The authors of an older meta-analysis of 14 studies designed primarily to investigate glucomannan's effect on lipid and blood glucose levels concluded that 1. Little is known about the long-term safety of glucomannan.

Glucomannan appears to be well tolerated for short-term use, with minor adverse effects, including belching, bloating, loose stools, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal discomfort [ , , , ]. The use of tablet forms of glucomannan was reported to be associated with seven cases of esophageal obstruction in — in Australia [ 99 ].

Users should therefore be cautious when taking glucomannan tablets. Powdered and capsule forms have not been associated with this effect [ ]. The seeds or beans of the coffee plant Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, Coffea robusta are green until they are roasted.

Compared to roasted beans, green coffee beans have higher levels of chlorogenic acid. Green coffee extract, probably because of its chlorogenic acid content, inhibits fat accumulation in mice and humans by regulating adipogenesis. Green coffee extract also modulates glucose metabolism [ ], perhaps by reducing glucose absorption in the gut [ ].

Green coffee beans contain caffeine see section on caffeine above [ ], although decaffeinated forms are available [ 16 ]. In mice, green coffee bean extract in combination with a high-fat diet significantly reduced body weight gain and fat mass [ , ]. Only a few clinical trials have examined the effects of green coffee bean extract on weight loss in humans, and all were of poor methodological quality.

The researchers concluded that green coffee bean extract has a moderate but significant effect on body weight mean weight loss of 2. The authors of another small clinical trial claimed to show a benefit of green coffee bean extract for weight loss [ ], but the study was strongly criticized by the FTC for having several critical flaws in its design [ , ].

Two of the three study authors subsequently retracted the journal publication. Green coffee bean extract appears to be well tolerated, but its safety has not been rigorously studied. Reported adverse effects include headaches and urinary tract infections [ ].

The caffeine naturally present in green coffee beans acts as a stimulant and can cause adverse effects, depending on the dose and whether it is combined with other stimulants see section on caffeine above.

Green tea Camellia sinensis is a popular beverage consumed worldwide that has several purported health benefits [ ]. Green tea is present in some dietary supplements, frequently in the form of green tea extract. The active components of green tea that are associated with weight loss are caffeine see section on caffeine above and catechins, primarily epigallocatechin gallate EGCG , which is a flavonoid [ 41 , ].

A typical brewed cup of green tea has about — mg catechins [ ] and 45 mg caffeine. It has been suggested that green tea and its components might reduce body weight by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation, reducing lipogenesis, and decreasing fat absorption [ 41 , ].

Green tea might also decrease carbohydrate digestion and absorption [ ]. Available green tea extracts cover the range from minimally processed tea leaves to highly processed, manufactured concentrates of single constituents, such as EGCG. The authors of a meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials with a total of 98 participants found that caffeine alone or in combination with catechins significantly increases energy expenditure in a dose-dependent fashion compared with placebo [ ].

This effect might be important for maintaining weight loss by helping counteract the decrease in metabolic rate that can occur during weight loss. Catechins combined with caffeine also significantly increase fat oxidation, but caffeine alone does not.

Other human research indicates that EGCG alone does not increase resting metabolic rate, fat oxidation, or the thermic effect of feeding the increase in metabolic rate associated with the digestion and absorption of food [ , ].

Taken together, these findings suggest that green tea catechins and caffeine might act synergistically [ 41 , , ]. Several human studies have examined the effects of green tea catechins on weight loss and weight maintenance. A Cochrane Review analyzed the results from 14 randomized controlled trials of green tea preparations in a total of 1, participants with overweight or obesity [ ].

The trials lasted from 12 to 13 weeks, and doses of green tea catechins ranged from to 1, mg; in 10 of the 14 trials, the green tea preparations contained caffeine. Green tea supplementation reduced body weight by a mean of 0.

However, when the authors analyzed the six studies that were conducted outside of Japan where study methodologies were less heterogeneous than in the Japanese studies , they found no statistically significant difference in weight loss for green tea compared to placebo.

The authors reported that green tea catechins combined with caffeine over a median of 12 weeks modestly yet significantly reduced body weight by a mean of 1. Only two studies in this meta-analysis examined the effects of green tea catechins alone. Their results suggest that green tea catechins alone do not affect body weight or other anthropometric measurements.

A meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials found that people who took EGCG combined with caffeine for 12—13 weeks lost a mean of 1. In , EFSA examined health claims related to green tea and concluded that "a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of catechins including EGCG from green tea … and contribution to the maintenance or achievement of a normal body weight" [ ].

Taken together, the findings of these studies suggest that if green tea is an effective weight-loss aid, any effect it has is small and not likely to be clinically relevant [ , ].

No adverse effects have been reported from the consumption of green tea as a beverage [ ]. For green tea extract, most reported adverse effects are mild to moderate, and they include nausea, constipation, abdominal discomfort, and increased blood pressure [ ]. Toxicology studies in rats and mice show that green tea extract does not cause cancer but does cause nonneoplastic lesions in many areas of the body, including the nose, liver, and bone marrow [ ].

Other evidence in mice shows that high doses of catechins cause liver toxicity. There is also increasing evidence in humans that green tea extract might cause liver damage, though the underlying mechanism is not well understood [ ]. An analysis of 1, postmenopausal women participating in the Minnesota Green Tea Trial found that women who consumed green tea extract containing 1, mg total catechins including mg EGCG and Consumption of some green tea extracts—primarily ethanolic extracts of green tea—has also been linked to liver damage in at least 50 case reports since [ 43 , ].

In , the U. Pharmacopeia USP systematically reviewed the safety of green tea products [ ]. The USP noted that problems are more likely when green tea extract is taken on an empty stomach and, therefore, advises taking green tea extracts with food to minimize the possible risk of liver damage.

Other researchers and medical experts advise using dietary supplements containing green tea extract only with caution [ ]. Guar gum is a soluble dietary fiber derived from seeds of the Indian cluster bean Cyamopsis tetragonolobus [ 16 , ]. Guar gum is present in certain dietary supplements and is an ingredient in some food products, especially gluten-free baked goods, because it helps bind and thicken these products.

Like glucomannan, guar gum is purported to promote weight loss by acting as a bulking agent in the gut; delaying gastric emptying; increasing feelings of satiety; and, theoretically, decreasing appetite and food intake [ 16 , ].

However, guar gum does not appear to enhance weight loss. In a meta-analysis of 20 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that statistically pooled data from 11 trials, Pittler and colleagues evaluated the effects of guar gum for body weight reduction in a total of adults [ ].

Trial participants included people with hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, or type 1 or type 2 diabetes; menopausal women; and healthy volunteers. Compared with placebo, guar gum had no significant effect on weight loss. The authors concluded that guar gum is not effective for body weight reduction.

Reported adverse effects for guar gum are primarily gastrointestinal and include abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, increased number of bowel movements, nausea, and cramps [ , , ].

Case reports indicate that guar gum can cause severe esophageal and small-bowel obstruction if taken without sufficient fluid [ , ]. However, these reports were about a guar gum product that is no longer available [ ]. In their meta-analysis, Pittler and colleagues concluded that given the adverse effects associated with the use of guar gum, the risks of taking it outweigh its benefits [ ].

Hoodia gordonii is a succulent plant that grows in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. The San people have traditionally used hoodia as an appetite suppressant during long hunts.

This anecdotal evidence, combined with results of a few animal studies indicating that hoodia reduces food intake [ ], led to the widespread marketing of hoodia as a weight-loss supplement in the United States in the early s.

Scientists have not determined the exact mechanism whereby hoodia might suppress appetite. A glycoside commonly called P57, which may have central nervous system activity [ ], is widely believed to be the main active ingredient, although not all researchers agree [ 16 , ].

Despite its popularity as a weight-loss supplement, very little scientific research on hoodia has been conducted in humans [ ]. Compared to placebo, hoodia extract had no significant effect on energy intake or body weight. Hoodia has been reported to cause significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure [ ].

It also raises bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels which may indicate impaired liver function , although the clinical significance of these findings is unclear because hoodia has not been reported to affect levels of other liver enzymes.

Other side effects include headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. In the past, some hoodia products were found to contain little or no hoodia [ ]. The human microbiota, which outnumber human cells by up to fold, have myriad roles in human health [ , ].

Although microbes are found throughout the human body, the vast majority inhabit the colon. The gut microbiota play an important role in nutrient and energy extraction from food. Research in mice suggests that the gut microbiota affect not only use of energy from the diet but also energy expenditure and storage within the host [ ].

Whether these effects translate to humans is unknown. However, manipulating the gut microbiota has been proposed as a method to prevent or treat obesity in humans, and probiotics might provide a way to accomplish this.

Probiotics are in foods, such as some yogurts, as well as dietary supplements. The many different genera of probiotics include Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Bifidobacterium, which all have widely varying effects in the body [ , ]. Much of the research on probiotics and its influence on the gut microbiota and obesity has been in mice, and the results have been promising.

For example, probiotic supplementation reduced body weight gain and fat accumulation in obese mice fed a high-fat diet [ ]. In humans, however, results of clinical trials that assessed the impact of probiotics on obesity-related endpoints have been inconsistent. In another randomized clinical trial, daily supplementation with 3.

However, among the 77 female participants, the Lactobacillus supplementation did significantly reduce body weight after 12 weeks loss of 1.

Another recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials in individuals with overweight or obesity found that supplementation with various doses and strains of probiotics for 3 to 12 weeks resulted in larger reductions in body weight by 0.

However, these effects were small and of questionable clinical significance. The most recent systematic review and meta-analysis, which included 19 randomized trials in 1, participants, found that supplementation with probiotics or synbiotics products containing both probiotic organisms and prebiotic sugars, which microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract use as metabolic fuel reduced waist circumference slightly by 0.

The findings from another meta-analysis of 14 trials in adults, 5 trials in children, and 12 trials in 1, infants suggested that probiotics promote an average loss of 0. Taken together, these results indicate that the effects of probiotics on body weight and obesity might depend on several factors, including the probiotic strain, dose, and duration as well as certain characteristics of the user, including age, sex, and baseline body weight.

Additional research is needed to understand the potential effects of probiotics on body fat, body weight, and obesity in humans. Many probiotic strains derive from species with a long history of safe use in foods or from microorganisms that colonize healthy gastrointestinal tracts.

For these reasons, the common probiotic species—such as Lactobacillus species acidophilus, casei, fermentum, gasseri, johnsonii, paracasei, plantarum, rhamnosus, and salivarius and Bifidobacterium species adolescentis, animalis, bifidum, breve, and longum —are unlikely to cause harm [ ].

Side effects of probiotics are usually minor and consist of self-limited gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas. In a few cases, mainly involving individuals who were severely ill or immunocompromised, the use of probiotics has been linked to bacteremia, fungemia fungi in the blood , or infections that result in severe illness [ , ].

For individuals with compromised immune function or other serious underlying diseases, the World Gastroenterology Organisation advises restricting probiotic use to the strains and indications that have proven efficacy [ ].

Pyruvate is a three-carbon compound that is generated in the body through glycolysis [ ]. Pyruvate is also available as a dietary supplement, frequently in the form of calcium pyruvate.

Researchers have suggested that pyruvate enhances exercise performance and reduces body weight and body fat, possibly by increasing lipolysis and energy expenditure [ 6 , , ].

Only a few studies have examined the effects of pyruvate supplementation in humans. Although some of these studies suggest that pyruvate decreases body weight and body fat, others do not. At the end of the trial, the pyruvate group had significant decreases in body weight mean loss of 1.

In the placebo group, these measurements did not change significantly compared to baseline. However, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 23 women who were overweight mean BMI The authors of a systematic review and meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials in a total of participants concluded that 5—30 g pyruvate for 3—6 weeks reduces body weight by a mean of 0.

However, the authors noted that the methodological quality of all trials is weak, preventing them from drawing firm conclusions. The safety of pyruvate has not been rigorously studied. Pyruvate might also increase LDL levels and decrease HDL levels [ , ]. Additional research is needed to better understand the safety and possible side effects of this compound.

Raspberry ketone is the primary aroma compound found in red raspberries Rubus idaeus , and it is added to some foods as a flavoring agent [ 16 , ].

In vitro and animal studies suggest that raspberry ketone might help prevent weight gain by increasing fatty acid oxidation, suppressing lipid accumulation, and inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity [ 16 ]. Although it has been touted on the Internet and national television as an effective way to burn fat, little evidence exists to support this claim.

In mice fed a high-fat diet, raspberry ketone supplementation reduced food intake and body weight compared to the same diet without raspberry ketone [ ].

Only one randomized controlled trial has examined the effects of a dietary supplement containing raspberry ketone on weight loss. This product contained 2, mg of a proprietary blend of raspberry ketone, caffeine, bitter orange, ginger, garlic, cayenne, L-theanine, and pepper extract along with B-vitamins and chromium.

During the 8-week study, participants followed a calorie-restricted diet approximately calories less per day than estimated needs and engaged in moderate exercise 60 minutes 3 days per week. Compared to the placebo group, those receiving METABO lost significantly more body weight mean loss of 1.

However, 25 of the 70 participants dropped out of the study, and results were reported for only the 45 participants who completed the study i.

Furthermore, the product contained many ingredients in addition to raspberry ketone, making it impossible to determine the effects of raspberry ketone alone. Typical diets provide only a few mg of raspberry ketone a day.

Doses contained in dietary supplements typically range from to 1, mg, and the safety of such doses has never been evaluated in humans [ ]. Participants in the METABO study described above had no serious adverse effects [ ].

However, additional research on raspberry ketone is needed to better understand its safety and side effects.

Vitamin D, which is fat soluble, is present in a few foods, such as fatty fish, cheese, egg yolks, and vitamin D-fortified milk. It is also available in many dietary supplements, and humans synthesize it naturally when their skin is exposed to sunlight.

Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and is needed for proper bone growth and remodeling [ 56 ]. Observational studies indicate that greater body weights are associated with lower vitamin D status, and individuals with obesity frequently have marginal or deficient circulating levels of vitamin D [ ].

Nevertheless, the association between vitamin D and obesity raises the question of whether increasing vitamin D concentrations might reduce body weight [ , ].

Despite the association between low vitamin D levels and obesity, scientific evidence does not support a cause-and-effect relationship. The authors commented that the cause of this finding might have been stored vitamin D in body fat and skeletal muscle that was released during weight loss.

However, according to a meta-analysis of 12 vitamin D supplementation trials including 5 in which body composition measurements were primary outcomes , vitamin D supplements without calorie restriction did not affect body weight or fat mass compared to placebo [ ].

Overall, the available research suggests that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D or taking vitamin D supplements does not promote weight loss. Vitamin D toxicity can cause anorexia, weight loss, polyuria, and heart arrhythmias. It can also raise calcium blood levels, which can cause vascular and tissue calcification.

White kidney bean or bean pod Phaseolus vulgaris is a legume that is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America and is cultivated worldwide [ ].

Phaseolus vulgaris extract is an ingredient in some weight-loss dietary supplements marketed as carbohydrate- or starch-absorption blockers.

Laboratory research indicates that Phaseolus vulgaris extract inhibits alpha-amylase activity, so experts have hypothesized that the plant interferes with the breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates in the gastrointestinal tract [ 16 , ].

Phaseolus vulgaris might also act as an appetite suppressant [ , ]. The effect of Phaseolus vulgaris on weight loss and body fat has been examined in a few clinical trials, which had inconsistent results. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Italy, 60 women who were mildly overweight mean BMI 26 and age 20—45 followed a 2,—2,calorie meal plan and took a tablet containing approximately mg dried aqueous extract of Phaseolus vulgaris Phase 2 Starch Neutralizer IV or a placebo once daily before eating a carbohydrate-rich meal [ ].

After 30 days, those receiving Phaseolus vulgaris extract lost significantly more weight mean weight loss 2. Those in the Phaseolus vulgaris group also experienced a significantly greater reduction in fat mass, adipose tissue thickness, and waist—hip—thigh circumference. However, the authors noted that the quality of the trials included in their review was poor, making it impossible to draw firm conclusions.

After the publication of that review, a week clinical trial in men and women with overweight or obesity BMI 25—35 showed that Phaseolus vulgaris modestly yet significantly reduced body weight and body fat [ ]. Compared to those taking placebo, those receiving Phaseolus vulgaris lost significantly more body weight mean loss of 2.

Reported adverse effects for Phaseolus vulgaris are minor and include headaches, soft stools, flatulence, and constipation [ ]. No serious adverse effects of Phaseolus vulgaris have been reported in clinical trials, but no trials have lasted longer than 13 weeks.

Yohimbe Pausinystalia yohimbe, Pausinystalia johimbe is a West African evergreen tree. Yohimbine has hyperadrenergic physiological effects because it acts as an alpha-2 receptor antagonist [ 6 , ]. Yohimbe extract is an ingredient in some dietary supplements that are promoted for libido enhancement, body building, and weight loss [ ], but it is used primarily as a traditional remedy for sexual dysfunction in men.

The authors of a review of yohimbe concluded that no conclusive evidence indicates that yohimbe affects body weight or body mass [ ]. The author of a review of yohimbe reached similar conclusions, noting that results from small human trials of yohimbine for weight loss are contradictory and the evidence base is insufficient to support a weight loss claim for this compound [ ].

Yohimbe can be dangerous. Taking 20 to 40 mg of yohimbine has been reported to increase blood pressure slightly, whereas doses of mg or higher can cause headaches, hypertension, anxiety, agitation, tachycardia, myocardial infarction, cardiac failure, and death [ 43 , , , , ].

More recently, dietary supplements containing yohimbe accounted for 1, self-reports to U.