(NaturalNews) Suppressing the appetite is a key way to achieve weight loss. People are less likely to eat more than they should when their appetite is low. Studies show that natural supplements with extracts from artichokes, beans and vinegar may act as hunger suppressants.
Weight loss
Supplements containing artichoke and bean extracts may together be an appetite suppressor to promote weight loss. A study published in
Phytotherapy Research in February 2011 found that participants given extracts of Cynara scolymus, from artichokes, along with extracts from Phaselolus vulgaris, from beans, were less hungry and lost weight. The participants took the supplements for two months. The control groups who did not take supplements did not experience a decrease in body mass index or a susceptibility to hunger like the supplement group experienced. Body mass index is a measure of weight compared to height that estimates body fat percentage.
Insulin
A study published in
Phytotherapy Research in March 2011 found similar results in rats to the February 2011 study. Researchers fed normal weight and obese rats Cynara scolymus extracts an hour before their meals. Both the normal weight and obese rats showed a significant reduction in post-prandial glycemia, which is the level of glucose in blood before a meal. This is significant because your body releases insulin when glucose levels rise. Insulin stimulates glucose use for energy, but it also stores unused glucose as fat.
Satiation
According to a study published in the
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2005, vinegar supplements increase satiety and decrease the postprandial insulin response. Study participants were split into groups and given different levels of
vinegar along with white bread. The higher the amounts of supplements the greater the feelings of fullness and the lower the insulin and glucose responses. Lower amounts of vinegar still decreased the responses significantly at 15 and 30 minutes; however, only the larger amount group saw a significant reduction when levels at 90 minutes post-meal.
Side effects
Supplements can help people avoid certain side effects. Drinking apple cider vinegar may work as a hunger suppressant, but it may can cause throat irritation when someone drinks it frequently because it is highly acidic, according to registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic. A supplement cannot irritate the throat.
A natural appetite suppressant along with a healthy diet and reasonable exercise promotes faster
weight loss and increases adherence to better eating.
Sources for this article include:Phytotherapy Research: Appetite Control and Glycaemia Reduction in Overweight Subjects Treated With a Combination of Two Highly Standardized Extracts From Phaseolus Vulgaris and Cynara Scolymus
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21308825Phytotherapy Research: Evidence of Glycemia-Lowering Effect by a Cynara Scolymus L. Extract in Normal and Obese Rats
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20737658ABC News: What Does 'Post-Meal -- or Post-Prandial -- Blood Sugar' Mean and What Does it Tell You?
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/DiabetesScreening/story?id=3812972European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Vinegar Supplementation Lowers Glucose and Insulin rRsponses and Increases Satiety After a Bread Meal in Healthy Subjects
http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v59/n9/abs/1602197a.htmlDoc News: Vinegar Reduces Postprandial Glycemia and Appetite
http://docnews.diabetesjournals.org/content/3/1/7.2.shortMayoClinic.com: Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss Seems Far-Fetched. Does it Work?
www.mayoclinic.comAbout the author:Sarka-Jonae Miller is a personal trainer, massage therapist, novelist, and blogger. Get more health and wellness tips on Sarka's
Natural Healing Tips blog,
Facebook page, or
Twitter.
Sarka's debut novel, "Between Boyfriends," recently appeared on three Amazon best seller lists, including Comic Fiction, Humorous Fiction, and Women's Fiction. It peaked at #3 on the first two lists. The novel is available on
Amazon worldwide. This is the second time in two months "Between Boyfriends" appeared in the top 10.
East County Magazine calls it the "ultimate chick-lit read." The Rancho Santa Fe Review newspaper says, "Over the course of the book, Jan, who is in her early 20s, begins to grow as a person and even strikes up a true friendship with a man, a first for her." Read a free sample on Amazon.
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