Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2012
Abstract
Obesity is a global health concern associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic strategies include synthetic drugs and surgery, which may entail high costs and serious complications. Plant-based medicinal agents offer an alternative approach. A review of the studies on accessible botanical sources for the treatment of obesity is provided, which attempts to explain how these medicinal plants act to cause weight loss, and which approach is safer and more efficient. Information was gathered for the period of 1991 to 2012. Five basic mechanisms, including stimulating thermogenesis, lowering lipogenesis, enhancing lipolysis, suppressing appetite, and decreasing the absorption of lipids may be operating. Consumption of standardized medicinal plant extracts may be a safe treatment for obesity. However, some combinations of medicinal plants may result in either lower efficacy or cause unexpected side-effects.
Keywords
Complementary/Alternative Medicine, Fat absorption, Medicinal plant, Adipose-tissue differentiation, Slimming aids, Dietary supplements
Divisions
Science
Publication Title
2012 International Conference on Nutrition and Food Sciences
Volume
39
Publisher
International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology Press (IACSIT Press), Singapore