The unwanted effects of regular allopathic medicine are a major cause and myth of people to switch to herbal medicine. Herbal medicine and plant medicine are no doubt a established fact and are in use since remote past. There use in the weight loss is also a market trends now a days. These have major share in over counter weight loss supplements which are more than 1.3billion dollars in the last year. The question of concern is that how they act on body to cut lose the weight. In other words what is their mechanism of action? Different drugs act differently on the body. There is no experiment based data which gives established detailed mechanism of action of common weigh loss herbs. The following are some purported mechanisms by which herbs act on the body to lose weight.

Weight loss by increasing energy expenditure

A mechanism by which some weight loss herbs are thought to act on body to gain desired effect is increased energy expenditure. When we talk of losing we usually think of burning of extra calories, which in turn reduces the body fat. These herbs act also in the similar way they gear up the energy utilization of the body. Different processes taking place in the body are fastened, as they are speeded up so they require more energy leading to extra calorie burn. Ultimately the basal body metabolism rate is high which causes the loss of fat. In medical terms we can describe their action as sympathetic discharge resulting in high respiratory, digestive and cardiovascular activities. Examples of this kind of action potentiating herbs are

• Ephdera
• Caffeine
• Bitter orange

Weight loss by carbohydrate utilization modulation

Another method thought to be involved in herbal weight loss is carbohydrate modulation. Different herbs are thought to alter glucose levels in the blood which is key to accumulate fat in the body. Higher glucose in blood leads to formation of fat and higher levels of cholesterol. Carbohydrate metabolism modulating herbs are thought to reduce the high blood glucose levels. Lowered blood sugar levels are main protecting mechanism against obesity and helps in losing weight. Chromium and Gensing are the examples of the herbs which are thought to alter blood glucose levels and help in lowering fat content of body.

Weight loss by increasing satiety

Certain herbs and herbal extracts are thought to reduce weight by increasing satiety. The mechanism thought to be involved is increased fiber content and solubility. Fiber has property of retaining large amounts of water which gives the sensation of filling. The other thing is delayed emptying of stomach. Sense of filling and delayed emptying discourages the overeating due to increased satiety. So the low caloric intake results in the weight loss. Below listed herbs are thought to reduce weight by this mechanism.

• Psyllium
• Gaur Gum

Weight loss by reduced body fat production

Reduction in body fat production is another mechanism purported for herbal weight loss. Some herbs are thought decrease body fat by reducing infact the production of body fat. These herbal products and supplements are thought to interfere with fat production at cellular level. Decreased fat production in turns reduces the weight efficiently and obesity. Garcinia cambogia seem to reduce weight by this way active ingredient of which is hydroxycitric acid.

Weight loss by blockage of dietary fat absorption

Chitosan is example of this type of herbs which blocks the fat absorption taken in the meals. The purported mechanism is the binding of herb molecules with the fat molecules resulting in the decreased absorption of fat from the intestines. This causes less body fat content and weight loss.

These are different biochemical and physical methods involved in the weight loss process in herbal medicine. The effectivity of herbal weight loss is still questionable and safety of this has to be ensured yet. The need of research in field of herbal medicine is growing day by day as the market of herbal medicine is bulking at a pace.