Diet Pill Discussion with SK Srinivas-Part I
I got to talk with SK Srinivas, a herbal pharmacist in Bangalore, India and he shared some of his opinions on weight-loss herbs. Here’s a brief of the weight-loss herb he has helped develop- Caralluma fimbriata extract.
“Caralluma fimbriata is an edible cactus, used by tribal Indians to suppress hunger and enhance endurance. The effect of Caralluma extract was assessed in overweight individuals by a placebo
controlled randomized trial. Fifty adult men and women(25-60 years) with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2 were randomly assigned into a placebo or experimental group; the latter received 1 g of Caralluma extract per day for 60 days. All subjects were given standard advice regarding a weight-reducing diet and physical activity. At the end of 30 and 60 days of intervention, blood glucose and lipids,anthropometric measurements, dietary intake and assessment of appetite was performed. Waist circumference and hunger levels over the observation period showed a significant decline in the experimental group when compared to the placebo group. While there was a trend towards a greater decrease in body weight, body mass index, hip circumference, body fat and energy intake between assessment time points in the experimental group, these were not significantly different between experimental and placebo groups. Caralluma extract appears to suppress appetite, and reduce waist circumference when compared to placebo over a 2 month period.�
Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent soft-spined cactus that grows wild in many parts of the Indian
subcontinent.
Says Srinivas, “Tribals in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka know it as kallee mooliya. Tribals nibble on this cactus during prolonged hunts in the forest. It’s believed to be an appetite suppressant. Caralluma is the Indian equivalent of Hoodia gordonii, a succulent cactus used by the Bushmen of Kalahari as an appetite suppressant.”
I was surprised when Srinivas told me that he didn’t really believe that weight-loss herbs are the answer to obesity. What do you think? Many people I’ve talked to have sworn by Hoodia. Do you think that diet pills are the answer? More on what Srinivas says tomorrow…..
August 16th, 2007 at 1:13 am
[...] with SK Srinivas-Part II August 16th, 2007 by Neel According to Srinivas, the herbal expert I talked to, obesity has deeper roots.�Obesity is a complex medical condition and there are several causative [...]