Today, there are over a thousand different diets available on the internet. People can freely choose between various meal types and exercise programs, and some of the most popular diets are Keto and Paleo. Most people, however, know very little about the role of herbal supplements in metabolism and weight loss.

According to science, various herbs and additives can speed up weight loss, if consumed correctly. In fact, herbal pill supplements that we use in our diets contain some of these herbs, too.

Although we may use many different herbs in our diet recipes, in this blog post, I will focus on three herbs that have proved to be beneficial for weight loss. I’ll explain how they affect our body and alter key functions and fat cells. These are black pepper, cayenne pepper, and green coffee bean.

Herbal supplements – type and function

Since ancient times, herbs have been used as cooking additives and natural remedies. How would a meal taste without spices like black pepper or oregano? Still, aside from giving our meals a tempting flavor, many herbs will also supplement our diet with beneficial nutrients, support fat-burning, and control appetite.

While many people consume herbs in purely natural form, others rely on pill supplements or soluble powders. For example, black pepper, which is a famous weight loss accelerator, is mainly consumed as a food additive. However, green coffee beans or cayenne peppers are ingredients in pills or powder supplements that we consume together with tea, lemon water, or food.

The way we ingest herbal supplements for weight loss purposes will depend on their taste, too. Cayenne paper has a strong taste for many people who are not familiar with this additive. Also, green coffee beans are not the same as our roasted blend, and their taste is usually bitter.

No matter in what form or flavor, herbal supplements can speed up fat-burning processes, improve metabolism and suppress appetite. In addition, herbal supplements can benefit our bodily function in more ways – fight inflammations and reduce the risk of ailments.

Black pepper

You don’t have to be Gordon Ramsey to know how to use black pepper in cooking. Not without a good reason, black pepper is actually called the “King of spices”. Still, except in culinary flavors, the king of spices can be beneficial for our health in many ways.

Black pepper contains piperine, which is a naturally occurring, insoluble alkaloid. According to research, piperine can affect our weight loss positively and cure numerous ailments. The amount of piperine in black pepper, however, depends on many factors such as species of pepper, type of soil and weather conditions for the production of black pepper, and the country of origin.

Black pepper’s piperine will improve our metabolism best if we consume the peppercorns directly regardless of their pungent flavor. For those who can’t cope with the hot taste of peppercorns, there is always the option to use freshly ground black pepper. In fact, many people prefer to add ground pepper to a drink such as tea or use it in seasoning for their meals.

Hot spices such as black pepper proved to be effective in relation to weight loss due to their ability to speed up fat-burning and metabolism. In other words, black pepper has thermogenic properties that can increase the heat our body produces, which in turn will help us burn more calories faster.

Regardless of all the benefits of black pepper, there is not much actual evidence of how this spice influences weight loss. Recent research focused on testing piperine on rats and proved that black pepper can repulse the development of fat cells in their body. More evidence will need to show if piperine has the same effect on average humans.

Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper is not for everyone. In fact, a few people eat spicy food or use Tabasco sauce daily. Cayenne pepper, however, has proved as one of the best supplements in weight loss programs. Still, those who dislike Tabasco can get this additive in the form of pills for weight loss, which has a slightly different taste.

Capsaicin is an active compound in chill peppers, giving them the spicy kick. But except for its pungency, capsaicin is also known to support weight loss and fat burning. Compared with piperine, capsaicin has shown some similar properties and benefits for our body.

According to research, capsaicin can suppress our appetite. People who consumed cayenne pepper were less likely to crave food during the day and consumed much fewer calories on average. All of this contributed to faster weight loss in most people who consumed cayenne pepper on daily basis.

Other trials with humans showed that capsaicin from cayenne pepper helped with fat burning due to its thermogenic qualities. Cayenne pepper may act a bit faster than black pepper because of its taste, too. If we consume it in higher quantities, it can also help us with burning belly fat in particular.

The RDI (recommended dietary intake) of capsaicin is 2 to 6 mg daily. Evidence suggests that doses of 6 mg or higher could accelerate the burning of belly fat in obese humans. When combined with regular exercise, the number of calories we burn each day increases, as does the effect on our bodies.

Green coffee bean

Another interesting herbal supplement, that has captured the imagination of many, is green coffee beans. Not to be confused with roasted coffee beans, green coffee beans, except different in color, are also very different in taste.

In recent times, the most effective pill supplements for weight loss contain extract from green coffee beans. Due to the specific bitter taste of these beans, we don’t make coffee from them, or if we do, we will need to add a lot of sugar to compensate for the bitter taste. Well, sugar is not exactly something that we need during a weight loss diet.

Green coffee beans contain the stimulant caffeine and chlorogenic acid that can act as a booster for metabolism and weight loss. Numerous studies on the effect of green coffee beans on humans showed that they can benefit people in their diet. The results, however, showed that people who took this supplement lost only a few pounds – 3 to 5 kg/monthly on average.

Future research needs to determine what amount of green coffee beans extract will benefit our diet. For now, we can only rely on the instructions provided by the brand of supplements that we consume. Green coffee beans, in fact, are the main ingredient in herbal supplements or powders that we consume with tea or water.

Due to the caffeine in green coffee beans, we shouldn’t overdose on this supplement. Although there is no strictly recommended dosage for weight loss purposes, we should not take more than 480 mg daily. The side effects of green coffee beans are similar to these of coffee, but if we consume them in moderation, they can definitely assist us in achieving our weight loss goals.

Herbal Pill Supplements

Since cayenne pepper and green coffee beans can’t satisfy everyone’s taste, we can find pill supplements containing these ingredients. In fact, by doing a simple google search for “herbal supplements for weight loss”, we can notice that almost every brand on the market contains an extract from green coffee beans.

Many weight loss pills contain a combination of a few herbs and other additives that have proved to benefit weight loss. Before choosing a brand, it is always wise to check carefully the labels and ingredients and make sure that the cayenne pepper or green coffee beans are organic. In addition, we should try to avoid herbal supplements containing cellulose, which is not the most beneficial nutrient for our body.

Soluble powders for weight loss are also a big hit on the market. Their effect on our body may be similar to the effect of herbal pill supplements. However, everything depends on the brand we chose and the doses we consume daily.

Good to remember

• Black pepper, Cayenne pepper, and Green coffee beans are stimuli for weight loss and metabolism.
• We can consume ground pepper or cayenne pepper in pure, natural form.
• Added to tea, and combined with lemon, these additives taste even better.
• Cayenne pepper and black pepper suppress our appetite.
• Green coffee beans are one of the most useful ingredients in weight loss pills.
• When choosing a brand of supplements, check the quality and ensure that it’s made of organic green coffee beans.
• Black and cayenne pepper don’t pose danger to our health. However, the caffeine in green coffee beans does, if we consume too much of it.