This article will explore whether St. John’s wort is a viable option for the quixotic quest of rapid weight loss, or if it is simply one more addition to the list of useless supplements that many people are tempted to try. Can St John’s Wort help you with weight loss?
What is St John’s Wort?
St. John’s wort, also known as hypericum perforatum, is an herb often used to treat mild to moderate depression. In the last few years, it has gained attention as a possible weight loss tool because of the actions it shares with antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Benefits of St. John’s Wort
There are many proposed benefits of St. John’s wort, including:
- Improves the quality and duration of sleep.
- Relieves hot flashes in postmenopausal women who are going through menopause (extending a woman’s life by two to three years)
- Helps with mild to moderate depression.
- Topical use as a treatment for various skin conditions such as hemorrhoids, rashes, and acne
- May help ease the pain caused by shingles, an illness that can affect people over the age of 50
- May prevent or reverse insomnia
Can St John’s Wort Help You for Weight Loss?
We are sorry to say, but this one is going down in flames. While we would love it if this miracle herb could help you drop pounds and drop into your skinniest jeans, unfortunately, it doesn’t stand up in rigorous scientific testing and analysis like other weight loss alternatives do. We don’t have enough data to support St John’s wort and weight loss.
If you happen to be experiencing symptoms of depression, you may want to consider St. John’s wort as an herbal remedy. But keep in mind that this herb is designed to treat existing depressive symptoms, not as a diet pill.
In fact, using St. John’s wort while dieting may even make your weight loss effort more difficult than it needs to be. Don’t expect St. John’s wort to make any miracles. You’ll be sorely disappointed.
What Are the Causes of Weight Loss and What Can You Do About It?
So, what can we do for weight loss? First of all, looking for a quick fix is never good! It has taken time to gain weight, don’t expect to lose it all instantly.
We have to understand the basics of exercising and dieting in order to lose weight and have a healthier perspective on fitness.
You need to know what causes that extra weight to build up in the first place:
- A Sedentary Lifestyle
This is one of the most common causes of being overweight. Sitting down all day and not getting any exercise will lead to weight gain quickly! Nowadays, people are busier and busier because of their fast-paced lives, so more time is spent sitting down at desks to work or watching TV after an exhausting day. The less you move your body, the fewer calories it will burn so you will eventually turn into a couch potato and pile on the pounds!
- Too Much Alcohol
Alcohol is often blamed for weight gain but it’s not all that bad. If you are an occasional drinker, then it will not affect your diet and still, you can still exercise to burn off the calories. But if you like to have a drink every night, then we would tell you that alcohol is one of the main culprits for weight gain. It breaks down into sugars which are stored as fat in our body and lead to belly fat. So, just don’t do it!
- Eating Too Much Sugar
Sugar is everywhere! As much as we love sugar, too much of it can also be a cause of weight gain. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating cake or drinking soda, too much sugar can lead to a lot of health issues including being overweight.
- Unhealthy Eating Habits
A lot of people think that they can eat junk food and still stay away from fat. This is not true because junk food is loaded with sugar and fats which is why you will continue to gain weight each time you eat it. So, make sure that they don’t have such bad habits.
How to Lose Weight?
Now that we know what causes weight gain, let’s take a look at how to lose it:
- Healthy Eating and Exercising
This is one of the most basic steps to losing weight… Exercise more and eat less! You need to increase your activities as much as possible especially aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, and cycling. Just do exercise for about 30 minutes or more each day and you will be good!
- Reduce Intake of Sugar
Sugar is everywhere nowadays so you can quickly reduce the amount of sugar that you are taking in by cutting down on desserts, candies, and soda drinks. If you want to read more on this, we have an article on sugar and weight loss:
Is Sugar and Weight Gain Correlated? Easy Steps to Get Healthy NOW!
- Reduce Intake of Fat
Oil and fried foods are the worst offenders of fat intake. You have to limit and cut it out of your diet. Foods like vegetable oils, cakes, fried food, nuggets, and bacon are the main culprits.
- Limit Alcohol Consumption
If you are an alcoholic then you should know that alcohol is not good for weight loss. It causes many health issues including weight gain and belly fat! So, make sure to have one or two drinks per day only if you’re okay with it!
- Eat Healthy Snacks
Instead of eating fatty junk food, try to eat healthy snacks such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Check these articles below for healthy snacking:
12 Best Healthy Sandwiches for Weight Loss
Best Healthy Snacks to Eat At Night
- Stay Active
The problem with being overweight is that you become inactive and don’t exercise enough. It’s not just a physical problem; it also becomes an emotional problem because all you want to do is stay in bed and sleep. So, make sure to take recovery time by exercising more than usual. If you can’t run, then take a walk or jog in the park. Try to stretch your body as much as possible. This will help you achieve the best shape possible!
- Learn How to Cook Healthy
Learning how to cook healthy food is very important for weight loss. And, the best way to learn is to experiment and try new recipes. If you want to know what healthy food you can cook, then read articles and books.
- Stay Positive
Finally, remember that losing weight is a long process that requires consistent effort and dedication. You should be familiar with the basics of weight loss before jumping on the bandwagon because if not, your efforts would be futile and would lead to discouragement instead of encouragement.
If you want to keep learning how to lose weight, here are some amazing articles for you:
Top Aerobic Exercise for Weight Loss – START TODAY
Best Way to Lose Weight: Carb Cycling and HIIT
Advanced Way to Lose Weight – Carb Cycling For Fat Loss
Summary
As with most herbal remedies, St John’s wort and weight loss are not proven through scientific research. It may help with mild conditions like depression, but it won’t miraculously make you lose weight.
Please follow the suggestions here to build the base of weight loss. Do not expect to lose all weight within a week because it will take months of healthy dieting and exercising. Make sure that you do your part too before relying on the herbal supplement.
Thank you for reading.
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