The importance of maintaining a healthy weight is best illustrated by the harmful effects of being overweight. Aside from potentially lowering your self-confidence, it can lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions. Obesity is linked to coronary heart disease, for example, a major killer both in the UK and worldwide.
Keeping on top of your weight is therefore essential to both your health and happiness.
Despite the palpable benefits, many people struggle to find a workable solution.
There is no single solution but evidence suggests taking natural supplements can aid your weight loss regime.
Supplements containing turmeric have yielded encouraging results.
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Turmeric, the spice derived from the flowering plant native to Southeast Asia, has long been touted for its health benefits.
The spice has been linked to everything from cancer to Alzheimer's disease, but evidence has also suggested it may play a role in weight loss.
The effects are attributed to curcumin, the active ingredient found in turmeric.
Test-tube studies suggest that curcumin may suppress particular inflammatory markers that play a role in obesity.
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These markers are typically elevated in people with excess weight or obesity.
One study in 44 people who were previously unable to lose weight found that supplementing twice a day with 800 mg of curcumin and 8 mg of piperine led to significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist and hip circumference.
The body mass index ( BMI is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy.
Furthermore, a review of 21 studies in over 1,600 people linked curcumin intake to reduced weight, BMI, and waist circumference.
It also noted increased levels of adiponectin, a hormone that helps regulate your metabolism.
Metabolism is the rate at which your body expends energy or burns calories, according to Harvard Health.
In addition, piperine is a compound in black pepper that may boost curcumin absorption by up to 2,000 percent, suggests research.
Animal studies also support these claims.
Animal studies indicate that this curcumin may promote weight loss, reduce fat tissue growth, curb weight regain, and enhance your sensitivity to the hormone insulin.
As Diabetes.co.uk explains, people with low insulin sensitivity, also referred to as insulin resistance, will require larger amounts of insulin either from their own pancreas or from injections in order to keep blood glucose stable.
"Having insulin resistance is a sign that your body is having difficulty metabolising glucose, and this can indicate wider health problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels may also be present," says the health body.
Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are precursors to heart disease.
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Best supplements for weight loss: The plant-based supplement proven to shrink fat - Express
