Obesity and its associated comorbidities have become a major global public health concern, imposing a substantial burden on healthcare systems and socioeconomic structures. Although lifestyle modifications, including healthy dietary patterns, regular physical activity, and behavioral approaches, constitute the cornerstone of weight management, poor long-term adherence often leads individuals to seek alternative strategies. In this context, herbal supplements are widely used for their purported anti-obesity properties.This narrative review examines the mechanisms of action, efficacy, and safety profiles of several commonly used herbal supplements. Ginger has been associated with thermogenesis and appetite regulation; however, current findings remain inconsistent. Dandelion exhibits antioxidant and antiadipogenic properties, yet human studies confirming these effects are limited. Garcinia cambogia may provide modest short-term weight loss, while concerns regarding hepatotoxicity persist. Guar gum and partially hydrolyzed guar gum may enhance satiety and improve lipid profiles; however, their roles in longterm weight control remain unclear. Guarana and yerba mate may offer metabolic and cardiovascular benefits due to their caffeine and polyphenol content, but further clinical evidence is required to substantiate these effects. Opuntia ficus-indica fiber extracts may promote modest weight reduction by increasing fecal fat excretion, although gastrointestinal adverse effects have been reported. Green tea, particularly its catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), exerts multiple mechanisms affecting adipogenesis and energy metabolism, with hepatotoxicity mainly associated with concentrated extracts. Overall, while these supplements demonstrate various biological activities, evidence supporting their long-term effectiveness in weight management is limited. Sustainable lifestyle modifications remain the most reliable and effective strategy for obesity prevention and treatment.
DEMET et al. (Thu,) studied this question.