The effect of a herbal formulation on Body Mass Index and abdominal girth measurements in overweight and obese individuals

• Main Author: Durrheim, Robert
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Body mass index; Body composition; Herbs - Therapeutic use; Obesity - Alternative treatment
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8201

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) === In South Africa, approximately 61% of the population is believed to be overweight, obese or morbidly obese (Smith, 2010). Risk factors to developing obesity include a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet and poor eating habits, smoking, age, medications such as corticosteroids and other illnesses such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypothyroidism and Cushing’s syndrome (Polsdorfer, 2011). Obesity is fast becoming a major problem in all communities in South Africa, not only in regard to the health of individuals but as it continues to increase the costs of health care in the country (Goedecke et al., 2005). The aim of this study is to determine the effect of a herbal formulation consisting of Caffeine, Coffea canephora bean, Coleus forskholii, Camellia sinensis, Evodiamine, Ilex paraguariensis and Phaseolus vulgaris on Body Mass Index and abdominal girth measurements in overweight and obese individuals. Previous studies conducted on the herbal formulation have shown positive results with regard to weight loss, however, the need for a longer trial period was indicated in order to establish long term results as in this study (Baillie, 2011a). The study was a twelve week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The participants were males and females between the ages of 18 and 45 years with a BMI between 25 and 35kg/m2. Sixty participants were recruited from the University of Johannesburg, as well as from the public sector, in response to posters posted at the university, local gymnasiums and fitness clubs and given to other Homoeopathic practitioners. Of the sample of sixty participants, thirty participants were placed in the experimental group and thirty in the placebo group according to matched pairing of gender and BMI. The groups received either two capsules of the herbal formulation consisting of Caffeine, Coffea canephora bean, Coleus forskholii, Camellia sinensis, Evodiamine, Ilex paraguariensis and Phaseolus vulgaris or two capsules of a placebo composed of pharmaceutical starch, from Monday to Friday. At the initial consultation, a detailed case history and the vital signs (including blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate and temperature) of the participants were taken. Their height and weight was determined and from these measurements, their BMI was calculated. Their abdominal girth was measured three times during each consultation, each time using a standardized method and the average measurement was obtained. The participants then returned for follow-up evaluations in the second, sixth and twelfth week of the study. At each follow-up consultation, the participants’ vital signs and abdominal girth measurements were taken again and their BMI calculated by measuring their weight. The data collected during the study was analysed using statistical techniques including the Shapiro-Wilk test, Friedman Analysis of Variance test, Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test.