ArticlePhytotherapy research : PTR2025
Herbal Medicines for Weight Loss and Lipid Profile Improvement: A Scoping Review of Therapeutic Effects and Safety.
Article in Phytotherapy research : PTR, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Herbal Medicines for Weight Loss and Lipid Profile Improvement: A Scoping Review of Therapeutic Effects and Safety.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The demand for alternative weight loss therapies has surged, with herbal medicinal products gaining popularity due to their natural origins, perceived safety, and accessibility. However, evidence regarding their therapeutic effects and safety for weight loss remains limited. Thefore, this study aimed to identify herbal medicines used for weight loss and their efficacy and safety. A scoping review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and LILACS databases (September 2023). Studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines for weight loss in individuals aged 18 years or older were included. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. A total of 74 studies involving 5508 participants were included. Most studies were double-blind randomized clinical trials (n = 50) and conducted in participants diagnosed with overweight and/or obesity (n = 70), predominantly in Asia (n = 40). The duration of interventions ranged from 10 to 613 days. The most frequently evaluated herbal medicines were Camellia sinensis (n = 16), Ephedra sp. (n = 13), Garcinia cambogia (n = 9), Citrus sp. (n = 5), and Glycyrrhiza sp. (n = 5). Five studies conducted post-intervention follow-ups. Only 10 studies did not report improvements in any parameter. Adverse events ranged from mild symptoms (e.g., headache) to severe reactions (e.g., increased blood pressure), with Ephedra sp. being linked to the most serious events. In conclusion, herbal medicinal products may offer benefits for weight loss. However, their use should be approached cautiously due to potential safety concerns.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.