Citrus Aurantium for Weight Loss

Many people often look for quick and easy ways to lose weight and are hopeful that science will eventually find a safe, effective pill for weight loss. Many nutritional supplements may claim they are diet aids, but citrus aurantium, also known as synephrine, has caught attention as a natural diet aid claimed to have little to no risks.

Identification

• Citrus aurantium is simply a Seville orange---a small, tart orange that can be found in produce markets and gourmet shops. The extract of this orange contains the chemical synephrine, which is a stimulant. Synephrine works much like epinephrine, the chemical in our bodies that causes fight or flight reactions by speeding up heart and breathing to react to potential dangers. In theory, synephrine triggers a boost in metabolic rate, which in turn causes weight loss.

  Additionally, citrus aurantium extract contains octopamine, which is believed to be a natural appetite suppressant, although there is no clinical evidence that it has this effect on humans.

Ephedra-Free Alternative

• In December 2003 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered removal of the herbal supplement ephedra because it contained significant doses of ephedrine. Ephedrine is a stimulant that also approximates epinephrine and was linked in to high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat in some users. In several cases, ephedra induced massive heart attacks, killing some users.

  Ephedra is an extract of the Chinese herb ma huang, an herb that grows naturally in desert environments. Ephedra was also considered a natural supplement that enhanced metabolism and which some manufacturers and distributors of the product marketed, saying exercise was not needed to create weight loss.

  Since the withdrawal from the market of ephedra by the FDA, citrus aurantium and synephrine have been marketed as safe, ephedra-free diet supplement alternatives.

Warnings

• A study at Georgetown University Medical Centers found that citrus aurantium had no effect on weight loss. Researchers also warned that citrus aurantium exracts may well have the same cardiovascular risks as ephedra and warned that consumers should be cautious of any weight loss supplement, natural or otherwise.

  Synephrine has also been shown as harmful to people with cardiac problems. People taking blood thinning medication such as Coumadin or calcium blockers for blood pressure should avoid citrus aurantium and similar products. These supplements can interact with medication and create toxic results.

  Before taking any weight loss supplement it's best to consult a physician.