It seems that Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium aka sour orange, bigarade orange, and Seville orange) is the “other” ephedra, and has similar side effects. Natural remedies for losing weight that have Bitter Orange in them are marketed as Ephedra Free. While in reality their chemical make up is almost a mirror image of the ephedrine in Ephedra. This is just one reason why you need to be carefully reading labels and ingredients on any product you are considering for your weight loss journey.
Bitter Orange Benefits
Bitter Orange contains synephrine and octopamine, chemicals that may cause high blood pressure, and heart disturbances. This herbal can also inhibit the metabolism of many drugs. It means that it would increase the amount of the drug in your body and the risk of adverse side effects. Ask yourself if risking your health under these circumstances worth it or not when you can lose weight by merely changing your diet and exercising.
The flower of the bitter orange is a great choice for poor appetite, chest and stomach pain, and vomiting. Homeopathic practitioners use the peel and flower for headaches and pain. Only the peel has proven medicinal value, mainly for digestive problems.
What does Bitter Orange to your body?
It does appear that the several compounds in Bitter Orange will stimulate metabolic rates, but no clinical trials have proven this. It may be that Bitter Orange affects when combined with St. John’s Wort and Caffeine. However, this means three stimulants all at once. Even in the best of circumstances, taking three known stimulants in one preparation is not a good idea.
Lose weight using just the peel !
Most natural remedies for losing weight that uses Bitter Orange made from the concentrated extract of the peel. It contains anywhere from 1 to 6 percent synephrine. Unfortunately, this could vary up to amounts of about 30 percent or more depending on what part of the plant was used and how it was processed.
Bottom line? Use extreme caution when taking any herbal remedies that contain so many stimulants. Always ask your Doctor or an experienced herbalist about these preparations before taking them.
