Life Extension Magazine®

Researcher using pipet to separate and blend two plant extracts for weight management

Target Belly Fat

Two plant extracts reduced waist circumference by an average of 4.7 inches and hip size by an average of 4.1 inches in clinical trials.

Scientifically reviewed by: Dr. Gary Gonzalez, MD, in October 2024. Written by: Michael Downey.

Aging adults tend to gain about one or two pounds every year.¹

And losing weight is never easy.

Scientists have identified two plant extracts that target fat accumulation and fat metabolism.

Clinical studies have shown that a patented blend of these herbal extracts, when combined with a healthy diet and a 30-minute walk, five days per week, can:^2,3

Reduce waist circumference by an average of 4.7 inches, and
Decrease hip size by an average of 4.1 inches.

Doctors frequently recommend that overweight people reduce their weight by 5% a year to achieve wide-ranging health benefits.

In just 16 weeks, this patented plant extract blend reduced body weight by an average of 6.7% when combined with a healthy diet and a 30-minute walk, five days per week.³

For many people, a boost like this is needed to jump-start their resolve to lose weight and cut inches from their waist and hips.

Fat-Fighting Herbal Extracts

About three quarters of the American population are overweight or obese.⁴

The excess weight people carry around their waist is generally the most difficult to lose—and the most dangerous.⁵

Seeking a solution, scientists screened a variety of botanicals to assess their ability to promote fat loss and prevent fat accumulation.⁶

They identified two plants used in traditional Indian medicine:^3,6

Sphaeranthus indicus (S. indicus) flower, and
Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen) fruit rind.

S. indicus is a flowering plant which has long been used in Ayurveda medicine as a nerve tonic and to treat disorders ranging from diabetes and indigestion to fever and cough.⁷

Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that has been used in traditional medicines to treat inflammation, wounds, abdominal pain, urinary tract problems, and chronic ulcers.^8-10

In a series of clinical studies, researchers tested the impact of a patented blend of S. indicus flower extract plus mangosteen fruit rind extract on weight loss.

Help for Overweight People

Scientists conducted a placebo-controlled, randomized human trial in men and women who were overweight (with an average BMI of 28.3 kg/m²).³

Over the 16-week study, subjects consumed a balanced diet of approximately 2,000 calories a day. They were also instructed to walk for 30 minutes per day, five days a week.³

Half of the subjects received 400 mg of the S. indicus-mangosteen blend before breakfast and dinner. The others received placebos.

After 4, 12, and 16 weeks, the S. indicus-mangosteen supplemented group showed significantly greater weight loss compared to the placebo group.³

At 16 weeks, the average results for the group taking the herbal extracts were striking:³

Weight was reduced by 11.2 pounds (6.7%), compared to 2.4 pounds (1.4%) for those taking placebos,
BMI (Body Mass Index) was reduced by 1.9 kg/m² compared to 0.4 kg/m² in the placebo group,
Waist circumference was reduced by 3.9 inches, compared to 1.5 inches in the placebo group, and
Hip circumference was reduced by 4.1 inches, compared to 2 inches for those taking placebos.

Reduction in Obesity

Another team of scientists studied the effects of this same patented herbal blend on people who were obese, with a BMI of 30 or higher.²

Over eight weeks, participants consumed a prepared diet of roughly 2,000 calories a day and walked for 30 minutes per day, five days a week.

Half of the subjects received placebo capsules, while the others received 400 mg of the S. indicus-mangosteen blend twice daily, before breakfast and dinner.²

Improved diet and exercise helped both groups lose weight.

The S. indicus-mangosteen supplemented group had significantly greater weight loss and dropped approximately twice as many inches from their waistline and hips than the placebo group.

After just 8 weeks, these obese individuals taking the two herbal extracts on average had their:²

Weight reduced by 11.5 pounds, compared to 3.3 pounds for the placebo group,
BMI reduced by 2.2 kg/m², compared to just 0.6 kg/m² for those taking placebos,
Waist circumference reduced by 4.7 inches, compared to 2.4 inches in the placebo group, and
Hip size reduced by 2.5 inches, compared to 1.2 inches for subjects receiving placebos.

There were no safety issues in either of the studies, and no adverse effects were reported.^2,3

What you need to know

Help Losing Weight and Fat

Many people struggle to lose weight, and even those who do find it difficult to reduce the size of their waistline.
A patented blend of Sphaeranthus indicus flower and mangosteen fruit rind extracts produces meaningful weight loss and significantly reduced the size of waist and hips, when combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
In a controlled clinical trial of overweight individuals, this patented blend of S. indicus-mangosteen extracts decreased weight by an average of 11.2 pounds, reduced waist size almost four inches on average and decreased hip size and body mass index in just 16 weeks.
The patented blend of S. indicus-mangosteen extracts also reduced triglycerides, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels, which helps improve cardiovascular health.

How the Herbal Extracts Work

In vitro (laboratory) studies have been conducted showing the S. indicus-mangosteen extract blend inhibits creation of new fat cells while promoting the breakdown of existing fat cells^.3,6

These cell-based studies showed that the patented blend of S. indicus-mangosteen extracts may:

Reduce levels of ADRP (adipocyte differentiation-related protein), a factor that stimulates the accumulation of fat. Lowering ADRP levels inhibits fat storage.⁶
Reduce levels of fatty acid synthase, an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of fatty acid. Lowering this enzyme inhibits the creation of new fat.³
Inhibit expression of perilipin, a protein that coats fat droplets and keeps them from being broken down. Reducing perilipin allows fat to be broken down more easily.⁶
Decrease expression of PPAR-gamma, a metabolic “sensor” that triggers fat storage and production of new adipose cells. Lowering PPAR-gamma expression helps prevent fat from accumulating.⁶

Together, these actions help reduce fat accumulation and spur fat breakdown, potentially explaining the weight and waistline reductions seen in human trials.

Improved Cardiovascular Markers

The benefits of this patented blend of S. indicus-mangosteen extracts go further.

In the study of overweight individuals, researchers noted an improvement in lipid measurements, critical markers of cardiovascular health.³

Levels of dangerous triglycerides and VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) that were elevated at the start of the study dropped almost to the normal range. Overall cholesterol and LDL were also reduced.³

In just 16 weeks, and compared to placebo, subjects taking the dual-patented blend on average had their:³

Triglycerides decreased by 22%,
Cholesterol decreased by 12%,
LDL (“bad”) cholesterol decreased by 16%,
VLDL cholesterol decreased by 19%,
HDL (“good”) cholesterol increased by 6%, and
LDL/HDL ratio decreased by 18%.

Together with the reduction in body weight, these changes in blood lipids can provide additional protection against an array of cardiovascular disorders and other vascular disorders.³

Summary

Being overweight or obese poses serious health risks. Excess weight around the waist is especially dangerous.

Scientists have identified two plant extracts that, when combined in a specific ratio, decrease weight by an average 6.7% within 16 weeks, when combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

In controlled clinical trials, this patented blend of S. indicus flower and mangosteen fruit rind not only produced meaningful weight loss, but also substantially decreased the size of waist and hips.

In an additional benefit, artery-clogging blood lipid levels improved significantly, providing extra benefits for heart health.

Benefits of Reducing Weight by Just 5%

Setting unrealistically high goals can doom any weight-loss program.

Experts agree that losing just a few pounds can make a huge difference, and many point to the substantial benefits of a reasonable and achievable 5% reduction in weight.

Evidence shows that decreasing your weight by only 5% may:^11,12

Protect knee joints and reduce the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee,
Help prevent or delay type II diabetes,
Help diabetics control blood sugar and inhibit diabetes-related conditions,
Increase levels of protective HDL cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease,
Decrease levels of triglycerides, reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke,
Lower systolic blood pressure by about five points,
Improve sleep and reduce sleep apnea, and
Help reverse insulin resistance.

In controlled clinical studies, people who took a patented blend of S. indicus and mangosteen extracts lost an average of between 6.4% and 6.7% of their body weight, when combined with a balanced diet and exercise.^2,3,6

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK133218/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK133218.pdf. Accessed February 4, 2022.
Stern JS, Peerson J, Mishra AT, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of an herbal formulation for weight management. J Med Food. 2013 Jun;16(6):529-37.
Kudiganti V, Kodur RR, Kodur SR, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of Meratrim for weight management: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy overweight human subjects. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Aug 24;15(1):136.
Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity-adult-17-18/obesity-adult.htm. Accessed February 10, 2022.
Gruzdeva O, Borodkina D, Uchasova E, et al. Localization of fat depots and cardiovascular risk. Lipids Health Dis. 2018 Sep 15;17(1):218.
Stern JS, Peerson J, Mishra AT, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of a novel herbal formulation for weight management. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013 May;21(5):921-7.
Ahmad HI, Nadeem MF, Shoaib Khan HM, et al. Phytopharmacological Evaluation of Different Solvent Extract/Fractions From Sphaeranthus indicus L. Flowers: From Traditional Therapies to Bioactive Compounds. Front Pharmacol. 2021;12:708618.
Pedraza-Chaverri J, Cardenas-Rodriguez N, Orozco-Ibarra M, et al. Medicinal properties of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana). Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Oct;46(10):3227-39.
Espirito Santo B, Santana LF, Kato Junior WH, et al. Medicinal Potential of Garcinia Species and Their Compounds. Molecules. 2020 Oct 1;25(19).
Ovalle-Magallanes B, Eugenio-Perez D, Pedraza-Chaverri J. Medicinal properties of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.): A comprehensive update. Food Chem Toxicol. 2017 Nov;109(Pt 1):102-22.
Ryan DH, Yockey SR. Weight Loss and Improvement in Comorbidity: Differences at 5%, 10%, 15%, and Over. Curr Obes Rep. 2017 Jun;6(2):187-94.
Magkos F, Fraterrigo G, Yoshino J, et al. Effects of Moderate and Subsequent Progressive Weight Loss on Metabolic Function and Adipose Tissue Biology in Humans with Obesity. Cell Metab. 2016 Apr 12;23(4):591-601.