The Magnificent Seven | Men's Health - The World's Largest Men's Magazine

The Magnificent Seven

Drug makers literally beat the bushes for many of their products. According to one report, nearly 60 per cent of the 150 most prescribed drugs contain at least one plant compound as an active ingredient or are synthesised in a lab to mimic the effects of a botanical chemical.

You should be looking to nature for health tonics. But which herbs deliver on their promises and which ones go up in smoke upon closer inspection? To cut out the guesswork, we examined the research on every herbal cure out there to determine the best picks in seven key aspects of male wellness.

1. AN EXPANDING MIDSECTION

THE REMEDY: Coleus forskohlii root extract

WHY IT WORKS: Unlike the stimulant ephedra (which is now banned by the Health Sciences Authority), this supplement doesn’t hot-wire the central nervous system to ignite fat loss. Its active ingredient, forskolin, increases your supply of hormone-sensitive lipase, an enzyme that allows stored fat to be burned for fuel. A recent study in Obesity Research reported that a group of men who took 250mg of coleus forskohlii root extract (with 10 per cent forskolin) saw their body-fat percentage drop an average of four points over 12 weeks.

2. A FAMILY HISTORY OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

THE REMEDY: Grape seed extract

WHY IT WORKS: Polyphenolic compounds found in grape seed extract can reduce the cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer’s disease, according to a 2008 study in The Journal of Neuroscience. These compounds are antioxidants found naturally in wine, tea, chocolates and some fruits and vegetables. The data suggests that before any symptoms begin, grape seed extract may prevent or postpone plaque formation and slow the cognitive deterioration associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

3. ANGINA (CHEST PAIN)

THE REMEDY: Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn extract)

WHY IT WORKS: Germany’s herbal-remedy watchdog agency has approved hawthorn leaf and flower extracts as safe and effective in improving heart function in people whose cardiovascular disease is severe enough to cause them fatigue and angina when they exercise. “The research on hawthorn for heart disease is very good, even though there’s been huge resistance to it from the medical community,” says Dr Marc S. Micozzi, the author of Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

4. TOXIC INTRUDERS

THE REMEDY: Silybum marianum (milk thistle extract)

WHY IT WORKS: Whether you’re inhaling secondhand smoke, recovering from a night of boozing it up or popping ibuprofen, your liver is among the initial lines of defence against toxins. Silybin, milk thistle’s active ingredient, modifies existing liver cells to create a protective barrier against these toxins. It also helps form new liver cells. Milk thistle has been shown in various clinical trials to be safe and effective in protecting liver cells from the toxicity of drugs.

5. SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

THE REMEDY: Griffonia simplifica seed extract (5-HTP)

WHY IT WORKS: 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the chemical that tryptophan must first be converted into before it can boost serotonin, the sleepy-time hormone. Unlike tryptophan, however, 5-HTP has no trouble crossing the blood-brain barrier, so you’ll be sleeping like a log. For nearly half a century, 5-HTP has been used clinically to treat insomnia.

6. FATIGUE

THE REMEDY: Paullinia cupana (guarana seed extract)

WHY IT WORKS: Sure, caffeine accounts for much of the pop in this elixir from the Amazon – but another active ingredient, theophylline, makes it a high-octane energy booster. In a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, theophylline helped to significantly increase the time-to-exhaustion rates in healthy men pedalling hard on bicycles.

7. NAUSEA, UPSET STOMACH

THE REMEDY: Zingiber officinale root extract (ginger)

WHY IT WORKS: Ginger has a history of easing digestive discomfort, nausea and motion sickness. A study published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics found that 1g of ginger root, consumed by a healthy adult 30 minutes before slurping a glucose solution, significantly helped reduce stomach discomfort.

From Nov 2008 issue of Men's Health Singapore