Fight Belly Fat With This Garden Cure

By Natalie Moore Posted March 7, 2017

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

In a world full of fattening creations like deep-fried Oreos and taco shells made out of fried chicken, it’s hard not to pack on the pounds.

And even if you exercise regularly and skip these dietary disasters, you may still carry a little more weight around the middle than you would like to.

But extra weight, particularly belly fat, isn’t just a cosmetic problem. It can lead to devastating diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even liver disease.

Fortunately, researchers in Taiwan have discovered a simple flower that may be the key to dropping those extra pounds and shielding your body from the effects of obesity.

And, depending on where you live, it may be growing in your garden right now.

This fat-busting flower is hibiscus.

If you garden, you probably know all about this beautiful, brightly colored flower. But for years, hibiscus has been turning heads in the medical community, too.

In the past, it’s been found to lower blood pressure as effectively as some blood pressure medications. But more recently, it’s been the focus of obesity research.

In a recent study published in Food & Function, researchers split a group of obese folks into two groups. Half got 450 mg of hibiscus extract three times a day, and the other half got a placebo.

After just 12 weeks, hibiscus attacked obesity and fat in just about every way that matters.

The hibiscus group saw decreases in body weight, BMI, body fat and waist-to-hip ratios and waist measurements, an indicator the hibiscus reduced belly fat.

Smaller waist in just 12 weeks? And all you have to do is take a safe, affordable supplement? Sign me up!

Even better, hibiscus extract also lowered blood markers associated with life-threatening nonalcoholic liver disease, which is caused by poor diet and obesity.

Furthermore, hibiscus is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties that have been previously shown to have anti-diabetic and anti-cancer properties.Researchers believe hibiscus is so powerful because it helps your regulate your metabolism.

This means taking hibiscus extract could help you fight obesity and many of the diseases that come along with it!

You can add hibiscus to your diet by drinking hibiscus tea, which is tart, tangy and delightful in the summertime when iced.

If tea isn’t for you, you can always take hibiscus as a supplement. You can get hibiscus tea or supplements at natural health stores and through online retailers like vitacost.com.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.

Sources

^[1] Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits obesity and fat accumulation, and improves liver steatosis in humans.

^[2] Hibiscus may enhance weight control

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

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