Could Natural Products Help in the Control of Obesity? Current Insights and Future Perspectives

Obesity is a global issue faced by many individuals worldwide. However, no drug has a pronounced effect with few side effects. Green tea, a well-known natural product, shows preventive effects against obesity by decreasing lipogenesis and increasing fat oxidation and antioxidant capacity. In contrast, other natural products are known to contribute to obesity. Relevant articles published on the therapeutic effect of natural products on obesity were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The search was conducted by entering keywords such as “obesity”, “natural product”, and “clinical trial”. The natural products were classified as single compounds, foods, teas, fruits, herbal medicines—single extract, herbal medicines—decoction, and herbal medicines—external preparation. Then, the mechanisms of these medicines were organized into lipid metabolism, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, appetite loss, and thermogenesis. This review aimed to assess the efficacy and mechanisms of effective natural products in managing obesity. Several clinical studies reported that natural products showed antiobesity effects, including Coffea arabica (coffee), Camellia sinensis (green tea), Caulerpa racemosa (green algae), Allium sativum (garlic), combined Ephedra intermedia Schrenk, Thea sinensis L., and Atractylodes lancea DC extract (known as Gambisan), Ephedra sinica Stapf, Angelica Gigantis Radix, Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba, Coicis semen, Cinnamomi cortex, Paeoniae radix alba, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis (known as Euiiyin-tang formula). Further studies are expected to refine the pharmacological effects of natural products for clinical use.