RESEARCHERS at Southern Cross University’s (SCU) National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine are calling for generally healthy adults in the Coffs Harbour region to join a clinical trial for weight loss.

The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of the herbal supplement in aiding overweight Australians to lose weight.

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It is well documented that being overweight has been found to increase the risk of health conditions such as heart and cardiovascular disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, kidney issues and osteoarthritis.

Lead investigator Dr Janet Schloss says there is a collective global movement to find ways to assist people to lose weight with many companies developing products to try to assist, however there is still limited data on the efficacy of certain formulas.

“Losing weight can be a very difficult and frustrating experience for a lot of people and it is common for those trying to lose weight to try many different diets, exercise regimes and products, often with little success and sustainability.

“This trial offers an opportunity for people who are overweight to try a new product which may assist them in losing weight in conjunction with nutrition information and exercise consultation,” says Dr Schloss.

The trial will last for sixteen weeks, with participants visiting a local health practitioner once a month for four months.

For Coffs Harbour participants, practitioners are available at Marisa’s Naturopathic Wellness in Moonee Beach.

Participants will receive either an active product or a placebo treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value, but is similar in look, taste and smell to the active treatment being used.

For more information about how to participate, visit https://bit.ly/weightlossstudy23.

This study has been funded by Pharmacare, a health and wellness product manufacturer.

This research has been approved by the Southern Cross University Human Research Ethics Committee, SCU/HREC no. 2021/033.

Participants must be in generally good health, but considered overweight (BMI between 25 and 30), aged 18-60 years, open to men and women.

By Andrea FERRARI