Ricerc@Sapienza

Herbal tonic and adaptogens are often used to improve overall well-being. However, few clinical evidence supports their use and their safety is not known before marketing. In this context, the aim of our study was to analyze the spontaneous reports of suspected adverse reactions (ARs) to performance enhancing herbal dietary supplements collected by the Italian Phytovigilance System. Between March 2002 and September 2020, 110 spontaneous reports were collected, 58 of which related to products containing botanicals, alone or in association.

The use of food supplements for weight loss purposes has rapidly gained popularity as the prevalence of obesity increases. Navigating through the vast, often low quality, literature available is challenging, as is providing informed advice to those asking for it. Herein, we provide a comprehensive literature revision focusing on most currently marketed dietary supplements claimed to favor weight loss, classifying them by their purported mechanism of action.