Bitter Orange, also known as sour orange, bigarade orange and the Seville orange comprises of synephrine and octopamine. These chemicals may cause high blood pressure, and heart disruptions. This herb can also suppress the metabolism of numerous drugs, which means it would increase the quantity of the drug in your body and the risk of unfavorable side effects. You have to stop and ask yourself if risking your health if worth it under these circumstances when you can lose weight by merely changing your diet and exercising.
Bitter orange as well as bitter orange peel Is not suggested for use in isolation – for example, in traditional Chinese medicine, it is prescribed in with other herbs by experienced herbalists. The flower of the bitter orange is used to aid poor appetite, chest and stomach pain, and vomiting. Homeopathic practitioners use the peel and flower for headaches and pain. Only the peel of bitter orange has proven medicinal value, and this is mainly for digestive problems.
It does seem that the several compounds in Bitter Orange will stir up metabolic rates, but no clinical trials have actually proven this. It may be that Bitter Orange is effective when combined with St. John’s Wort and Caffeine. However, this means taking three stimulants at the same time. Even in the best conditions, taking three known stimulants in one formulation is not a good idea. Most natural remedies for losing weight that use Bitter Orange made from concentrated extract of the peel contain anywhere from 1- 6% synephine. Unfortunately, this may vary up to amounts of about 30 per cent or more depending or which part of the plant was used and how it was processed.
It seems that Bitter Orange is the “other” ephedra, and as such has similar side effects. Natural remedies for losing weight that have Bitter Orange in them are marketed as Ephedra Free when in truth their chemical make up is almost a mirror image of the ephedrine in Ephedra. This is just one reason why you need to be carefully reading labels on any product you are considering for your weight loss journey.
Bottom line. Use extreme caution when taking any herbal remedies that contain so many stimulants, and always ask your Doctor or an experienced herbalist about these preparations before taking them.