On my search for additional help to loose weight and get healthier, I started to look at "slimming tablets" or as some call "diet tablets". A scary thought - I know, and it felt so extreme but on my way roaming around Wilko's high street store I thought I'd browse their selection of multi-vitamins, minerals and other tablets, and that's where I came across their own brand of "slimming aid" in tablet form but what drew me in was the THR label at the top of the packet which means Traditional Herbal Medicine.
So on the front and back of the box it says, "A traditional herbal medicinal product used as an aid to slimming as part of a calorie controlled diet, based on traditional use only". It says that you are supposed to take 1 tablet after meals, 3 times daily.
The Wilko's slimming aid active ingredient is Bladderwrack and extract of Bladderwrack. No where on the box or in the leaflet inside does it state what that actually is, nor what exactly this product does to "aid" in loosing weight. So of course, I took to doing my own research using mostly online sources.
Wikipedia told me this, "Fucus vesiculosus, known by the common name bladder wrack or bladderwrack, is a seaweed found on the coasts of the North Sea, the western Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, also known by the common names black tang, rockweed, bladder fucus, sea oak, black tany, cut weed, dyers focus, red fucus, and rock wrack". Interesting, Huh?
According to Wikipedia its medical use is of an anti-aging kind, "Recently the researchers found that an extract of Fucus vesiculosus, which is a type of seaweed, promotes the contraction of fibroblast-populated collagen gels through increased expression of integrin molecules. In this study, they investigated the effects of topical application of an aqueous extract of this alga on the thickness and the mechanical properties of human skin. A gel formulation that included 1% of the extract was applied topically to human cheek skin twice daily for five weeks. A significant decrease in skin thickness measured by B-mode ultrasound was elicited, as was a significant improvement in elasticity measured with a Cutometer as compared with controls. In cheek skin, the thickness normally increases and the elasticity usually decreases with age. These results suggest that the Fucus vesiculosus extract possesses anti-aging activities and may be useful for a variety of cosmetics". That's certainly not a bad thing in my opinion, but still no mention of how it can positively affect weight loss. My research must go on...
I purposely searched its uses for weight loss this time and a number of articles came up about how it does help combat excess fat. An article on LiveStrong.com by Sharon Therien speaks on its supposed uses, "Bladderwrack, a form of seaweed, is used medicinally for thyroid concerns, arthritis and joint pain, obesity, iodine deficiency, constipation and a number of other conditions. It is also used topically for the skin to treat insect bites, aging, burns and skin diseases. However, there is not enough evidence to support the use of bladderwrack for any medicinal use. MedlinePlus claims that seaweed hasn’t been effective in helping people lose weight or maintain a healthy weight".
Going back and finding another article to read I selected one by herbwisdom.com, "Bladderwrack is a form of kelp that has been used medicinally for centuries. The main use of the herb has been for the stimulation of the thyroid gland as a treatment for obesity and cellulite. The high iodine content of the herb stimulates thyroid function which boosts metabolism".
I haven't actually come across anything that says anything bad about the ingredient, I decided to take the plunge and try it.
This particular Traditional Herbal Medicine is a Wilko's box supply of 30 tablets for 90 pence. So far I have been taking this for roughly a month, and in that month I had lost 7lbs which is half a stone. Very impressive since I hadn't actually done anything to loose any weight, apart from drink more water and walk more often. I say I "had" lost weight, as I decided to stop taking the tablets to see if they did in fact affect anything - I have since put 5lbs of weight back on BUT that could be because I've been drinking more Coca Cola Cherry in the past few weeks than previous (I have had a massive craving for it and I caved - on more than one occasion).
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| What the Wilko Slimming Aid Tablet Looks Like |
Does Bladderwrack work? I don't know.
Will I keep using it? Yes.
Am I going to actively try to loose weight in a healthy manner? Yes!
Speak to you soon,
Have fun, Be Good.
Love Tessa. x
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