Mobilizing Stockpile of Nature: Phytochemicals, Herbal Extracts, and Dietary Supplements for Managing Metabolic Diseases with Concentric Focus on Obesity

Abstract

Obesity and associated health impairments are proven to exhibit multifocal health disorders along with increasing co-morbidity. Underlying obesity pathology is linked up with almost every major disease, which may increase the risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, etc. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is on the rise around the world, which enormously affects the life span of individuals. Due to the foggier nature of the underlying pathology, the efficacy is questionable for conventional treatments. The traditional therapy of obesity may involve synthetic moieties and surgical procedures, which have many harmful side effects and chances of recurrent severity. Scientists are continuously focusing on prophylactic remedies alongside maintaining a proper lifestyle. In that context, nature always helped with traditional medications. As per folklore medicine reports, many plants have been used to treat obesity and its associated complications. This review compiles a vast array of datasets, including the impact of obesity and the need for the introduction of phytochemicals in place of conventional pharmacotherapies, the impact of phytochemicals along with the reported mechanisms of action, recent clinical trial reports, and recently explored dietary supplements. The primary objective of this presentation is to chart the future trajectory of phytochemical research for metabolic disorders, establishing a foundational framework for future investigations to build upon.