The present invention provides for compositions and related methods using extracts from the Cissus quadrangularis plant to improve and eliminate various cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic risk factors that cause Syndrome X. Controlled university studies demonstrated that 300 mg Cissus quadrangularis plant extract provided to obese humans daily for six weeks was effective to provide numerous health benefits including weight loss, improving the bodies fat burning mechanisms, increasing serum serotonin levels which causes appetite suppression and prevents binge eating and/or emotional eating, reducing total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride levels, fasting blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and increasing HDL or "good" cholesterol levels. Additional university controlled experiments also showed that extracts from the Cissus quadrangularis plant were effective in increasing lipase inhibition, .alpha.-amylase inhibition, .alpha.-glucosidase inhibition in rodents and that large doses of Cissus quadrangularis plant extracts were not toxic to rodents.