One of the most popular weight loss supplements at the moment is Garcinia Cambogia. Garcinia Cambogia is obtained from a fruit called Garcinia gummi-gutta, also known as Malabar Tamarind. In weight loss, one of the most important active ingredients is hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which is found in excess quantities in the peels of this fruit.
In this article, we will take a look at Garcinia Cambogia, and provide more insight into its use for weight loss, and how it can help you.
What is Garcinia Cambogia?
Garcinia gummi-gutta is a small fruit, greenish or yellow in color, and shaped like a pumpkin. It’s a sour fruit so it’s usually used in the kitchen for sour flavoring. Weight loss supplements that contain Garcinia Cambogia are derived from peels of this fruit, which as mentioned earlier, contain excess amounts of HCA.
Generally, weight loss supplements that contain Garcinia Cambogia have between 20% and 60% HCA. According to the latest studies, however, for the best weight loss benefits, you should go for supplements that contain at least 50% HCA.
How Garcinia Cambogia Works?
Many studies have shown that HCA helps in weight loss by burning fat and lowers your appetite. This is done by blocking the action of the citrate lyase enzyme. This is the enzyme responsible for generating fat in the body. HCA also increases the level of serotonin in the brain, which inhibits your hunger pangs.
While all this is possible, the true weight loss results from Garcinia Cambogia are not exactly commendable. According to a review in the Journal of Obesity, those who took Garcinia Cambogia in a study shed around 2 pounds more than those who didn’t What the researchers could not account for, however, was whether the loss was as a result of the supplement or not. In that study, there was a possibility that the weight loss might have happened as a result of exercise routines that the participants engaged in, or the low-calorie diets they were put on. As a result, more studies into HCA are required to prove that it can help not just in weight loss, but also in keeping the weight off.
High Cholesterol and Type 2 Diabetes
Garcinia Cambogia helps the body absorb glucose better. The body needs this to produce energy. A study that involved mice revealed that those who received Garcinia Cambogia had a lower level of blood insulin than those who didn’t. It’s for this reason that people who have diabetes have expressed interest in Garcinia Cambogia.
For people taking medicine that controls blood sugar levels, using Garcinia Cambogia might not be advisable because the level of glucose in your body could become very low. There are studies that suggest the use of Garcinia Cambogia in improving the level of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body, by reducing the level of bad cholesterol (LDL). However, in case you’re already taking prescription medication for cholesterol, you shouldn’t use Garcinia Cambogia.
How Does Garcinia Cambogia Help with Weight Loss?
Garcinia Cambogia helps you lose weight in two ways:
- May Reduce Appetite. According to recent studies in lab rats, those that took Garcinia Cambogia supplements ate less than those who didn’t. The same has been experienced by different studies on individuals which goes to suggest that Garcinia Cambogia can help suppress the appetite, giving the illusion of satiety.
It’s not yet clear how Garcinia Cambogia brings about this effect on the appetite but based on controlled laboratory studies, Garcinia Cambogia increases the presence of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin naturally suppresses the appetite. Therefore, increasing the amount of serotonin in the blood level is expected to have a similar effect on the appetite.
While this might be the case, these results are not conclusive yet. There are studies that have revealed no change in the appetite of people who took a placebo and those who take Garcinia Cambogia supplements. Therefore, there’s a possibility that the effect of Garcinia Cambogia in reducing appetite might be linked to other factors unique to individuals.
- Blocks Fat Production. Studies conducted in the recent past have proven that Garcinia Cambogia can help with fat loss, but only low amounts of fat. The effectiveness of Garcinia Cambogia, however, is not consistent or strongly convincing, according to these studies.
Case in point, a recent study suggests that HCA operates in the body by preventing the action of the adenosine triphosphate citrate lyase enzyme, responsible for the formation of fat cells. However, other studies indicate that this might only yield no more than two pounds in weight loss.
These findings have been explicitly mentioned and were published in a 2011 release of the Journal of Obesity. For individuals who want to lose weight, a comparison between those who took Garcinia Cambogia and those who didn’t reveal a very small difference. Besides, it’s not convincingly possible to attribute the 2 pounds of weight loss to Garcinia Cambogia.
12 different trial studies were carried out using Garcinia Cambogia, and statistically, there wasn’t much difference in those who used Garcinia Cambogia supplements compared to those who used a placebo. In fact, some of the studies revealed that those who used supplements with HCA experienced gastrointestinal adverse events more often than those who were on the placebo.
Over the years, there have been mixed results from studies into the use of Garcinia Cambogia for weight loss. One such study revealed a considerable loss in fat mass in the HCA study group than the placebo control group. Two other studies revealed a reduction in subcutaneous fat, visceral fat and total fat in the HCA study group than in the placebo control group. At the same time, two other studies revealed no considerable difference between the HCA group and the placebo group.
Based on these studies, therefore, researchers believe that there’s a very small chance of seeing results when using Garcinia Cambogia for weight loss. In fact, there’s no certain clinical relevance to its continued use. The recommendation is more studies should be carried out in the near future. In case you plan to lose weight and intend to use Garcinia Cambogia, you might not get the results you are after.
- Lowers Cholesterol. Garcinia Cambogia is thought to help the body reduce the level of triglycerides and increase the level of good cholesterol. While Garcinia Cambogia helps increase the level of HDL, it’s not advisable for people who are currently on any medication that might affect the level of cholesterol in the body. That being said, however, the effects are not so strong or reliable either.
According to relevant studies, Garcinia Cambogia doesn’t have a significant impact on the level of triglycerides in the body or glucose. However, there’s a noticeably small effect on reducing the level of cholesterol in the body. Considering the fact that there are several other ways of keeping your cholesterol levels in check naturally, you could be better off trying those, including exercise and watching your diet.
- Stabilizes Blood Sugar Levels. What about the effect of Garcinia Cambogia on the blood sugar levels? There’s some evidence pointing to the fact that Garcinia Cambogia can control the level of blood sugar. It improves the rate of glucose uptake, which essentially increases your energy levels.
Based on this, Garcinia Cambogia will eventually prevent the action of the pancreatic alpha-amylase enzymes, which eventually help with weight loss. This affects glucosidase and alters the synthesis of fatty acids, which eventually affect carbohydrate metabolism.
This process makes it easier for the body to respond to insulin, even though researchers warn that it might also increase the risk of low blood sugar in some cases. If you have a history of unstable blood sugar levels, you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, or if you are using medicine that affects the level of insulin in your body, you should avoid Garcinia Cambogia because it might make your blood sugar levels drop to dangerous levels. For this reason, it’s advisable that you consult with your doctor before you start using Garcinia Cambogia.
- Potential Side Effects. Generally, most people don’t experience adverse side effects when taking Garcinia Cambogia. However, there have been cases of patients being hospitalized with liver failure, and in dire need of liver transplant.
In an article published by the Mayo Clinic Transplantation Center, millions of Americans use herbal supplements regularly, either as pills or other forms. However, most of them are not aware of the full effect that these have on their bodies. A lot of the drugs touted for weight loss have potential risks that affect the liver, as a result of hepatotoxicity.
Garcinia Cambogia is a substance that can be easily abused, especially since it has not been properly regulated. There are manufacturers who recommend multiple doses a day for extended periods of time, which might not be good for your body in the long run.
Other than damage to the liver, the following are some of the side effects that you may experience when taking Garcinia Cambogia:
- Skin Rashes
- Fatigue
- Headaches or migraines
- Bad breath
- Dry mouth
- Weakness
- Low immune function
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
While looking at the side effects, it’s also important to address some of the potential drug interactions. Considering the effects above, you should steer clear of Garcinia Cambogia if you are in any of the following situations:
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Suffer from kidney or liver damage
- Are using diabetic medication
- Are asthmatic or take medicine for your allergies
- Are anemic
- Take medicine for pain relief
- You suffer depression or anxiety
- Use blood thinners
- Use drugs that lower your cholesterol level
How to Maximize the Benefits
Before deciding to use Garcinia Cambogia either for weight loss or for some of the other benefits, the following are some important facts you need to know about dosage recommendations, especially for any product that has HCA:
- Garcinia Cambogia studies have often been conducted against a variety of doses, most of which involve between 1 and 2.8 grams administered daily. Normal dosage should be between 250mg and 1000mg a day.
- The duration of the studies also varies, with some lasting only two weeks, and others going for up to three months.
- The ideal HCA dose is still a matter of opinion. This is because a high dose of HCA might not always translate to similar bioavailability upon consumption.
- There’s a convincing connection between weight loss and the HCA dose, which means that you might have better results with a higher dose.
- Garcinia Cambogia is one of the most commonly used supplements in studies that try to find the benefits of using HCA. Other than this, however, another popular source of HCA is Hibiscus Sabdariffa.
- Since most of the studies on average last 8 weeks, experts believe that this is a very short time to convincingly investigate the impact of HCA on your body.
In order to be safe, when you’re shopping for supplements, steer clear of supplements or formulas that contain Garcinia Cambogia, but don’t report on some of the other ingredients that are used in their formulation, or those that don’t report the exact level of HCA contained.
In order to keep the costs manageable, most manufacturers who make proprietary formulas only use a portion of the active ingredient. That’s why you need to be very careful with the labels. Choose products that state “Pure Garcinia Cambogia and Hydroxycitric Acid Extract” on their labels.
If you go for blends, you must also be careful about the label instructions. Don’t buy anything that has an ingredient listed without a mention of the quantity of that ingredient, because you wouldn’t know exactly what quantity you are ingesting.
Garcinia Cambogia Extract Diet Pills
For people who are looking for the fastest way to lose weight, you might have come across Garcinia Cambogia diet pills. You must avoid these at all costs. Garcinia Cambogia diet pills have often been adversely mentioned in the media, linked to severe side effects, and in some cases, fatalities.
In 2017, the FDA warned against using the supplement Fruta Planta Life which contains Garcinia Cambogia extracts. This is because one of the other ingredients in this supplement is Sibutramine (Meridia). This is an appetite suppressant that was banned in 2010.
Why was it banned?
Sibutramine was banned because it increased the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and could cause seizures and jaundice.
What is the Garcinia Cambogia extract, and what are the weight loss benefits?
This is a tropical fruit that’s popularly known as Tamarind in Indonesia. It’s a delicious fruit and has a number of health benefits. It’s rich in iron, phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamine, calcium, and niacin.
The peels of this fruit contain the hydroxycitric acid (HCA). According to researchers, HCA helps the body by suppressing your appetite. It also prevents the body from stashing food away in the form of fats.
A study in 2015 revealed that Garcinia Cambogia might help with weight loss through appetite suppression. However, this is not as definitive as most people might think. There are several Garcinia Cambogia extract diet pills in the market, including popular brands that have in the recent past failed lab and quantity tests to prove this. Other than that, according to Sue Decotiis, M.D, who is an expert at weight loss, we are yet to see large scale studies and trials that compare other supplements to Garcinia Cambogia or placebos. In fact, there might probably not be any objective information on Garcinia.
To make things worse, the FDA hasn’t reviewed or regulated the safety and effectiveness of Garcinia Cambogia extract diet pills given that they are not drugs, but supplements. The FDA only intervenes in situations where the use of such products has resulted in several cases of hospitalization. Because of this reason, the amount of Garcinia Cambogia extract that’s included in the pills released to the market is under the sole discretion of the manufacturers, together with any other ingredient that they might include in the product, such as Sibutramine.
In 2017, the FDA intercepted some mail shipments, and upon testing, found Sibutramine in the supplements. They warned against the use of these products, given that Sibutramine is known to increase the blood pressure and heart rate. In fact, when used with other medicines, the effects can be fatal.
In 2010, Abbott Laboratories was mandated by the FDA to remove Meridia (Sibutramine) from the market. This was after clinical tests revealed that this drug could induce strokes and heart attacks.
Other than this, there are lots of other reasons why you need to avoid using Garcinia Cambogia extract pills. In a 2015 study, the extracts were heavily connected to liver damage, brain fog, and diarrhea. The cause of these problems hasn’t been convincingly linked to Garcinia Cambogia in any study so far though.
When taken in high doses, a food and chemical toxicology study in 2005 revealed that Garcinia Cambogia can cause testicular toxicity and testicular atrophy in mice. This is enough information to make you rethink about using the product.
To make matters worse, there are shady individuals who would do anything to promote harmful products online. In 2013, the Women’s Health brand was illegally used in a scam where their name was used to promote harmful Garcinia Cambogia extract pills.
To be on the safe side, when choosing your diet supplements online, you need to be very careful about what you buy and you should do a lot of research. In fact, forget about all the fads out there, and instead, choose natural ways to lose fat, without using pills.
The History of Garcinia Cambogia
Garcinia Cambogia is one of the most popular fruits in Southeast Asia. Depending on the region, there are several names for it, including Gambooge, Assam fruit, Malabar Tamarind, Garcinia Gummi-Gutta, and Kudam Puli (Pot Tamarind). However, it’s commonly referred to as Garcinia Cambogia.
There are several types of the Garcinia fruit that grow in the sub-tropics. It’s mainly found in forested lands in Southeast Asia like in India, the coast of Kerala, Central and Western Africa etc. It has a thin skin, though the vertical lobes are very prominent. It grows in different sizes and can become as big as a large grapefruit or as tiny as a small orange.
Garcinia Cambogia is also available in different colors, ranging from a reddish pumpkin color to a yellow-green color.
Over the years, Garcinia Cambogia has been used in many ways. If you love Indian cuisine, you will find it being used in chutneys and curries. It’s also popular among healers for its herbal and medicinal values. There are claims that it helps treat parasites and worms.
Other than preservation and meal preparation, Garcinia Cambogia features in traditional medicine as a mild natural laxative. When taken in excess amounts, Garcinia Cambogia, like any other fruit, can help with constipation.
A random study was conducted in 1998 into the effects of HCA as an active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia in 135 people, in an attempt to reveal the anti-obesity properties. According to the researchers, HCA, when administered in high doses, can suppress the accumulation of fats in the epididymis. Later on in 2012, Garcinia Cambogia was endorsed by Dr. Oz.
Is Garcinia Cambogia Approved by the FDA?
Usually, people lack access to the right information when shopping for items online. As a result, they end up buying the wrong products. Before you place an order or ask for information about anything, it’s always recommended to do your own research first. Find out as much as you can about the product, and more importantly, the company behind it.
Read through as many websites as possible to find out about the certifications and any approvals necessary before you commit to a purchase. When searching for information on Garcinia Cambogia, you will never see or should never see an FDA approval.
The reason for this is because the FDA doesn’t approve healthcare laboratories, facilities or manufacturers. They don’t inspect the manufacturer premises to ensure that they adhere to strict manufacturing codes of conduct or ethics.
That being said, however, the establishments involved in the production, packaging, and labeling of products within the US must be registered by the FDA. What this means is that the FDA doesn’t approve Garcinia Cambogia, but it can be made in the US in a laboratory that’s registered by the FDA. You must also try to find out as much information about the company, to make sure they have certifications like the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) stamp.
Any company of credible reputation must have a link on their website that shows their position with the FDA.
Avoid These Foods When Taking Garcinia Cambogia
It’s no secret that Garcinia Cambogia is one of the most sought-after supplements in the weight loss industry. It prevents the formation of fat in the body and suppresses your appetite, which helps you avoid overeating.
HCA is the active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia that’s of utmost importance. It’s the ingredient that’s responsible for shedding off excess fat from the body and losing weight. HCA, as an appetite suppressant, tricks the body into feeling you are satisfied, even when you have eaten very little food. Therefore, you won’t have urges to overeat.
When using this supplement, you can lose close to 10 pounds in a matter of weeks. There are people who have noticed good results when using the extracts, and all this without having to follow a diet or exercise.
One of the best things about using this supplement is that there are no side effects that you need to worry about, given that the ingredients are 100% natural, safe and highly effective. The supplement doesn’t contain any filler substances, so you can look forward to easily losing weight. That being said, it’s also important that you know the types of foods that you will need to avoid when using Garcinia Cambogia.
In order to get the best results when using Garcinia Cambogia supplements for weight loss, you must also pay attention to your diet. Proper diet control is mandatory if you want to achieve your weight loss results better and faster.
However, before you do this, you must also research and know the kind of foods that you need to stay away from when using Garcinia Cambogia. This will help you enhance the efficiency of the supplement. Naturally, fiber-rich foods are good for the body since they help with digestion, prevent diseases and enhance your wellbeing. However, you should avoid them when using Garcinia Cambogia.
Why Should You Avoid Them?
The action of dietary fiber in the diet will prevent the absorption of HCA in the body. Since HCA is important in weight loss, the dietary fiber will essentially impede the weight loss process. If you cannot stop eating these foods, you still need to monitor the intake so that you can still have some good results in your attempts to lose weight.
By carefully monitoring your consumption of some of these foods, you should be able to enjoy proper absorption of HCA into the body. While doing this, you also need to monitor your calorie intake so you need to keep away from fatty foods or sugary foods. Foods like chocolate, sweets, spreads, dips, potato chips and sauces generally increase your weight by increasing the accumulation of fat in the body.
Apart from these, you also need to stay away from gummy and hard candy because they are starch-based items. As a result, they negatively affect the efficiency of Garcinia Cambogia, and this is why you need to avoid them completely.
Like any other weight loss supplement or regime out there, for you to enjoy the ultimate weight loss benefits when using Garcinia Cambogia, you must support your efforts with a properly balanced diet. This will speed up the weight loss process. You must drink a lot of water too, of course.
However, there are some other parameters that you must consider when choosing the food you will remove from your list and the ones you will be consuming. Think about things like your lifestyle, your level of activity, age and so forth, because this will help you determine the appropriate amount of weight you will shed off when taking Garcinia Cambogia.
By removing high-calorie foods and snacks from your diet, you should be able to maximize the effects of Garcinia Cambogia in weight loss. This will enable you to burn fat faster and reduce weight in the process so you can get in a perfect weight and shape for your body.
You need to restrict the number of calories you are eating so you have less fat accumulating in the body. Your diet should also be focused on burning carbs to increase your energy levels, and help you get the best results.
In order to get the best results when using Garcinia Cambogia, you need to keep some of these foods out of your diet:
- Reduce the Intake of High Fiber Foods. Vegetables and fruits are quality sources of natural fibers, which help in digestion and enhancing your wellbeing. However, according to recent studies, consuming too much fiber and low-calorie foods will prevent the action of HCA in the body. For this reason, you need to rethink your diet so that you don’t consume high fiber foods on a daily basis, like papaya, plantain, pineapple, bananas, apples, and oranges.
- Consume a Diet with Calorie Restrictions. It’s important that you keep an eye on your daily calorie intake when you’re taking Garcinia Cambogia. Some of the foods you should have in your diet include potatoes, confectioneries, rice, pasta, bread or any flour baking. High-calorie foods you should limit or avoid altogether include high-fat cakes, fried food, chips, and chocolate. If you can avoid dairy products, do it. If not, you should stick to low-fat milk.
- Consume Foods Rich in Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are important in weight loss, especially when the body doesn’t turn them into fat. HCA prevents the body’s ability to convert fats into carbs. Because of this reason, you should consider adding a lot of carbs to your diet. Some of the foods you should look into include barley, wheat, rice, oats, and millet, especially when you are supplementing with Garcinia Cambogia.
In case you have been thinking about your health in general, and plan to lose weight naturally without straining or having to worry about side effects, you should consider using Garcinia Cambogia. This is a natural, powerful herb that will not just help you with weight loss but will also help you live a clean, rejuvenated and productive life.
Conclusion
Most of the studies available currently have differing views on the effectiveness of Garcinia Cambogia regarding weight loss. There are studies that have shown that Garcinia Cambogia can help you achieve weight loss without using any supplement. However, this is still subject to confirmation. One area where Garcinia Cambogia does stand out is the positive impact it has on blood fats.
