Garcinia Cambogia
What is Garcinia cambogia?
Garcinia cambogia is an extract obtained from the dried fruit of the Garcinia cambogia (GC) tree, a native plant species of South India and South Asia.1,2 The fruit looks like a small green pumpkin, and is used extensively in Asian-style cooking for its sour flavor.
What is the active ingredient and how does it work?
The skin, or rind of Garcinia cambogia fruit contains large amounts of hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA is a derivative of citric acid, and is marketed as a weight loss supplement, either alone or in combination with other supplements.1,2
How HCA works to promote weight loss is not precisely known, but several theories exist. Some experts believe it works by inhibiting an enzyme called citrate lyase, interfering with the conversion of unused carbohydrates into fat. Although HCA does have this effect on carbohydrates in a laboratory petri dish, it is unproven whether it does this once inside the body.1,2
Other experts suggest HCA affects other enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, such as pancreatic alpha amylase and intestinal alpha glucosidase. A few postulate that it increases the release or availability of serotonin in the brain, promoting appetite suppression.1,2 Nobody knows for sure just how HCA works… or if it really does work.
Is there any evidence to support Garcinia cambogia as a weight loss supplement?
Several trials have investigated use of Garcinia cambogia for weight loss in humans. Some of these trials are of better quality than others, and reviews that group trials together to look for an overall effect give us a better “bigger picture” than just looking at the results of a single trial.
An analysis in 2011 by Onakpoya et al1 found 12 trials that investigated the effect of Garcinia cambogia for weight loss that matched their strict quality criteria. Although they found evidence that Garcinia cambogia did promote weight loss in the short term, the effect was small and barely significant. The same conclusion was reached in another review by Fassina et al2 in 2015 of 17 trials, both in humans and animals. Interestingly, in one of the largest individual trials of 135 people, both the active group (the group taking GC) and the control group (the group taking a placebo – or an inactive supplement) lost a significant amount of weight over a 12-week treatment period.3 As many other previous trials have suggested, it is often the support and encouragement people receive to lose weight that makes more of a difference than any diet or supplement.
In summary, evidence so far does not suggest Garcinia cambogia is effective as a weight loss supplement; although larger scale trails conducted over a longer period of time may shed more light on the subject.
For now, increasing physical activity levels, avoiding alcohol, and eating a healthier diet with more vegetables, whole grains, and less red meat is more likely to make you shed weight long-term than Garcinia cambogia supplements.
Is there any harm in taking Garcinia cambogia supplements?
It is important to remember that ANY product labeled as “natural” or “herbal” is not unquestionably safe. Herbal remedies classified as dietary supplements in the United States are regulated as food products. This means they have not been subjected to the same requirements for safety or efficacy as medicine...
