Garcinia Cambogia: Does It Help You Lose Weight?
Garcinia cambogia is a small, pumpkin-shaped fruit that is native to Indonesia. It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and has recently gained popularity as a weight loss supplement.
Garcinia cambogia contains a compound called hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which is believed to be responsible for its weight loss effects. HCA is thought to work by inhibiting the enzyme that converts excess sugars into fat, which may help to reduce the amount of fat that is stored in the body.
Some studies have suggested that Garcinia Cambogia may be effective at helping people lose weight, particularly when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. For example, a 12-week study published in the Journal of Obesity found that people who took a garcinia Cambogia supplement while following a calorie-restricted diet lost significantly more weight than those who followed the diet alone.
However, not all research on garcinia Cambogia has been positive. Some studies have found that it has little or no effect on weight loss, while others have found that it may cause gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
Garcinia Cambogia is being talked about a lot as a popular supplement to help with weight loss, but does Garcinia Cambogia work, do you need to use an exercise program in conjunction with this weight loss supplement to shed that belly fat?
What is Garcinia Cambogia?
From the picture, Garcinia Cambogia looks a bit like a small pumpkin-shaped fruit, it’s yellowish or greenish, and found mostly in rain forests in Southeast Asia, coastal areas in India, and Central or West Africa, another name for Garcinia Cambogia is Malabar tamarind, it has a sour taste and isn’t eaten as a fruit but is used a lot in curries.
For a long time now it has been touted as an appetite suppressant and a fat burner, it is somewhat unique because the peels from Garcinia Cambogia contain an acid called HCA or hydroxy citric acid, according to a study published in the National Institute of health HCA plays a pivotal role in weight loss.
Garcinia Cambogia Supplements
Almost all Garcinia Cambogia supplements are manufactured from an extract of this fruit, they usually contain between 20-60% of the HCA acid, however, studies on these supplements reveal that only the ones that contain 50-60% of HCA provide the best weight loss results and other health benefits.
Garcinia Cambogia studies
Results of Garcinia Cambogia studies are somewhat mixed about their effectiveness for weight loss, a recent review of nine studies on the supplement for weight loss confirms the outcome of the studies, some revealed significant weight loss while others showed very few differences between the supplement and the placebo.
Like a lot of supplement studies they were conducted on a small number of people and over a short period, this may explain why the weight loss was small in some but more significant in others, one thing is for sure we need more long-term studies on larger amounts of people to conclusively prove that Garcinia Cambogia is clinically effective in helping people to lose weight.
Does this mean that a Cambogia Garcinia supplement containing at least 50% HCA in conjunction with regular exercise and a healthy diet would help you to lose weight? This Cambogia Garcinia review post will explain how the supplement works.
How does Garcinia Cambogia supplement work?
A Garcinia Cambogia supplement works in three ways to help get rid of belly fat and excess weight in conjunction with a reduction in fatty foods and regular exercise, so how does it work?
1. Suppresses the appetite
Human studies on this fruit supplement show that the HCA amount has to be above 50% to be capable of suppressing your appetite and making you feel full, it’s not exactly clear how this happens but a study on rats showed that Garcinia Cambogia can increase serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is proven to suppress the appetite so an increase in serotonin levels will reduce one’s appetite, it must be pointed out that its effect on appetite will vary from person to person.
2. Blocks the production of fat
Our bodies need a certain amount of fat, in theory, we should burn it up through daily activities but as time goes by it gets harder to get rid of excess fat so this is where Garcinia Cambogia comes in, it contributes to reducing the body’s ability to produce fat by affecting the production of fatty acids and fat levels in the bloodstream, one study showed that Garcinia Cambogia also reduced oxidative stress making for a healthy body.
Garcinia Cambogia studies
A 16-week study was done on the effects of HCA on visceral fat in the study group aged 20-65 years, measurements were taken on BMI (body mass index) hip and waist, height, body weight, waist ratio, cholesterol, and free fatty acids. The study participants were randomly assigned Garcia Cambodia (1,000 mg HCA) treatment for twelve weeks. The results showed that eighteen of the participants that received Garcinia Cambogia measured substantial reductions in visceral fat, subcutaneous and total fat when compared with the placebo group.
A further study suggested that Garcinia Cambogia could also be effective in fat deposit reduction in the tummy area, a real benefit for those trying to lose belly fat, furthermore a study on the health benefits of Garcinia Cambogia showed that during the study involving two thousand eight hundred people showed some interesting measurements:
- Reduction in total cholesterol by y%
- Reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol by 12%
- Improvements in good cholesterol by 10%
- Reduction in triglycerides by 8%
- Reduction in fat cells by urine excretion ( 258%)
3. Improves endurance
Garcia Cambogia may also improve endurance, many companies sell it for athletic performance by taking the supplement increases endurance levels so that you have more energy and stamina, studies on animals have revealed that Garcinia Cambogia can help people with diabetes by:
- Decreasing insulin levels
- Reducing inflammation
- Decreasing levels of leptin
- Healthier blood sugars
- Increases in sensitivity to insulin
Are there side effects?
I have tried to give you as much information as possible in this Garcinia Cambogia reviews post, as a supplement it has been on the market for a very long time and continues to be a very popular supplement for weight loss, people have asked if there are side effects, the answer is some do get side effects even though the supplement has a long track record of being safe to take, here are the reported side effects;
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Skin rash
- Diarrhea
- Dry mouth
- Upset stomach
I would like to mention that the FDA back in 2009 gave a warning to people about taking weight loss supplements that contain Garcinia Cambogia because a small number had liver issues, however, this type of supplement has more than one ingredient apart from Garcinia Cambogia so it wasn’t clear whether it was to blame or one of the other ingredients, furthermore all the research to date suggests that Garcinia Cambogia is safe to take in the recommended dosage.
How much can you take?
The best Garcinia Cambogia weight loss supplements have it as the primary ingredient, the dosage will vary from each manufacturer but a rule of thumb is 500-800 mg per day x 3, don’t forget to take it on an empty stomach for about one hour before you eat.
Does it interact with medications?
In general Garcinia Cambogia is safe to take, however you need to be careful and ask your doctor for advice if you are taking medications for any of the following:
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Anemia
- Pain relief
- Cholesterol drugs
- Blood thinners ( aspirin, warfarin)
- Diabetes
- If you are pregnant
- Following childbirth
When can you expect results?
What I would say is that no pill on its own can help you to lose weight, it will take more than simply popping a pill into your mouth to lose weight, the best advice is to take a long hard look at what you are eating and what level of exercise you are getting daily, I’m sure some improvements can be made that will help your body to lose that weight.
It could take several weeks before you see a reduction on the weighing scales, the main thing is to stay positive stick to your new healthy diet and daily exercise results will come, GARCINIA CAMBOGIA does work providing you are mentally ready to get rid of that belly fat.
Remember, researchers have found that a person’s diet is linked to weight loss, a weight loss supplement will only be as effective as you want it to be by following a low-fat diet, regular exercise, and taking the stated dosage of the recommended Garcia Cambogia with at least 50% HCA supplement.
Can everyone take HCA?
The Garcinia Cambogia plant and its fruit have been used for generations in people’s food, it is by and large safe however certain people could have an ad adverse reaction for example breastfeeding women, diabetics, people on statin drugs, the best advice for people in the categories is to first consult your doctor if you are thinking of taking a Garcinia Cambogia supplement for weight loss.
Conclusion
Overall, it is difficult to say definitively whether or not garcinia Cambogia is effective for weight loss. While some studies have shown promise, more research is needed to fully understand its effects and potential risks. As with any supplement, it is important to speak with a healthcare provider before taking garcinia Cambogia, particularly if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking any medications.
REFERENCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21197150
https://shrsl.com/3q4tc
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12349913
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24944404/
