Thanks to Dr. Oz, Garcina cambogia, also known by its active ingredient hydroxycitric acid, is all the rage right now in the fat loss industry. Men and women seeking a smaller waist size are buying it by the handfuls in pharmacies all across the U.S. And now you want to know if it really does work….
The Theory Behind Garcina
On paper, Garcina cambogia looks like a fat-busting superhero. In rats, mice, and fat cells isolated in a petri dish, Garcina cambogia has been shown to attack fat at both ends of the spectrum by:
- Minimizing the formation of new fat via the inhibition of the key enzyme fatty acid synthase
- Increase burning of existing fat via increased activation of the key enzyme carnitine pamiltoyltransferase.
Exciting, isn’t it? Even more impressive, in a few studies Garcina, compared to placebo, didn’t result in significant weight loss between the groups but did result in a significant fat loss between the groups. Thus, muscle mass was not affected, preserving its calorie-burning ability.
Garcina in Humans
Unfortunately, studies in human are less impressive, much less impressive. A few studies have shown participants lost more weight when they used Garcina compared to placebo, but the difference in weight loss was just a few pounds at most. There has been far more studies showing no effect whatsoever compared to doing absolutely nothing.
What’s amazing is that the majority of people think Garcina cambogia is new because Dr. Oz recently discussed it as a “breakthrough in weight loss” on his TV show. Researchers have actually been studying the active ingredient in Garcina, hydroxycitric acid, for over 13 years. The first study I could find that specifically looked at hydroxycitric acid and its weight loss potential was in 2000. If it really was a fat loss miracle, trust me, it wouldn’t have taken 13 years to reach its current superhero status.
Is Garcina dangerous
We actually don’t know for sure. The majority of the clinical trials have only studied it for 12 weeks. Although no safety concerns were reported in those trials, Hydroxycut, which contains Garcina, has had a few case reports of liver toxicity. Although the liver problems cannot be pinpointed to Garcina since Hydroxycut contains multiple ingredients, Garcina also can’t be ruled out either. A study published in August of 2013 supported Garcina’s role in potentially harming the liver by demonstrating two possible mechanisms in mice: 1) increased inflammation in the liver. 2) Increased fibrosis in the liver.
Remember, dietary supplements do not have the same regulations as prescription medications. They don’t have to be proven safe or effective PRIOR to being sold. They also aren’t tested to see if the ingredients on the label are the same ingredients in the bottle. Quality is a huge issue in the supplement industry. Craze, a popular bodybuilding supplement, was just found to contain a meth-like substance when it was tested AFTER it had been on the market for months. Even worse, seldom do we see any long-term studies when a “new” supplement is released until it’s too late.
The Final Word
Although it does have a few supporting studies, it’s probably not worth the risk, especially considering the reward is just a few pounds at most. With the possibility of liver problems, and the number of potential drug interactions (if the liver problems are indeed accurate), it’s a little too risky for me to recommend.
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