Thanks to Dr. Oz, Garcina Cambogia, which also goes by hydroxycitric acid (HCA), has quickly become the most popular weight loss remedy this year. Promises of instant weight loss, without exercise or diet, have been plastered in magazine ads, TV ads, and weight loss articles on the internet. It’s a miracle they say!
You’re probably asking the same questions Amber asked. Is it really the next great weight loss remedy? Will it get me in swimsuit shape?
We can take Dr. Oz’s word for it, and shell out $35 for a month’s supply so we can test it ourselves OR we can take a look at actual clinical studies using HCA in HUMANS. Being the skeptical I am, I chose the latter.
1. Those of us that have been blessed with a fast metabolism have the luxury of eating almost anything we want and yet not gain weight. Dr. Oz suggests Garcina can give almost anyone a fast metabolism. What does science say?
Hydroxycitric acid does not affect energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in adult males in a post-absorptive state. – International Journal of Obesity
Who: 10 Healthy males took HCA for 3 days, and then took a placebo for 3 days.
The result of the study: Zero difference between HCA and placebo (aka a sugar pill) with regards to energy expenditure during rest and exercise.
Surprisingly Dr. Oz was wrong.
2. So Garcina may not increase our metabolism, but it might increase weight loss by another mechanism that we just don’t quite understand yet. What does science say?
Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. – JAMA
Who: 135 overweight females and males were assigned either to HCA 1500mg daily or placebo for 12 weeks. Both groups were also put on a high fiber, low calorie diet.
The Result: NO significant difference between weight loss or fat loss between the two groups.
Surprisingly, Dr. Oz was wrong again.
3. So science has shown it doesn’t make our metabolism faster as well as it doesn’t increase weight loss or fat loss via a mechanism we just don’t understand yet. However, according to the manufacturers, it does reduce your hunger/cravings. What does the science say?
Effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables. – Physiol Behav
Who: 89 mildly overweight females were split into 2 groups. One got a placebo while the other consumed 2.4 grams of Garcina Cambogia per day for 12 weeks.
The Result: HCA did not improve any of the studied appetite variables nor did it exhibit better dietary compliance.
0 for 3.
So where are these clinical studies Dr. Oz mentioned? Ah…. Those were done on rodents. In fact, there hasn’t been a single study done on humans showing Garcina Cambogia works for weight loss.
Just because someone has a Dr. in front his name and has his own TV show doesn’t mean he doesn’t fall prey to the almighty dollar.
