What exactly is Garcinia cambogia?
Garcinia cambogia is a small tree with green or yellow fruit, native to Indonesia. It’s also known by several other names:
- Garcinia gummi-gutta ;
- Kudam puli ;
- Brindleberry;
- Malabar tamarind ...
The fruit’s peel is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine
In both India and Thailand, the peel of the Garcinia fruit is widely used as a flavoring agent.
It’s also taken in the form of a decoction.
What is the fruit’s active ingredient?
The Malabar tamarind, or more specifically, its peel, contains hydroxy citric acid (HCA).
This compound is an inhibitor of ATP citrate lyase which is involved in the production of fatty acids. It’s thought the regulatory effect of this ingredient is responsible for the plant’s highly specific benefits.
In fact, Garcinia is currently considered to be the only known significant source of HAC.
What have clinical trials revealed about Garcinia?
The majority of recent clinical trials confirm the efficacy of Garcinia as an aid to weight control(1-9).
One randomised, double-blind Japanese study concluded that an extract of the fruit helps to reduce the accumulation of abdominal fat, without causing any rebound effect (10).
A Spanish study reached similar conclusions, noting that Garcinia cambogia extract promotes weight control and helps to regulate sugar and lipid levels in the blood (11).
The benefits of Garcinia cambogia
In summary, the many studies conducted demonstrate that Garcinia cambogia helps to:
- control body weight;
- decrease the amount of fat stored in the body;
- reduce the sensation of hunger and urge for sugary treats;
- maintain normal blood sugar levels (12).
Thus it constitutes a highly beneficial compound for supporting weight control.
What’s the correct dosage?
Would you like to start supplementing with Garcinia?
If so, the dose generally recommended is between 1500 and 2200mg a day, to be taken 30 minutes before a meal. Supplementation can be continued for a period of 3 months.
Which Garcinia cambogia supplement should you choose?
An easy way to benefit from Garcinia’s properties is to take dietary supplements generally available in tablet form. Opt for a supplement with a high level of hydroxy citric acid.
The product Garcinia cambogia, for example, provides you with 2200mg of Garcinia rind a day and is standardized to 60% hydroxy citric acid for enhanced effects.
Caution: this plant is not recommended for those suffering from significant liver problems, or who are taking anticoagulants, statins, anti-histamines or iron supplements.