How does garcinia cambogia work

Together, you can make shared, well-informed decisions. For More Information. Toll-free in the U. Office of Dietary Supplements ODS , National Institutes of Health NIH ODS seeks to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, supporting research, sharing research results, and educating the public. Key References. Acute liver injury following Garcinia cambogia weight-loss supplementation: case series and literature review.

Internal and Emergency Medicine. Natural Medicines website. Accessed at naturalmedicines. Effectiveness of herbal medicines for weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Office of Dietary Supplements website. A comprehensive scientific overview of Garcinia cambogia. Share Email Facebook Twitter. Related Fact Sheets Weight Control. Garcinia cambogia, which is also referred to garcinia, Malabar tamarind, and brindle berry, is typically consumed as an extract in pill, tablet, or capsule form.

People may also drink it in tea. The supplement is made from garcinia cambogia, a fruit-bearing tree found in India and Southeast Asia. The fruit, which looks like a small pumpkin, has a rind containing hydroxycitric acid HCA. This compound is purported to help suppress appetite and reduce body fat, although scientific evidence is lacking. Hydroxycitric acid purportedly blocks an enzyme called adenosine triphosphate citrate lyase, which is important to making fat in the body, explains Steven Heymsfield, MD , professor in the laboratory of metabolism and body composition at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

The supplement is also thought to boost levels of serotonin , a chemical in the body that acts as a neurotransmitter. Raising serotonin levels can suppress appetite, theoretically helping to reduce weight, says Haggans. Because supplements are not subject to federal approval before going to market, the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA has not determined whether garcinia cambogia is safe for consumption and whether the claims manufacturers make about it are true.

The National Institutes of Health U. Overall, the research on garcinia cambogia is conflicting, says Dr. For example, a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Obesity evaluated 12 randomized clinical trials of the supplement. In another review article published in in the online journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, scientists found that garcinia cambogia had little to no effect on weight loss. Researchers have also found conflicting evidence over whether garcinia cambogia helps to reduce cholesterol in people who are overweight.

Other types of fats, including high-density lipoproteins HDL , or good cholesterol ; low-density lipoprotein LDL , or bad cholesterol; total cholesterol; and body weight did not change.

In other research published in the Nutrition Journal , scientists gave people who were overweight either garcinia cambogia extract, soy leaf extract, which is another proposed weight loss supplement, or a placebo for 10 weeks.

In addition to studying whether garcinia cambogia can help with weight loss and improve cholesterol levels , scientists have been trying to determine if the supplement can help improve blood sugar levels, according to a review of the literature published in April in the journal Fitoterapia. Much of the research on blood sugar has been in mice, which while interesting, is preliminary evidence that requires further investigation and validation in humans, says Haggans. Even data in humans can be conflicting, which is another reason more studies are needed, notes Rahnama.

Overall, long-term side effects are unknown because clinical trials have been fairly short. Remember, although the market is saturated with products promising rapid weight loss, reaching a healthy weight is not supposed to be quick, especially when you have a lot of excess body fat to lose.

Research has called into question the safety and efficacy of garcinia cambogia and HCA supplements. Garcinia cambogia and its main organic acid HCA are popular dietary supplements used to boost weight loss. Although the companies that market these products promise rapid weight loss, research shows that garcinia cambogia and HCA promote minimal fat loss at best.

If you have extra weight to lose, skip the garcinia cambogia supplement and instead get healthier by making sustainable dietary and lifestyle modifications that support your overall health and help you reach your goals safely. A supplement produced from an exotic fruit, garcinia cambogia, is the latest weight-loss craze.

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What it is Effectiveness Safety Recommendation Bottom line Garcinia cambogia products are amongst the most popular dietary supplements used to shed extra pounds.

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