Savvy dieters today often shirk pharmaceutical solutions to weight loss that promise to bust fat in record time - but with a high financial and health cost. Herein is the appeal of Garcinia Cambogia, an extract derived from the tropical fruit tamarind found in Southeast Asia, and whose active ingredient hydroxycitric acid (HCA) has been lauded for its ability to block fat, suppress the appetite, and consequentially, encourage weight loss. But does Garcinia Cambogia work? Before you jump on the latest dietary bandwagon, learn about what science reveals about the efficacy of Garcinia Cambogia for weight loss.
How Does Garcinia Cambogia Work?
Garcinia Cambogia has been dubbed a "dual-action fat buster" due its ability to both suppress the appetite and prevent new fat from being manufactured. But how does the extract earn this title? The active ingredient, HCA, inhibits the enzyme citrate lyase, which the body requires to generate fat from carbohydrates. In addition, HCA increases serotonin levels, as low serotonin levels make individuals more prone to over-eating. By allegedly blocking fat and suppressing the appetite, Garcinia Gambogia would in theory help individuals abandon emotional eating and adopt the type of sound dietary changes that lead to weight loss.
How Effective Is Garcinia Cambogia for Weight Loss?
Despite the purported benefits of Garcinia Cambogia for weight loss, an ounce of proof is worth a pound of theory. As studies have shown Garcinia Cambogia to be safe for use, the next most important concern for dieters is, "Does Garcinia Cambogia work?" A large, 12-week study of 135 overweight individuals, published in The Journal of The American Medical Association, found that both a placebo group and a treatment group taking Garcinia Cambogia lost weight, but the group taking Garcinia Cambogia extract lost less weight (3.2 kilograms, or 7 pounds) than the placebo group (4.1 kilograms, or 9 pounds). The study concluded that Garcinia Cambogia failed in its attempt to produce measurable weight and fat loss beyond the placebo treatment.
However, proponents remain heartened by the benefits of Garcinia Cambogia as revealed by other studies. In a study published in Physiology and Behavior that observed 89 mildly overweight females, the participants taking Garcinia Cambogia lost 1.3 kilograms or 2.8 pounds more than the placebo group over 12 weeks. An additional review of 12 Garcinia Cambogia clinical trials, published in the Journal of Obesity, found that Garcinia Cambogia increased weight loss by an average of 0.88 kilograms or 2 pounds over a span of several weeks - a magnitude so small that the review deemed its clinical relevance uncertain.
Optimistic dieters who are disheartened by the negligible effect of using Garcinia Cambogia for weight loss can still find solace in a diet plan that is scientifically-proven to aid in weight loss - bistroMD. BistroMD doesn't rely on extracts or pills that claim to block fat or suppress the appetite. Instead, bistroMD offers you a tried-and-true route to weight loss success through wholesome, gourmet meals that are nutritionally balanced for weight management.
