Does Garcinia Cambogia help with weight loss?
Our evidence-based analysis features 6 unique references to scientific papers.
Last Updated:
What is Garcinia Cambogia?
As a plant...
Garcinia cambogia is a fruit that is also known as Malabar Tamarind, a small fruit that was typically ingested with a meal because some cultures enjoyed the culinary experience. Some old sources suggests that it could potentially help curb the appetite, but for the longest time it was uncertain whether this was because it had actual appetite suppressing properties or whether the taste experience just made people be more satisfied with less food.
It was only due to some exploratory studies looking at what was inside the fruit that it became a popular supplement.
As a supplement
Within garcinia cambogia is a molecule, (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA for all intents and purposes), that is related to the taste of the fruit. The fame of this fruit as a fat loss agent skyrocketed in the 70s when a study[1] in rats found that it reduced food intake by as much as 17% and weight gain by as much as 36%. It was assumed that this applied to humans and a safe supplement that quartered your food intake was then being talked about most commonly in the fat loss supplement Hydroxycut, which got it's brand name as a reference to both hydroxycitric acid and 'cut' (used to refer to the process of losing fat).
It was sold for quite some time, but come 1998 the first study on the topic failed to show any benefit of this fruit[2] with subsequent follow-up studies also showing an outright failure of the fruit to influence fat mass or appetite.[3][4] So what gives?
Why does it fail in humans?
The main mechanism for HCA is inhibiting the enzyme known as ATP Citrate Lysase which produces fatty acids in the body, and suppressing this pathway in rats is quite effective at reducing their fat mass.[5][6] Unfortunately, however, this process known as de novo lipogenesis is one that is very important to weight regulation in rats while humans are significantly less reliant on it; preventing a minor process from occurring in humans is only going to give minor results, and it seems that the effect is so minor that it fails to outperform placebo.
It is still commonly sold as a dietary supplement in part because it is cheap to produce and not everybody knows of its demonstrated failures in humans, and sometimes it is added to fat loss supplements in a 'it can't hurt' methodology. However, at this moment in time it seems that the effects of HCA are too mild to influence the human body.
💊 Get unbiased supplement information
Related Articles
- Can hypothyroidism lead to fat gain?
- How do I stay out of "starvation mode?"
- Measuring body fat percentage: It's an accuracy thing
- Does eating at night make it more likely to gain weight?
- Does diet soda inhibit fat loss?
- How to minimize fat gain when you binge
- Be the tortoise or the hare: it doesn’t matter for fat loss
- A compound from beer may help fat loss
- Can one binge make you fat?
- Will carbs make me fat?
- How do I get a six-pack?
- How does protein affect weight loss?
- What should you eat for weight loss?
- Will lifting weights convert my fat into muscle?
- How do I lose fat around my belly?
- Does high-protein intake help when dieting?
- Does eating fat make you fat?
- Is diet soda bad for you?
- How important is sleep?
- How to minimize fat gain during the holidays
- I have lost significant weight and now have loose skin. How can I tighten up my skin?
- Stepping up weight loss: Can walking help dieters shed fat?
- Does chewing gum offer any health benefits?
- Do MCTs or CLA help with appetite reduction?
- Does aspartame increase appetite?
- Does eating a higher carb diet make you more full?
- 3 Science-based steps to curbing your appetite
- The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite
- Propionate – your ally against overeating?
References
- ^ Sullivan AC, et al. Effect of (-)-hydroxycitrate upon the accumulation of lipid in the rat. II. Appetite. Lipids. (1974)
- ^ Heymsfield SB, et al. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. (1998)
- ^ Kim JE, et al. Does Glycine max leaves or Garcinia Cambogia promote weight-loss or lower plasma cholesterol in overweight individuals: a randomized control trial. Nutr J. (2011)
- ^ Mattes RD, Bormann L. Effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables. Physiol Behav. (2000)
- ^ Leonhardt M, Hrupka B, Langhans W. Effect of hydroxycitrate on food intake and body weight regain after a period of restrictive feeding in male rats. Physiol Behav. (2001)
- ^ Leonhardt M, Balkan B, Langhans W. Effect of hydroxycitrate on respiratory quotient, energy expenditure, and glucose tolerance in male rats after a period of restrictive feeding. Nutrition. (2004)
