Garcinia Cambogia is one of the most popular weight loss supplements in the market these days.
It gained popularity due to its clear results. The supplement is through extracting the essence of the fruit which is of the same name and is often also called Malabar Tamarind.
The fruit was traditionally used to add a tangy flavor to food but scientists soon discovered that it may have more than taste-altering attributes (1).
That’s when they figured out that the skin of the fruit has a huge amount of a naturally occurring biological active substance known as Hydroxyctric Acid (HCA).
This ingredient is what powers the Garcinia Cambogia extract. It has been shown time and time again that it can help in reducing excess weight from the body.
Garcinia Cambogia is the number one and most popular weight loss supplement in the world. The popularity speaks for itself when you see the statistics of 1 million people who search it on Google every month.
How Does Garcinia Cambogia Work?
Garcinia Cambogia comes backed up with tons of scientific research and studies conducted on both humans and animals.
It has been shown to work in two different ways by regulating the appetite:
- Blocks Fat Production – the ingredients in Garcinia Cambogia works in your body to stop the fat-producing enzyme known as Citrate Lyase. This makes it hard for the body to produce extra fat than it requires (2, 3).
- Controls appetite – Garcinia Cambogia also helps in reducing your apptetite which in turn reduces the cravings you get when you are following a diet. It increases the levels of serotonin, a hormone in the brain that triggers the hunger effect (4, 5).
Whatever the scientific mechanism is behind Garcinia Cambogia, countless studies have proven that it works no matter how. It can help you cut weight by double when you are working hard (6, 7, 8).
Other benefits of using the supplement include reduced cholesterol and triglycerides that decrease the inflammation inside your body (9, 10).
The bottom line is that Garcinia Cambogia reduces belly fat, blocks fat production, and helps you control your cravings.
Does Garcinia Cambogia Actually Cause Weight Loss in Humans?
The supplement has been tested on humans countless times to show the effects it can produce.
A review of 9 studies together was released recently to show the powerful effects of Garcinia Cambogia in weight loss in humans (11).
All these tests were conducted in controlled environments with proper dosage and an assisted diet plan.
Out of 9 studies, both placebo and real groups were placed together and Garcinia Cambogia showed positive results in most of the studies (12, 13,14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19).
The graph below shows the weight loss results from these 9 human studies.
The blue bars represent the garcinia Cambogia groups, and the orange bars represent the placebo groups.
As you can see, some studies didn’t find any difference, but a few studies showed much greater weight loss in the garcinia Cambogia groups.
The average weight loss caused by garcinia Cambogia is about 2 pounds (0.88 kg) greater than placebo (20).
Many of the studies were small, short in duration, and had a number of design flaws. People were also instructed to eat healthy and exercise in most of the studies. For this reason, you should take the results with a grain of salt.
Interestingly, the single largest study with 135 participants did not find any effect of garcinia Cambogia. Both groups lost a similar amount of weight (21).
If we calculate the results of all 9 studies together, on average a human being can lose about 2 pounds more than those who are not using the supplement.
But keep in mind that the studies conducted on people also encouraged them to follow a healthy diet with a bit of physical activity.
Bottom Line: Studies in humans show that garcinia Cambogia can increase weight loss by about 2 pounds over several weeks, on average.
Other Health Benefits
Garcinia Cambogia is mostly popular for its weight loss-assisting properties, but did you know it also has many other health benefits?
For example, A study has shown that it can reduce LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides and raise the good HDL cholesterol in the body (22).
In another study, it also helps reduce belly fat which is harmful to health and causes various diseases in humans. (23).
However, keep in mind that the evidence is mixed. Higher quality studies are needed.
Bottom Line: Although the evidence is mixed, some studies suggest that it can reduce belly fat and improve several risk factors for heart disease.
What to Buy and Dosage Instructions
Garcinia Cambogia is easily available in most health supplement stores both online and offline.
It is highly recommended that you find a brand of Garcinia Cambogia which has a consistency of 50% to 60% hydroxy citric acid.
Just keep in mind that the quality of supplements varies from brand to brand. Because these are not regulated by the FDA, most of them can be fraudulent products.
Fortunately for you, we are listing down one of the best brands of Garcinia Cambogia here. Just visit this here and get the brand listed here. It is tested and has the required HCA content to help you get started.
Although I prefer not to recommend specific brands, this is the one I would personally use if I wanted to try it out.
Here’s how to take garcinia Cambogia:
- Buy a brand that has 50% to 60% HCA
- Take 1 500 mg capsule at least 3 times a day
- Take a capsule at least 30-60 minutes before mealtime
Keep in mind that these dosage instructions are limited to the brand we listed above. Other brands may have different dosage instructions.
Always check the back of the bottle to see the dosage amounts necessary and never go beyond the instructed amount.
Bottom Line: The best brand according to independent lab testing is Nutrigold Pure Garcinia Cambogia Gold. It is best to take 500mg, 3 times per day, 30-60 minutes before meals.
Safety and Side-Effects
A thorough study conducted in 2012 on Garcinia Cambogia revealed that the supplement has absolutely no adverse side effects (24).
However, it may have minor side effects if you start taking more quantity than your body can handle (25).
These small side effects include:
- Dry mouth.
- Diarrhea.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
If you have any kind of health problems, consult your doctor before taking Garcinia Cambogia.
Also if you are above the age of 60, you should consult your physician. Similarly, pregnant women are also requested to avoid taking Garcinia Cambogia until they have crossed the breastfeeding phase.
Garcinia Cambogia is a very healthy supplement that is safe in nature and very low in toxicity.
Should You Try Garcinia Cambogia?
According to the studies posted above, Garcinia Cambogia can have moderate to high results depending on your diet control and physical fitness. It can help you lose more than 2 pounds over a period of several weeks on a controlled diet.
Remember that it is not quite suitable on its own. You need to be on a controlled diet and conduct some sort of physical activity in order to see good results.
Also if you want to keep fat away for life, you need to change your lifestyle. Short-term or fad diets will only bring back the fat you worked so hard to get rid of.
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