Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Does Garcinia Cambogia Really Work?


Going on a diet sucks.

It tends to lead to cravings… and hunger.

This generally causes individuals to give up on their diet and gain the weight back.

For this reason, most conventional weight reduction methods have a terrible success rate. Very few people succeed in the long run.

This is where a favorite weight loss supplement called Garcinia Cambogia extract steps in.

According to many health experts, it can decrease appetite and help you lose weight, pretty much without effort.

Now… I’m a big enthusiast of supplements and self-experimentation.

I’ve personally experimented with a ton of different supplements all through my life, although only a handful have stuck with me.

Given the raving testimonials about Garcinia Cambogia, I got excited and decided to take a closer look at this health supplement and the science behind it.

What is Garcinia Cambogia?


Garcinia cambogia is a plant, also known as Garcinia gummi-gutta.

The fruit of the plant appears like a small, green pumpkin and is used in many traditional Asian dishes for its bitter flavor.

In the skin of the fruit, there is a large amount of a natural substance called Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA).

This is the active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia extract… that is, the material that produces the weight loss effects.

Bottom Line: Garcinia Cambogia is a plant frequently used in Asian recipes. The skin of the fruit contains a substance called Hydroxycitric Acidity (HCA), which is the active ingredient.

Related: Garcinia Cambogia for Weight Loss
Related: Buy Garcinia Cambogia
Related: is Garcinia Cambogia Safe .... ?


Does Garcinia Cambogia Actually Work?

I managed to find several research studies on Garcinia Cambogia, in both animals and humans.

According to some studies in rats, it can hinder a fat producing enzyme called Citrate Lyase, making it more difficult for the body to create fat out of carbohydrates .

Other rat studies show increased levels of the neurotransmitter this. This could theoretically lead to reduced appetite and cravings.

There are actually a whole bunch of research in rats showing that Garcinia Cambogia consistently leads to significant weight loss.

However , what works in rats doesn’t always work within humans.

Bottom Line: Studies in rats show that the active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia can inhibit a fat producing enzyme called Citrate Lyase and increase this levels, leading to significant weight loss.

A Look at Some Human Studies
Fortunately, I also discovered several human studies on Garcinia Cambogia.

All of these studies are so-called randomized controlled trials, which are the gold standard of scientific experiments in humans.

The greatest of the studies included 135 overweight individuals, which were split into two groups:

Treatment group: 1 gram of Garcinia Cambogia Extract, 3 times per day, used 30 minutes before meals.
Placebo group: The other group took dummy pills (placebo).
Both groups also went on a high-fiber, low calorie diet.

These were the results from the 12 week study, which was published in The Journal of The American Medical Organization (a highly respected scientific journal):


As you can see, both groups are losing weight.

But the group taking Garcinia Cambogia extract actually dropped less weight (3. 2 kg - 7 pounds) than the placebo team (4. 1 kg - 9 pounds).

The researchers also looked at excess fat percentage. The placebo group lost 2 . 16%, while the group taking Garcinia Cambogia lost only 1. 6%.

However , the difference was not statistically significant, meaning that the outcomes could have been due to chance.

More Studies
In another study with 89 overweight women, Garcinia Cambogia did lead to 1 . 3 kg (2. 8 pounds) excess fat loss compared to placebo, over a period of 12 weeks. They found no distinction in appetite between groups.

Overall, I looked at 4 more research. Two of them showed weight loss of a few pounds over a period of 8 weeks, but the other two showed no effect.

So… regrettably, the weight loss effects appear to be both weak and inconsistent.

A review published within the Journal of Obesity in 2011 that looked at 12 clinical trials found which Garcinia Cambogia can increase weight loss by about 0. 88 kg, or two pounds, on average, over a period of several weeks.

Their conclusion sums it up very nicely:

“…Garcinia extracts/HCA can cause short-term weight loss. The magnitude of the effect is actually small , and the clinical relevance is uncertain. ”

I agree. It may cause a moderate effect in some people, but overall the effects are small and unlikely to make a main difference

Bottom Line: There have been many studies conducted on Garcinia Cambogia in overweight people. Some of them show a small amount of weight loss, while other studies show no effect.

Garcinia Cambogia Appears to be Very Safe

It is important to keep in mind that these research usually only report averages.

It is possible that some individuals can in fact lose weight with this health supplement, although it doesn’t seem to work very well on average.

At least, Garcinia Cambogia appears to be secure. There are no serious side effects, only some reports of mild digestive problems.

It is best to get a brand with at least 50% Hydroxycitric acid. The most common dose is 500 mg, 3 times per day, half an hour before meals.

If you want to buy garcinia cambogia despite the poor results in the studies, then there is a great selection of brands along with thousands of customer reviews on Amazon.
If Garcinia Cambogia Doesn’t Work, After that What Does?
I’ve been experimenting with and researching supplements for years, but I have however to find a weight loss supplement that actually works.

There are a few that appear to be mildly effective. This includes Coffee, Green Tea and Glucomannan (a fiber that can reduce appetite). However , the results are often weak and inconsistent and certainly nothing to get excited about.

At the end of the day, the only thing which is really proven to help you lose weight is changing your diet. Exercise can help too, but you may be wondering what you eat is by far the most important.

For a proven way to lose weight without hunger, check out this short article.

Take Home Message
One day, science might discover a supplement or a drug that actually functions for weight loss… and I hope we do, believe me.

But it is apparent from the studies that Garcinia Cambogia isn’t it. Period.

View the original article here

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