Garcinia Cambogia

By Weight Loss Consultant • Related • Filed Under

Garcinia Cambogia is a fruit that is indigenous to India and Asia. It resembles a small pumpkin. The Indian culture has used this plant as a condiment and for flavoring its food for years. They have also used it for medicinal purposes to treat gastrointestinal complaints and arthritic disorders. Recently research found some promising results that an extract from this plant could be beneficial in weight loss. The extract from the plant is called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is now being obtained and used in weight loss supplements.

The claims by the makers of this product are that this compound suppresses the appetite and inhibits citrate lyase from performing its task of changing excess carbohydrates into fats. Doing this makes the body burn the carbohydrates rather than store them in the body as fatty tissues. This results in the body storing less fat in and around the tissues and organs of the body. Having decreased fat stores in the body force the body to burn existing fat stores and carbohydrates for energy which helps promote weight loss goals.

This substance is also said to inhibit the synthesis of lipids and other fatty acids. By having fewer fatty acids in the body mean less fat in the blood and tissues. This in turn can help to reduce the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood stream. Garcinia cambogia has a significant amount of Vitamin C and has been used by herbalists as a heart tonic. It works to suppress the appetite by promoting the synthesis of glycogen. This is the bodies stored form of glucose. When enough glycogen is made and stored in the body, signals are sent to the brain that state that enough food has been eaten to satisfy the nutritional needs at that time. Due to these properties, this compound is becoming recognized as a very effective fat burning agent as well as work as an herbal supplement for help in lowering cholesterol values and weight loss.

Several clinical research studies have been done on this plant and its extracts. The first studies looked very promising. They were performed on lab rats. These studies showed that the HCA extract that is gleaned from the Garcinia Cambogia was indeed successful in suppressing the appetite of the rats during the study. They also found that this extract was able to inhibit citrate lyase from breaking down carbohydrates that were ingested. These carbohydrates are normally turned into fatty molecules. By inhibiting this action, the extract was able to decrease the amount of fat that was deposited in the organs and tissues of the body. This in turn forced the rat’s body to burn existing carbohydrates and fat stores for energy. This made the rats lose weight. The study also showed that the extract was responsible for increasing the serotonin levels in the rats brain. This neurotransmitter helps to control appetite as well.

Subsequent studies of this extract were not as successful for this product. The results when studies were done with humans showed that the group who took the extract did not lose more weight than the other group did. However both groups did lose weight. Approximately 50% of this group did report that they noticed a decrease in appetite from 15-30%.

Some other interesting things that were found about this extract were that even though it may not be as promising as once thought for weight loss, it did show some real promise for reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels. There were some other findings that this extract may delay the glucose peaks that occur right after meals are eaten. However both of these areas need further research before definite results can be reported.

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