The Truth about Garcinia Cambogia

By now, chances are that you have already heard about Garcinia Cambogia, the little pumpkin shaped fruit from Asia, and how it can work miracles when it comes to losing weight.

It seems as if everyone is talking about this latest diet wonder pill; it's been featured on the infamous Dr. Oz program, sold on Amazon, and talked about on every talk show, in every language, around the world, as well as receiving more than 1 million hits each month on Google.

Garcinia Cambogia, the little pumpkin shaped fruit from Asia is supposed to suppress appetite and helped lose weight

However, there is one thing missing from these sales pitches and smooth talk; the truth. Does it really work? If so, how does it work? Is it safe? What scientific studies have been done on the extract from this plant?

Many people say that this supplement, more than any other that they tried, helped to suppress their appetite and helped them to lose weight. Can all these people be wrong?

When you look for facts, however, they can be hard to come by. This review is going to tell you the facts about Garcinia Cambogia, so you can make an intelligent, informed decision.

What is Garcinia Cambogia?

This is the scientific name for a plant that is indigenous to Southeast Asia and belong to the Clusiaceae family. You probably know this pumpkin shaped fruit by the name of Malabar tamarind or pot tamarind. In the past, it has been used as a flavoring for food dishes and curries.

Haven’t There Been Scienfitic Studies Proving Its Effectiveness?

Actually, no. You would think that after selling millions of tablets that there would be some scientific evidence backing up these claims, but there isn't.

The hype about Garcinia Cambogia goes back to 1998, when a study found that the skin of this fruit contained an active ingredient, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which inhibited an enzyme, citrate lyase, in the body that produces fatty acids.

Dr. Steven Heymsfield, the former head of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, states that while hydroxycitric acid does inhibit the enzyme, it was only tested in a petri dish. He says that slick marketing practices are creating a story by using obscure facts and not science.

There are others, however, who have stated that this supplement was very effective in helping to suppress their appetite and helped them to lose weight.

The Truth about Those "Weight Loss Studies"

While you might hear that "scientific studies have proven that this product works", the truth is, there are no long term studies regarding Garcinia Cambogia. Most of the studies have only been done with animals, which doesn't mean it works for human beings.

In a study done with rats over a 2 week period, it was found that the animals who consumed a Garcinia Cambogia extract had lost body weight, fat,and had reduced cholesterol levels when compared to rats who did not receive the extract.

However, if you look at the few truly scientific, double blind, placebo studies done on this product, you quickly find that Garcinia Cambogia is, overall, ineffective.

One study, which involved humans, found that, after 12 weeks, those who received 3,000 milligrams of Garcinia Cambogia extract each day lost the exact same amount of weight as the control group.

While there were a few positive studies, when you combine the studies and look at the average weight loss, there really is nothing to shout about. Overall, most people lost the same amount of weight as those taking a sugar pill.

There have been studies which found that people lost weight with this supplement, but they weren't published in standard scientific journals.

What About Lowering Cholesterol Levels?

Even in this area, there is little or no evidence to show that Garcinia Cambogia can help lower blood cholesterol levels in humans.

At least there appears to be no evidence that this product is harmful in any way, at least according to the studies that have been done.

There were a few side effects mentioned, including headaches, light skin rashes, and dry mouth.

If you are truly interested in weight loss and gaining muscle tone, nothing beats a high protein diet and exercise that includes weight training.

This might not be as exciting, or as easy, as a magic pill, but it truly is the healthiest and proven way to get healthy and look great.