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Garcinia cambogia is also called brindle berry, kudam puli, Garcinia Gummi-gutta, Vrikshamla, gambooge fruit and Malabar tamarind is in rouge as an effective weight loss supplement. It is a tropical fruit small in size, sour in taste, it ripens about the size of an orange and resembles the shape of a pumpkin, it matures in red-yellow or greenish color. Garcinia cambogia contains a compound known as hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which is said to inhibit ATP-citrate lyase enzyme that is involved in lipid biosynthesis in your body and then already stored fat would be burned as calories to provide body energy. HCA would increase hepatic glycogen (stored form of glucose) synthesis, curbs appetite, it increases the production of serotonin level (a neurotransmitter) which in turn make you feel fuller and less hungry, it is also associated with improving stress related eating habits and eating disorder. People also use it to treat various body illness such as weaken digestive system, to enhance athletic performance and immunity, to reduce joint pain, and many others. It is useful to suppress unnecessary food cravings and enhance the body’s metabolism.
Occurrence
In India Garcinia Cambogia or Vrikshamla is grown extensively in semi wild state, in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, Goa, coastal areas of Karnataka and Kerala, and evergreen forests of Assam, West Bengal, and Gujarat. Besides making weight loss supplements, this herb is used in preparing curries, chutneys and various food preparations.
Part used as medicine
The supplements or medicines manufactured using Garcinia cambogia are made from extracts of its fruit’s peel which contains high amounts hydroxy citric acid (HCA), reducing sugar, tartaric acid, euxanthin, camogin, and glucinol. HCA is the active component that possesses weight loss potential. Garcinia Cambogia supplements are developed with 20–60% HCA in general, but for intensive ones 50–60% might be used.
Health Benefits of Garcinia Cambogia
Promote weight loss
HCA in Vrikshamla has been shown to reduce body weight by inhibiting the production of fat, it enhances satiety value, distracted your mind by make your feel less hungry which in turn reduces food intake and number of meals.
May suppress appetite
As we know, Vrikshamla works positively to make you slim-trim by reducing weight and by the conversion of stored fat into energy. Many previous researches suggest that garcinia Cambogia curb your appetite by stimulating serotonin (neurotransmitter act as appetite suppressant) production in the brain, then serotonin comes in the blood flow thus you feel fuller for long duration.
May inhibit Fat synthesis
Garcinia cambogia lowers down fat production, improves blood triglyceride levels, reduces oxidative stress, and melts accumulated stubborn belly fat, waist fat, fat under the scapula etc. This herb does this task by inhibiting adenosine triphosphate Citrate Lyase enzyme, which is said to check lipid synthesis. It reduces blood fat to prevent the risk of cholesterol, overweigh and obesity.
Reduces blood sugar level
It is evident that people suffering from overweight, obesity or metabolic disorder are more likely to get affected by diabetes and other serious health issues. Garcinia Cambogia reduces the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, reduces inflammation, and balances blood glucose level by increasing insulin sensitivity leading to promote reduction in body weight.
Improves activity Energy level
A research done on Garcinia Cambogia reveals that people felt more active and energize while taking this Garcinia supplement. They did their daily tasks with more efficiency, alone with the routine activities they managed to do some kind of exercise too and burn more calories than usual which in turn proved to be good for weight loss.
Improves Athletic performance
Garcinia cambogia supplement or HCA is said to enhance athletic performance, increase endurance level during exercise or game, and make them less exhausted and more energize throughout their day to practice nonstop without any laziness or weakness.
Other benefits include
- Besides aforementioned health benefits, this multifaceted herbal supplement can show many other positive effects such as-
- It reduces bad cholesterol level or LDL.
- Boost metabolism and breakdown of blood sugar.
- Strengthen immune system and improves energy level.
- Uplift mood and reduces stress.
Dosage of Garcinia Cambogia
Several types of Garcinia Cambogia supplements are available in the market such as Garcinia Cambogia tablets, Garcinia capsules, Garcinia powder, liquid and many more to fulfill the big goal of losing weight. It is generally recommended to consume 500 mg thrice a day combined with a balanced low-calorie diet, light exercise and healthy lifestyle. A supplement prepared with this potent herb is advised to be taken on an empty stomach an hour before having meal. It must be noted that the dose must not exceed more than 3000 mg per day in any case; otherwise, it might show relative drawbacks.
Side effects of Garcinia Cambogia
Though this herb is in trend because of its weight loss potential, but it is linked with some possible side effects including headache, nausea, dizzy spell and dry mouth. It can also cause hypoglycemia (decreased level of blood glucose), it can increase acetylcholine (chief neurotransmitter in parasympathetic nervous system) level in the brain which may lead to serious nervous injuries and disorders including dementia, hallucination, forgetfulness etc. One of the major side effects of Garcinia Cambogia is that, in some individuals it can damage hepatic cells if used regularly, and its effect in causing liver injuries would be irreversible and untreatable. A study published in World Journal of Gastroenterology conducted by Keri E. Lunsford, et al., in 2016 revealed that Garcinia cambogia can cause liver damage and complete hepatic failure which will arise a need of instant liver transplantation.
Safety Profile
First and foremost, people are advised to consult their doctor before using supplements based on Garcinia cambogia or HCA, it is more essential if you are taking medication for some chronic diseases or you have hypersensitivity. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid using this kind of supplement as they are under specific circumstances during these phases. People taking antidepressants, statins, montelukast, and warfarin and Patients suffering from diabetes and neuro disease should ask their qualified health care professional if they tend to consume it.
Conclusion
Reviews about its effectiveness are mixed, some people say it works and other say it doesn’t. A study has been conducted on mice to know whether it actually works or not and results were quite impressive, mice who were being fed with Garcinia Cambogia ate lesser, lost their total body weight and converted less fat from glucose. Anyways, it was a trial done on mice, we can’t conclude anything exact about its functionality on human body as human studies showed conflicting results, a weight loss experiment showed no such difference between the group of people who took Garcinia Cambogia and those who took a placebo.
Ulbricht, senior pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and co-founder of Natural Standard Research Collaboration, said “Further, well-designed clinical trials are needed before any firm conclusions can be made”
