Everybody seems
to have their own theory on how to lose weight and with new diets in the media all the time, trying to maintain a
healthy weight can become a very stressful and confusing battle. Essentially,
in order to lose weight, energy expenditure must exceed energy input. This can
be achieved by reducing calorie intake, increasing physical activity level, or
ideally combination of both. For many,this is a very difficult change to make
and even if they are successful, a large proportion of people do not manage
to maintain the weight loss. Common problems that dieters face are constant
feelings of hunger and sugar cravings, but there is one particular fruit
extract which may offer a solution. Garcinia Cambogia is a tropical fruit usually found in Southeast Asia, India and Africa, which has been used by native peoples for hundreds of years as a natural weight-loss aid. It contains an active component called hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which can aid weight loss in two ways. Firstly, it inhibits the absorption and synthesis of fat and secondly it suppresses appetite, possibly through its effects on specific neurotransmitters implicated in the regulation of eating behavior and appetite control (1). Studies have shown that supplementation with this particular extract has not only produced weight loss compared with placebo (2) (3), but also a significant reduction in food intake, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides and serum leptin levels (3). This may explain why Garcinia Cambogia extract as a weight-loss aid is rapidly growing in popularity among the western world.
References
1. Ohia, S. E., Opere, C. A., LeDay, A. M., et al., (2002). Safety and
mechanism of appetite suppression by a novel hydroxycitric acid extract
(HCA-SX). Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Sep;238(1-2):89-103.
2. Roongpisuthipong, C., Kantawan, R., and Roongpisuthipong, W., (2007). Reduction of
adipose tissue and body weight: effect of water soluble calcium hydroxycitrate
in Garcinia atroviridis on the short term treatment of obese women in Thailand.
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 16(1):25-9.
3. Preuss, H. G., Bagchi, D., Bagchi, M., et al., (2004). Effects of a
natural extract of (–)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX
plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss.
Article first published online: 31 MAR 2004. DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-8902.2004.00328.x
