Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxy Citric Acid)


 

Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxy Citric Acid) Clinical Report Summary

Written Exclusively for MyNutritionStore.com by Sarah Dzida 

 

Garcinia Cambogia and its principle acid, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), are used to promote weight loss and enhance exercise performance.  It also has been reported that garcinia cambogia reduces appetite, inhibits fat synthesis and decreases body weight without stimulating the central nervous system (1).  According to hydroxycitric acid weight loss studies, garcinia cambogia supplementation particularly enhanced the exercise performance of women by increasing their body's metabolism of fat (2, 3).  Clinical trials also support suggestive results that garcinia cambogia can serve as an effective and safe weight-loss formula by reducing BMI while promoting healthy blood lipid levels (1, 4).  Due to insufficient research, there is no scientific evidence that clearly recommends dosage.  However, sufficient available evidence exists that suggests hydroxycitric acid is safe for human consumption when the rind of garcinia cambogia is eaten orally and at levels up to 2,800 mg per day (5, 6).  Human clinical trials also show that garcinia cambogia has been well tolerated up to 12 weeks. 

 

Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxy Citric Acid) Overview

 

Garcinia cambogia is a diminutive purple fruit native to India and Southeast Asia with a rind rich in hydroxycitric acid (HCA).  HCA promotes weight loss through suppression of appetite; the acid inhibits enzyme reactions, which are required for fatty acid synthesis and lipogenesis (5, 8).  Hydroxycitric acid's inhibition of extramitochondrial enzyme ATP citrate lyase was first identified in the late 1960s.  Despite its high acidity content, there are no reports to suggest that the routine consumption of garcinia cambogia, which is still common in coastal areas of South Asia, causes either acute or chronic toxicity.  While the majority of modern evidence on garcinia cambogia is preliminary, experts continue to confirm and refine their research.

 

Safe Use of Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxy Citric Acid)

 

Persons with a known hypersensitivity or allergy to garcinia cambogia should exercise caution as well as people taking oral hypoglycemic agents, patients with Alzheimer's or dementia syndromes, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Garcinia cambogia's hydroxycitric acid combined with statin medications may increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis (7).

 

Clinical Studies for Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxy Citric Acid)

 

1. Garcinia Cambogia and Healthy Weight Loss

 

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.  Preuss HG, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, et al.

Aim: The efficacy of optimal doses of highly bioavailable (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) alone and in combination with niacin-bound chromium (NBC) and a standardized Gymnema sylvestre extract (GSE) on weight loss in moderately obese subjects was evaluated by monitoring changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), appetite, lipid profiles, serum leptin and excretion of urinary fat metabolites. HCA-SX has been shown to reduce appetite, inhibit fat synthesis and decrease body weight without stimulating the central nervous system. NBC has demonstrated its ability to maintain healthy insulin levels, while GSE has been shown to regulate weight loss and blood sugar levels. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human study was conducted in Elluru, India for 8 weeks in 60 moderately obese subjects (ages 21-50, BMI >26 kg/m(2)). Subjects were randomly divided into three groups. Group A was administered HCA-SX 4667 mg, group B was administered a combination of HCA-SX 4667 mg, NBC 4 mg and GSE 400 mg, while group C was given placebo daily in three equally divided doses 30-60 min before meals. All subjects received a 2000 kcal diet/day and participated in supervised walking. Results: At the end of 8 weeks, body weight and BMI decreased by 5-6% in both groups A and B. Food intake, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides and serum leptin levels were significantly reduced in both groups, while high-density lipoprotein levels and excretion of urinary fat metabolites increased in both groups. A marginal or non-significant effect was observed in all parameters in group C. Conclusions: The present study shows that optimal doses of HCA-SX and, to a greater degree, the combination of HCA-SX, NBC and GSE can serve as an effective and safe weight-loss formula that can facilitate a reduction in excess body weight and BMI, while promoting healthy blood lipid levels.

 

2. Garcinia Cambogia and Enhanced Fat Synthesis During Exercise

 

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid ingestion increases fat utilization during exercise in untrained women.  Lim K, Ryu S, Nho HS, et al.

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme ATPcitrate-lyase, which inhibits lipogenesis in the body. Moreover, HCA increases endurance exercise performance in trained mice and athletes. However, had not been investigated in untrained animals and humans. Therefore, we investigated the effects of short-term HCA ingestion on endurance exercise performance and fat metabolism in untrained women. In two experiments designed as a double-blind crossover test, six subjects ingested 250 mg of HCA or placebo (same amount of dextrin) via capsule for 5 d and then participated in cycle ergometer exercise. They cycled at 40% VO[2] max for 1 h and then the exercise intensity was increased to 60% VO[2]max until exhaustion on day 5 of each experiment. HCA tended to decrease the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and carbohydrate oxidation during 1 h of exercise. In addition, exercise time to exhaustion was significantly enhanced (p<0.05). These results suggest that HCA increases fat metabolism, which may be associated with a decrease in glycogen utilization during the same intensity exercise and enhanced exercise performance.

 

3. Garcinia Cambogia and Appetite Suppression

 

Effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables.  Mattes RD, Bormann L.

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) reportedly promotes weight loss, in part, through suppression of hunger. However, this mechanism has never been evaluated in humans in a controlled study. Eighty-nine mildly overweight females were prescribed 5020-kJ diets for 12 weeks as part of a double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study. Forty-two participants ingested 400-mg caplets of Garcinia cambogia 30-60 min prior to meals for a total dose of 2.4 g/day (1.2 g/day HCA). Forty-seven participants ingested matched placebos. Weight and body composition were assessed at baseline and every other week for 12 weeks. Food intake and appetitive variables were assessed at baseline and monthly for 12 weeks. Both groups lost body weight with the active group achieving a significantly greater reduction (3. 7+/-3.1 kg versus 2.4+/-2.9 kg). No effects of the HCA were observed on appetitive variables. The active treatment group did not exhibit better dietary compliance or significant correlations between appetitive variables and energy intake or weight change. This study does not support a satiety effect of HCA.

 

Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxy Citric Acid) References

 

  1. Preuss HG, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, et al. 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. Diabetes Obes Metab 2004;6(3):171-180.
  2. Lim K, Ryu S, Nho HS, et al. (-)-Hydroxycitric acid ingestion increases fat utilization during exercise in untrained women. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 2003;49(3):163-167.
  3. Kriketos AD, Thompson HR, Greene H, et al. (-)-Hydroxycitric acid does not affect energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in adult males in a post-absorptive state. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999;23(8):867-873.
  4. Mattes RD, Bormann L. Effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables. Physiol Behav 2000;71(1-2):87-94.
  5. Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, et al. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1998;280(18):1596-1600.
  6. Soni MG, Burdock GA, Preuss HG, et al. Safety assessment of (-)-hydroxycitric acid and Super CitriMax, a novel calcium/potassium salt. Food Chem Toxicol 2004;42(9):1513-1529.
  7. Mansi IA, Huang J. Rhabdomyolysis in response to weight-loss herbal medicine. Am J Med Sci 2004;327(6):356-357.
  8. Jena BS, Jayaprakasha GK, Singh RP, et al. Chemistry and biochemistry of (-)-hydroxycitric acid from Garcinia. J Agric Food Chem 2002;50(1):10-22.
image
image