Garcinia Cambogia Meta-Analysis a Systematic Review - Does it really work?

Gacinia Cambogia is a fruit that has been used for years in Southeastern Asia for food preservation and flavouring. The discovery of Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) in the dried fruit rind of Garcinia Cambogia has made the fruit popular. The popularity is invariably because clinical studies have consistently demonstrated that Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) marketed as Super CitriMax formular, is associated with weight reduction and loss of body fat. Those who were wondering how one can lose weight fast are equally thrilled with this discovery.

However if you read HCA Garcinia Cambogia customer reviews, users give conflicting reports about their experiences. This prompted this review based on current Garcinia Cambogia scientific, clinical and medical studies.

Research on the efficacy of using HCA in weight reduction is ongoing and this article will examine research articles published on Pubmed – an authoritative source of medical journals. It is however important to note that despite being published on Pubmed, Garcinia Cambogia and its extracts are not drugs but unregulated food supplements. Links to the respective journals will be provided where applicable.

This is probably why there is no single Garcinia Cambogia research verified or approved supplier. Additionally, this has seen the mushrooming of both genuine and fake suppliers of the HCA extract. There are many requests for Dr Oz Garcinia Cambogia advice on where to buy research verified supplements. Marketers have also come up with enticing brand names such as pure, premium, high tec, 100% and so forth. l will be reviewing some of the brands in my next article. Some people are even looking for the Tamarind seeds, information on how it is grown and where it can be easily planted. It is indeed a miracle tree for many.

The only way to synthese all these documented Garcinia Cambogia clinical research articles is to carry out a meta-analysis of outcomes to date. If you are not familiar with the term meta-analysis, it is whereby all documented research outcomes are combined and analysed to determine if there is any significant effects when using a specified product. This way, seemingly random variables can be collectively evaluated and used to explain the effectiveness of Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) as a weight reduction supplement.

As a student of Psychology, l have access to online journals and l am well familiar with this type of analysis. However, since this is not a scholarly article, l will not analyse the data using software to come up with one figure which maybe less useful for the article's main purpose. The aim is to provide valuable information, well supported by research on the efficacy of using Garcinia Cambogia, observed side effects and possible explanation why it does not work for others.

• Hydroxytric Acid (HCA) is said to suppress liver enzymes responsible for converting carbohydrates and storing them as fat there by channeling all the fat to be burnt by body parts.
• Allied to the above assertion, it also facilitates the burning of fat stored in liver cells.
• It acts as a catalyst (speed up) fat oxidation – consumption of fat as energy during exercise. Probably a reason why others report no changes in weight since they do not exercise to enable cells to burn the excess energy.
• It also act as a catalyst (assists) urinary excretion of fat metabolites. Research demonstrated an increase of between 32-109% in urine fat concentration.
• Hydroxytric acid also works by influencing the brain to release serotonin - a chemical associated with happiness. Research has consistently demonstrated that when stressed people tend to eat sugary or sweet junk foods which are ingredients of obesity. The inverse is true. This way Garcinia Cambogia can positively influence eating behavior.
• Additionally, the suppression of appetite is also through production lowering of serum leptine, a hormone that regulates body weight by suppressing appetite or maintaining satiety and (thermogenesis) burning of fat in tissues. The lowering of serum leptine is through HCA’s influence on the brain’s hypothalamus. One of the three licensed antiobesity drugs; Sibutramine also reduces weight in a similar manner.
• Excess food is also channeled towards development of bones as measured by increase in bone density.
• It assists the emulsification (mixing with water) of fats making them soluble and ready for excretion or body use.
• It can significantly reduce cholesterol levels even when there is no noticeable physical reduction in weight. Presumably, most people who report negative weight reduction outcomes may have benefited from the chemical reduction in cholesterol levels.

• 30-60 minutes before mealtime. This will allow readily absorption (bioavailability) of HCA into the blood stream.
• at a concentration above 60%. HCA concentration was shown to influence the amount of serotonin production in rats. The quality of HCA is more detrimental to weight lose success than any other factor.

• HCA must be taken with other natural or original extract compounds as they were shown to improve its absorption and utility of HCA. Probably one need to shy away from supplements with artificial fillings and binders.
• The recommended dose of HCA is 1600 mg/day although research indicated that a dosage of 4667 mg/day is considered safe. It is however advisable to stick to the manufacture’s prescribed dosage.

• Carcinia Cambogia is said to be a health supplement and not a drug. We all take vitamin D supplements in Sweden during winter yet we cannot conclude that the supplements are responsible for the reduction in children with rackets. The supplements are not regulated or scientifically proven that they reduce incidents of rickets. There are no agreed figures on how much and for how long one must take Garcinia Cambogia before there is any noticeable weight loss. Manufacturers make their own claims as sales pitches at times supported by fake customer reviews. Remember you can pay freelancers as little as $3 to write testimonials.
• Most studies are not controlled and therefore dietary differences seem to play a role. You can not consume unhealthy food because you are taking weight reducing capsules and expect to lose weight. Studies have shown that the simultaneous intake of HCA and fatty foods can be detrimental to health.
• The psychological effect of knowing that one is taking weight reduction supplements may also lead to a self-fulfilling prophesy as people exercise more and eat healthy food during treatment.
• The sources of Garcinia Cambogia is not regulated and there is variability in the concentration of Hydroxytric acid, with anything below 60% classified as insufficient induce a significant weight loss.
• There are lots of Carcinia Cambogia scams out there which supply fake supplements with others offering a free sample to lure people into signing continual supply and rebilling contracts.
• Most research was carried using animals mostly rats and cannot be easily generalized to humans.

• Women – there are no recorded adverse Garcinia Cambogia side effects in women. A study in rats showed normal reproduction, fertility and growth across generations by female rats taking HCA extract.
• Men – one research reported adverse side effects as shown by infection of testicles in rats taking the supplement. Admittedly, a bone chilling discovery. Fortunately, subsequent studies in humans, refuted these findings as there were no observable sex serum hormonal changes or testis infection. It also challenges the generalization of rat research findings to humans.
• Diabetes – there was no noted increase in Blood Pressure (BP) during supplement intake, although such patients are advised to seek health care advise before use. In can actually reduce insulin resistance and other obesity related challenges when compared to the group not taking HCA. Obese Zucker rats (see picture below) with condition similar to diabetes showed remarkable improvement across conditions.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) -Garcinia Cambogia IBD study demonstrated that it possesses anti-inflammatory characteristics. There is need for further research using human subjects before it can be used for treating IBD.
• Liver and Kidneys - since Hydroxycitric acid ,manipulates how the liver system works there are concerns about the safety of using Garcinia Cambogia. Liver damage or toxicity was absent in rats consuming high levels of HCA while on high fat diet. Additionally kidneys were not inflamed as expected, pointing to the documented characteristics of the supplement. Since these results are from lab rats studies, more research is needed before any conclusions or claims can be made.
• Eyes - there was no observable irritability in rats.

Taken altogether, Garcinia Cambogia's HTC extract is relatively safe to use, although it is advisable to seek medical advice if one has one of the above conditions. Further studies are needed to verify the side effects of HTC when taken by people with particular ailments. l would suggest taking Garcinia Cambogia research groups to Southeast Asia to study if there are any ailments likely to be associated with consuming the supplement.

• according to research its qualities can result in reduced weight.
• It is safe to use especially at between 1 600mg/day - 2670mg/day
• HTC concentration must be above 50% and must be taken 30-60 minutes before meals.
• It is more effective in the natural form without fillers or binders which may reduce utility.
• There are no known adverse effects when used the right way.

HTC has a great potential to reduce weight if taken at the right time, quantity and is of good quality. The present research has demonstrated that it is safe to use although those with medical condition need to consult medical practitioners before taking the supplement. More research is needed in-order to replicate rat studies in humans due to the biological differences. Garcinia Cambogia side effects on liver, kidneys, testicles and eyes need to be carried out in humans. Another suggestion would be to study the people in Southeast Asia who have used the supplement for years to evaluate if there are no obese people among the population. Any noticeable changes to their vital organs need to be documented. Given the positive research out comes and the price of Garcinia Cambogia it is worth trying out as obesity is detrimental to health. However there is need to buy research verified Garcinia Cambogia from reputable stores.

l would like to hear your experience with HCA in the comentary box below. Did it work for your or not?