Can Garcinia Cambogia Effect Weight Loss

Garcinia Cambogia is a plant with a fruit that looks like a small, green pumpkin and is used in many Asian foods for its sour flavor. In the skin of the fruit, there is a large amount of a natural substance called Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA). This is the active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia extract, the substance that may produce a weight loss effect.

There are several research studies on Garcinia Cambogia, done on both animals and humans and according to some studies in rats, it can inhibit a fat producing enzyme called Citrate Lyase, making it more difficult for the body to produce fat out of carbohydrates. Other rat studies show increased levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This could theoretically lead to reduced appetite. Most of the studies in rats show that Garcinia Cambogia consistently leads to significant weight loss. The problem with rodent studies is that what works in rats doesn’t necessarily work in humans.

The largest of the human studies included 135 overweight individuals, which were split into two groups:


Both groups also went on a high-fiber, low calorie diet. The results of the 12 week study, which was published in The Journal of The American Medical Association showed that both groups lost weight.

The group taking Garcinia Cambogia extract actually lost less weight (3.2 kg – 7 pounds) than the placebo group (4.1 kg – 9 pounds). The researchers also looked at body fat percentage. The placebo group lost 2.16%, while the group taking Garcinia Cambogia lost only 1.6%. However the researchers determined that the difference was not statistically significant, meaning that the results could have been due to chance.



There have been a number of studies conducted on Garcinia Cambogia in overweight individuals. Some of them show a small amount of weight loss, while other studies show no effect.

If you want to try it out the most common dose is 500 mg, 3 times per day, half an hour before meals.
