Garcinia Cambogia: What You Need to Know

Many people find themselves searching for the best garcinia cambogia supplements because of its reputation for helping people lose weight. While this plant is relatively unknown, it has recently skyrocketed in popularity because of its dietary benefits, especially when it comes to dropping excess weight and doing so quickly and without much effort. So how does garcinia cambogia help you lose weight? Here’s everything you need to know about the Indonesian plant and how it impacts weight loss, as well how to determine if garcinia cambogia is right for you.

What Is Garcinia Cambogia?

If this is the first time you’re hearing of garcinia cambogia, you’re not alone. Garcinia cambogia has flown under the radar for quite some time, only recently becoming a more popularized nutrient thanks to health and fitness supplement stores and its growing reputation as a weight loss supplement.

Garcinia cambogia is a plant that is native to Indonesia and grown throughout Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and even some parts of Africa. The proper name for the garcinia cambogia tree is garcinia gummi-gutta, but it is most commonly called garcinia cambogia by the North American health market and its consumers. Other names for the plant include pot tamarind, brindal berry, Malabar tamarind, red mango, and gambooge.

The part of the garcinia cambogia plant that is used to help with weight loss is the actual fruit itself. The fruit from a garcinia cambogia tree is about the size of a large tomato, and it can appear in shades of red, yellow, and green. These days, most shoppers prefer to get their garcinia cambogia from supplements that are sold online and in health stores. It can be purchased in capsule, tablet, powder, and liquid form.

How Does Garcinia Cambogia Help You Lose Weight?

Garcinia Cambogia supplements are often purchased by customers who want to take advantage of their weight loss benefits. Specifically, the extract of hydroxycitric acid is what can offer weight loss benefits, and it is found in the fruit itself. When purchasing garcinia cambogia supplements, be sure to take a look at the label. Effective garcinia cambogia supplements will contain at least 50 percent hydroxycitric acid. For most adults, 900 to 1,500 milligrams of hydroxycitric acid is recommended per day.

Garcinia cambogia supplements can help one lose weight by increasing serotonin levels, which can assist with mental health. People with low levels of serotonin are often diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders, which leads them to eat as a sort of emotional coping mechanism. Accordingly, when garcinia cambogia supplements raise serotonin levels, they help lessen the chance of emotional eating, which is often the cause of weight gain.

Garcinia cambogia also plays another important role in helping people lose weight. The hydroxycitric acid extract actually stops the fat-making process in the body by causing citrate lyase, a key enzyme used in the fat-making process, to be inhibited. By keeping the body from making fat, garcinia cambogia helps prevent people from putting on more weight.

Finally, in some cases, garcinia cambogia has also been shown to lower low-density lipoproteins, which are considered to be the bad cholesterol.

Is Garcinia Cambogia Safe for Everyone?

While garcinia cambogia is safe for most people, there are certain groups that should not take garcinia cambogia in any form, be it the fruit itself or a supplement version. Pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding are advised to avoid garcinia cambogia. Additionally, diabetics who rely on insulin or glyburide should always talk to their doctors before trying out garcinia cambogia, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood sugar.

Finally, though garcinia cambogia may be able to help drop cholesterol levels, people who take a statin should speak with a doctor before taking a supplement. Unfortunately, garcinia cambogia can cause harmful side effects (including muscle degradation) in those taking a statin.

If you’re unsure of whether or not garcinia cambogia is right for you, make an appointment with your doctor or dietician so that you can assess any potential risks with a health or dietary professional. Some side effects associated with garcinia cambogia include headache, nausea, dizziness, and dry mouth. If you experience any of these symptoms after beginning garcinia cambogia supplements, make sure to see a doctor immediately. Like all dietary supplements, garcinia cambogia is not monitored by the FDA.

Resources— Healthline, Shape

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