[Effects of Garcinia Cambogia] Calorie Cut? 3 Benefits of Garcinia Cambogia Extract

Hello, I am Jinny, a pharmacist.

Recently, while chatting with a friend, I was asked a question about ‘calorie cutting pills.’ Her co-worker is taking it and she wondered if it is really effective. When I first heard it, I thought it was referring to a prescription drug used to treat obesity, but upon further listening, I found out that it was not a drug, but a functional diet ingredient, Garcinia Cambogia extract.

Garcinia cambogia extract is a functional diet ingredient widely used around the world. This functional ingredient, extracted from the peel of the fruit of Garcinia cambogia, a tropical plant native to southwestern India, is rich in HCA (hydroxycitric acid), a bioactive substance that inhibits the activity of enzymes used when carbohydrates are converted into fat in our bodies.

According to this mechanism of action, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also recognizes the functionality of Garcinia Cambogia extract as ‘helping reduce body fat by inhibiting the synthesis of carbohydrates into fat.’ Of course, this ingredient does not cut calories directly, but it is a functional diet ingredient suitable for the eating habits of Asian people, who may consume a lot of carbohydrates due to rice as their staple food.

Today, we will look at the results of academic research on Garcinia Cambogia extract, a dietary functional ingredient recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and an ingredient that must be properly understood as it is widely consumed. Additionally, any side effects you may be concerned about regarding this ingredient will be discussed at the end of the article, so if you are considering taking it, please read to the end.

[1] Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Functional Ingredients for Health Functional Foods

Academic research on the weight control benefits of Garcinia cambogia extract has been ongoing for over 50 years, dating back to the 1970s. The mechanism of action of the Garcinia cambogia extract that I introduced at the beginning was already discovered in the 1970s. As it is an ingredient that has been studied for quite a long time, the number of human application tests accumulated to date is quite large.

In 2020, Golzarand and researchers comprehensively reviewed research results showing high reliability and validity of test design among human trials accumulated in academia. As a result of a comprehensive analysis of 8 human application tests targeting 530 subjects, it was reported that improvements in body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (PFM), and waist circumference (WC) were confirmed due to consumption of Garcinia Cambogia extract.

Does Garcinia Cambogia extract really produce the same benefits as confirmed in the previous study simply by ‘inhibiting fat synthesis of carbohydrates’? In fact, the academic community's answer to this is divided. In other words, it is difficult to say that this is necessarily the case. Numerous animal and human trials suggest benefits other than simple inhibition of body fat synthesis.

One of the hypotheses that has been raised since the early 2000s is that fat metabolism is improved when consuming Garcinia Cambogia extract and exercising. In animal tests, improvements in fatty acid metabolism were observed even when consumed in the short term, and when consumed over a long period of time, fatty acid metabolism and oxygen consumption were found to be significantly improved under both resting and exercise conditions [2]

[2] Ishihara, K., Oyaizu, S., Onuki, K., Lim, K., & Fushiki, T. (2000). Chronic (-)-hydroxycitrate administration spares carbohydrate utilization and promotes lipid oxidation during exercise in mice. The Journal of nutrition, 130(12), 2990-2995.

This tendency has also been detected in humans. Lim and researchers (2003) reported that the results of a human application test evaluating the effects of Garcinia cambogia extract on aerobic exercise time and fat metabolism showed improvements in exercise time before exhaustion and fat metabolism.

Likewise, Garcinia Cambogia extract not only inhibits the synthesis of excessively consumed carbohydrates into fat, but also appears to be able to improve the metabolism of fatty acids in our body. There are also other benefits that are often reviewed in academic circles. One of the benefits is a decrease in appetite and improvement in satiety from consumption of Garcinia Cambogia extract, and a subsequent reduction in food intake.

An increase in serum serotonin levels following consumption of Garcinia cambogia extract has been observed in numerous animal and human studies. Serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that creates a feeling of happiness in our brain, is also known to reduce food intake by making us feel full.

Accordingly, Westerterp-Plantenga and Kovacs (2002) designed a human trial to evaluate the effects of consumption of Garcinia cambogia extract on dietary intake and satiety. This study reported that the Garcinia cambogia extract group tended to consume fewer calories than the placebo group, and lost weight without changes in appetite, eating restrictions, or mood.

Today, we looked at the results of academic research on Garcinia cambogia extract, which has been studied for a long time and is widely consumed as a functional diet ingredient. As you have seen, it does not have a mechanism to inhibit the absorption of specific ingredients such as fat into the body, so it is naturally not an ingredient that helps with ‘calorie cutting’.

However, Garcinia Cambogia extract is expected to suppress the synthesis and accumulation of excessively consumed carbohydrates into fat to a certain extent, promote fatty acid metabolism during exercise, and help control energy intake, so it is considered as a good functional diet ingredient to use along with appropriate exercise and healthy eating habits.

Additionally, I understand that some people are concerned about liver toxicity related to this ingredient. Even in academia, studies are continuously being conducted to confirm safety. Andueza and researchers (2021), who comprehensively analyzed clinical cases of Garcinia cambogia extract over 25 years, suggest that no specific side effects were observed in most animal and human subjects studied [3].

However, hepatotoxicity was found in animal tests in which garcinia cambogia extract was consumed under the condition of a high-fat diet in which 45% of total energy was consumed as fat. Although it is not a human application test, around 29 cases of liver toxicity have been reported when it was consumed by general consumer, Additionally, there is an opinion that other side effects may occur when patients with existing metabolic disorders consume Garcinia Cambogia extract [4].

[3,4] Andueza, N., Giner, R. M., & Portillo, M. P. (2021). Risks associated with the use of garcinia as a nutritional complement to lose weight. Nutrients, 13(2), 450.

Thus, consumption of Garcinia Cambogia extract is generally considered safe, but it is recommended to avoid consumption if you have liver, kidney, heart disease, metabolic disorders, allergies, asthma, or are taking medications. Also, if you are trying a high-fat diet, you need to be careful about consuming Garcinia Cambogia extract.

I hope you have a healthy day both physically and mentally. This was Jinny.