We’re
loving the #YOSA questions you’ve tweeted and emailed to us.
#YOSA
is a feature we launched last week that stands for “yay or step away”. Carolyn
is going to tackle a couple of supplements we were asked about.
We
are not shy about our supplement obsessions. Eboost, probiotics, safslim. vitamin
D, Sibu, evening primrose oil… you name it we’ll typically try it. But we have
our limits of course. Since we’ve started YOSA-ing, my cousin asked me about
a supplement making the rounds at her school. Actually, her friends were
referring to it as a FRUIT and not a supplement, which allegedly helps with
quick weight loss.
It’s
called Garcinia Cambogia.. yay or step away?
Garcinia
is derived from tamarind, an Indonesian fruit commonly used in Asian cuisine.
The active compound in it is hydroxycitric
acid (HCA), and some evidence (we’re talking petri dish-evidence) shows it decreases
appetite and prevents your body from storing food as fat. Sounds fabulous but when you look at the research, results are
totally inconsistent. In some studies the group taking garcinia lost less weight. But most importantly, high
doses of Garcinia extract caused toxicity and TESTICULAR ATROPHY in mice. Um, whether
you have testicles or not, OW. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Okay, maybe a
few people, but anyway...
Garcinia was an ingredient in the infamous speedy supplement
Hydroxycut that landed many people in the hospital with liver issues. So my conclusion on this
yay or step away is STEP AWAY!
**side
note, this doesn’t mean avoid tamarind, which actually has lots of nutrition
benefits and does not have HCA in crazy high doses.
YOSA
#2: We received this query from a client… “For some reason I get “backed
up” during the summer… What do you think
of this Intestinal Movement supplement? #YOSA?
First things first, the ingredient list:
Proprietary
Blend: Rhubarb Root, Peppermint Leaf, Wildcrafted Nopal Cactus, Ginger Root,
Wasabi, Thyme Leaf, Oregano Leaf, Whole Leaf Aloe Ferox (Cape Aloe), Enzymes
(Protease, Amylase, Cellulase, Lipase)
We were especially intrigued by rhubarb and
cactus. Rhubarb is one of the most
widely used herbs in Chinese medicine and can act as a mild or “gentle” laxative. Sounds lovely, right? So
this (plus aloe, another little helper) should help you go without leaving you
racing for the bathroom like violent laxatives. (As our snack queen says, VOM).
Another ingredient is nopal cactus aka prickly
pear. We spotted in many forms (juice, chews etc.) all over the Fancy Food Show a
few weeks ago. Nopal has many benefits it’s used to balance blood sugar, reduce
inflammation and it has slight laxative properties. When were extra intrigued because
of a particular study done at Tulane University (we’re proud alumni, what can
we say) on its hangover prevention benefits.
So
in this Health Force Intestinal Movement edition of yay or step away… a
supplement that helps you “go” and prevents hangovers? we vote a resounding
YAY…. For 1-2 weeks max then take a break!
Any #YOSA questions for us? Any supplements you've been hearing a lot about? Do you feel digestion is any different in the summer? And have you been hearing about nopal?
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