Don’t believe the Garcinia Cambogia Hype

We’ve covered the weight loss supplement Garcinia Cambogia before but its popularity has only soared despite receiving a “step away” in our Yay? Or Step Away (YOSA) criteria. I spoke with CBS about garcinia. I had to beg the reporter not to purchase the supplement before our interview. She had been “testimonialed” by all the online hype.

So, what the hell is this thing with the weird name?

Garcinia Cambogia is a weight loss supplement derived from the rind of a tropical fruit; in terms of Google searches it’s the most popular weight loss supplement in the world.

How does it work OR how do supplement companies say it works?

The rind of the fruit contains something called HCA (hydroxycitric acid) which allegedly decreases appetite and fat storage.

Sounds good right? Well not exactly

I have a few concerns:

 First, there are many garcnia “cocktails” on shelves (this is not the good kind of cocktail) where garcinia is mixed with other questionable ingredients. Second,it’s a mixed bag when it comes to results from research. Some studies show impressive weight loss while many others so no effect On average garcinia provides is 2 pounds more weight loss than a placebo if that.

OK so it may not work but is it dangerous?

Dizziness is a very common side effect. Anyone thinking of taking this supplement should know it caused testicular atrophy in mice.

Is it tested by FDA?

Unlike meds, the FDA doesn’t regulate supplement dosages

ConsumerLab.com, an independent company that tests the quality and safety of health products, examined 11 of the most popular garcinia cambogia supplements. More than half of brands contained far less hydroxycitric acid (HCA)—the plant’s alleged weight-loss component—than was listed on the bottle. In fact, one garcinia cambogia supplement contained just 16% of its advertised HCA. 

I wouldn’t recommend it and especially not for pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant (or men who would like to keep their testicles as they are.

 Have you heard of garcinia cambogia? Do you know anyone who takes it? Have they checked their  you-know-whats lately?

YOSA supplement edition and the new “it” ingredient

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?