Garcinia Cambogia Side Effects Liver damage? The Ugly Truth!

Can Garcinia Cambogia damage your liver by any chance?

I’ve read about many side effects of Garcinia but this one sure got my attention.

I’m sure it got you panicking too that’s why you’re reading this article.

I mean, think about it, liver damage is not the same as waking up one morning with random diarrhea or constipation.

Yes, those are bad too but their consequences are minimal compared to this side effect concerning the liver.

Let’s find out if there’s any evidence to support that claim.

But before that, be sure to read this post covering A-Z of everything you need to know about Garcinia Cambogia and Apple Cider Vinegar diet.

What Does Research Say About Garcinia Cambogia Causing Liver Damage?

Case 1: Young man diagnosed with Hepatotoxicity (liver damage caused by chemicals)

What happened?

A 27-year-old man went to the hospital complaining of having symptoms such as fever, chills and abdominal pain for 2 weeks [1].

He also had nausea and vomiting of clear liquid without blood for a week.

After questioning the patient, he told doctors that he was training to become a physical trainer at a local college.

He did heavy exercises every week and took a set of supplements prescribed by his local nutrition center.

After all the tests, including liver biopsy, this young man was found to have signs of acute liver failure.

He used a supplement called Hydroxycut which the doctors believe is the culprit behind his liver damage.

Now here’s the deal: From all of the ingredients of Hydroxycut, Garcinia Cambogia is one of the 3 main listed to have an association with the liver damage related to Hydroxycut.

This is not the only case of Hydroxycut related liver failure. There have been numerous cases and even several deaths reported [4, 5].

Case 2: 34-year-old man diagnosed with Liver failure from Garcinia Cambogia

What happened?

A 34-year-old Hispanic man was presented with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dark urine [2].

After all the necessary tests, he was questioned about the use of any energy drinks, herbs, Chinese teas or muscle milk.

He denied those and was advised by the doctors to discontinue the occasional alcohol use and he did what the doctors asked.

His symptoms were less intense for some time.

6 weeks later, he developed asterixis, jaundice, and confusion.

How did they find out?

The findings from further intensive evaluations, a full repeat hepatitis work-up, and a liver biopsy revealed that his liver damage was potentially a drug-induced one.

After extensive questioning, the patient admitted to the doctors that he was taking Garcinia Cambogia supplements purchased from Swanson Vitamins for 5 months.

He has been taking it 3 times a day (Garcinia Cambogia extract ratio 5:1) before meals for 5 months.

He continued to take it even after his initial presentation.

He also denied any other medications, supplements and had no alcohol for 2 months.

He eventually needed an orthotopic liver transplant to live!

The man diagnosed with liver failure from case 2’s condition got worse and his mental status deteriorated.

This young man was fortunate to receive an orthotopic liver transplant from a dead brain donor.

Garcinia Cambogia was the accused substance in both of those Liver failure cases.

Is it a coincidence that in both of the above cases, Garcinia was doubted as the risk factor behind their liver failures?

Almost all studies that doubt Garcinia to be a risk factor of Liver damage conclude that further research is necessary to draw accurate conclusions.

However, they also requested for a public warning to this kind of dangerous side effects.

2 Women needed Liver Transplant after using Garcinia Cambogia

This research paper has a short analysis of the risks involved with all the popular weight loss supplements out there. It also has a section for Garcinia [3].

Here’s what it included:

1. A 52-year-old woman needed an orthotopic liver transplant after taking Garcinia Cambogia daily for 15 days to lose weight.
2. The second is a 42-year-old woman who took Garcinia for 1 week for weight loss.

This research paper also mentions that the exact (100% accurate) causes of their liver damage were not found.

But one thing they both had in common?

Garcinia!

Quick FAQ

1 . Does Garcinia Cambogia cause liver damage or not? Just tell me a final answer!

Majority of the research papers conclude that more accurate research is needed to find out if/how Garcinia causes liver damage.

However, the same papers also don’t fail to mention that Garcinia Cambogia was the number 1 doubted risk factor behind all of those cases reported.

Think about the people mentioned in this article who had to have a liver transplant after taking Garcinia.

Is it the same as waking up one morning with a random headache or constipation?

No right?

So now tell me, would you like to take that risk?

2 . How Comes everybody is singing praises about Garcinia then?

How many times have you seen a video or before/after updates from these people?

Many of them sing praises just for the sake of earning a commission from recommending the product.

And the crazy thing is the actual weight loss reported from studies concludes that the magnitude of the weight loss is so small that it’s not even worth making a big deal.

Another thing to keep in mind is the placebo effect people go through when they’re taking it.

Majority of them feel the need to do a bit of exercise and cut down on junk food to speed up their weight loss and hence they end up believing that Garcinia was the one to receive full credit.

3 . Why did Dr.Oz call Garcinia the “holy grail” of weight loss?

That was in 2012.

Dr. Oz has gone through a lot since he recommended Garcinia and such supplements.

He said in an interview that he tries his best not to use those words anymore when talking health products.

He also mentioned that a lot of companies were misusing his name/photo to sell their fake Garcinia supplements.

What do you feel? Comment below and share your experience about Garcinia with others.