The so-called “Holy Grail” of weight loss by Dr.Oz, how does Garcinia Cambogia work for weight loss?
Does it even work?
We’re about to discuss that and more!
Following Dr.Oz, a university student named Amanda Haughman seems to be the pioneer of Garcinia and Apple Cider Vinegar diet for weight loss.
Sshh!
Just don’t tell CNN though, because her name doesn’t even seem to exist on their website.
Here’s what you will find in this article:
- Amanda’s weight loss journey
- Dr.Oz’s side of the story
- The science behind Garcinia
- Garcinia Cambogia research studies
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Alright then, let’s start off with the pioneer of this whole Garcinia and Apple Cider Vinegar weight loss story.
Amanda’s Garcinia and Apple Cider Vinegar Story from CNN
Here’s what Google has helped me to find out about Amanda Haughman:
- Her story was never published on CNN unless they’re blocking it from just me.
- Amanda Haughman is not a student of Cornell University.
- The only places you’ll find her is on the sites selling Garcinia.
Who the heck is this Amanda and why are you telling me about her?
Just read your mind didn’t I?
If you’re hoping to lose weight with Garcinia, there’s a good chance you’re planning to take it with Apple Cider Vinegar.
Right?
Have you ever wondered how that combination became so popular?
All credit goes to Amanda who claims to have lost 37 pounds in a month with just Garcinia and Apple Cider Vinegar alone!
She also claims to have made no changes to her diet or lifestyle but still managed to lose that weight.
Sounds too good to be true?
Smart you!
Scam busted!
The so-called “Amanda Haughman from CNN” does not exist.
She’s a fictional character created by some websites whose only intention is to make you buy their Garcinia bottles.
And of course, there’s no record of her story on CNN.
Google her name and CNN together and you’ll see a website ranking on page 1 with incorrect spelling of “independent” in its URL.
That website is deceiving thousands of gullible people by misusing CNN logo on the page that has Amanda’s story.
Bottom line: If you joined or were planning to join the Garcinia weight loss bandwagon because of her story, now you know she does not exist.
What about Dr.Oz’s Claims about Garcinia Cambogia?
Dr.Oz is the first main reason why Garcinia became known as the only thing you need for weight loss.
He said Garcinia is the:
- “Revolutionary fat buster you’ve been waiting for”.
- “Holy grail” of weight loss.
- “Magic ingredient that lets you lose weight without diet or exercise”.
Dr.Oz also made many claims about Garcinia that have little to no accurate evidence to support it.
As a result, he was sued for “pushing BS diet supplements” according to TMZ.
Dr.Oz was asked why he was making those claims knowing they’re not true.
He said that he would only ever talk about products he’s passionate about and what he would actually recommend to his family members.
Dr.Oz also said that he stopped using those “flowery” languages for over 2 years since he recommended Garcinia and other similar products.
One of the reasons why he did that is because a lot of scammy supplement manufacturers have taken advantage of Dr.Oz’s claims and used his photos illegally to promote their products.
However, one of my biggest disappointment is the fact he failed to talk about the potential side effects of Garcinia.
Did you know Garcinia has been linked with several liver failure cases that actually needed a liver transplant?
Bottom line: Dr.Oz wanted to act as a cheerleader for his audience to lose weight.
He regretted using those flowery languages and no longer uses them in his show.
He just simply wanted to share his passion for the weight loss ingredients he came across but it backfired because of those claims.
A lot of websites are still taking advantage of his old claims and misusing his name/photo to sell their bad quality supplements.
So How does Garcinia Cambogia work for weight loss?
Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) is the main active component of Garcinia that’s been linked with its weight loss claims [1].
According to some sources, Hydroxycitric acid extracted from Garcinia works by [2, 3, 4]:
- Increasing fat oxidation: breaking fat and using it for energy.
- Regulating endogenous lipid biosynthesis
- Regulates serotonin level
What does Research say about Garcinia for Weight loss?
3 Garcinia Cambogia studies conducted on Animals
NO 1: Hydroxycitric Acid Study on 120 broiler chickens
What they did [5]:
- 120-1 day old broiler chickens were randomly divided into 4 groups.
- They were all given a commercial diet with a different dose of HCA for 4 weeks.
- They all received either 1000, 2000, 3000 mg of Hydroxycitric Acid and one was a control group.
Results: HCA reduced fat formation (lipogenesis) significantly in the groups that were given 2000-3000mg. Reduced abdominal fat was also seen in those broiler chickens.
NO 2: Garcinia reduced belly fat in mice but with liver damage
What they did [6]:
- Obesity-prone mice were fed a high-fat diet with or without Garcinia Cambogia for 16 weeks.
- So one group was given the GC and the other was the control group.
Results:
- No significant changes in body weight/food intake was noted between both groups.
- Reduced visceral (belly) fat in the GC group mice.
- However, Increased hepatic fibrosis (liver damage), inflammation and oxidative stress.
NO 3: Garcinia fat loss in rats but caused testicular atrophy (reduction in testes size)
What they did [7]:
- Obese male rats were given different levels of HCA diet for 92-93 days.
- Rats were 6 weeks old.
Results:
- The rats that received the highest dose of Hydroxycitric acid (Garcinia Cambogia) showed reduced fat accumulation than the other groups.
- However, the highest dose caused potent testicular atrophy and toxicity.
In plain English, the testes of the rats reduced in size and got damaged.
2 Garcinia Cambogia studies conducted on Humans
NO 1: Garcinia failed to give results in overweight humans study
What they did [8]:
- 135 overweight women/men were given either 1500mg of Hydroxycitric acid per day or placebo (control) for 12 weeks.
- Both groups were given high fiber, low energy diet.
Results: Both groups lost weight, however, Garcinia Cambogia given group failed to show any significant weight loss difference compared to the control group.
NO 2: Another failed Garcinia study on overweight human participants
What they did [9]:
- 86 overweight men and women were divided into 3 groups.
- One group was given Glycine Max Leaves Extract (EGML) every day.
- Another group was given Garcinia Cambogia every day.
- And the third group was the control group.
- Treatment was carried out for 10 weeks
Results: Both Garcinia Cambogia and the EGML failed to show any weight loss or reduced cholesterol in the overweight participants.
5 IMPORTANT Lessons from those Garcinia studies
1 . Most of the studies that have had results from Garcinia were conducted on animals and they seem to have been given a higher dose than what is considered safe for humans.
2 . If we were to consider the results from animal studies as safe to go for humans, then the deadly side effects such as potent testicular atrophy and liver damage should also be taken into serious account.
3 . Only a small number of Garcinia studies have been conducted on humans and the majority of them showed no results.
4 . There have been several reported cases of liver damage associated with Garcinia Cambogia.
5 . Several research papers agree that there isn’t sufficient clinical evidence to support the weight loss claims or safety of Garcinia Cambogia [10, 11, 12].
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does Garcinia Cambogia really work or not?
It works to some extent, but according to current clinical studies conducted so far, the results are really minimal.
Garcinia has failed to prove as the “revolutionary fat buster”.
As discussed in this article, there is a big lack of evidence from human trial studies to back up the weight loss claims of Garcinia.
Above all, some of the reported side effects of Garcinia make it not worth taking the risk.
How long does Garcinia Cambogia take to work?
Most people who claim to have lost weight with Garcinia say they had results within a month.
Back in 2012, Dr.Julie from Dr.Oz show also said people could lose up to 4 pounds within a month with just Garcinia alone.
Most of the clinical studies that support Garcinia were conducted for up to 12-16 weeks.
How long is a safe time period to take Garcinia without side effects?
If you ask for my personal opinion, I’d say no time period is safe with Garcinia.
However, there have been mixed reports on this.
While some sources say that it’s safe to take for 1 month, there have been reports of people diagnosed with deadly side effects within 2-3 weeks of taking it.
For instance, 2 women were diagnosed with liver failure after taking Garcinia for up to 2 weeks. One of them needed a liver transplant.
So do your research, consult with your doctor and decide if it’s worth taking the risk.