Citrin garcinia cambogia is marketed as a weight-loss aid. It purportedly helps block fat production in your body while reducing your appetite. Such theoretical benefits may come at a price, however, including possible liver problems, according to Washington D.C. lawyers Michael E. Schmidt and Collen A. Clark. Other side effects are possible, too. Always consult a health-care professional before trying a new weight-loss supplement.
Claimed Effects
Citrin garcinia cambogia is better known as hydroxycitric acid, or HCA. This is a modified form of citric acid. In theory, it works by blocking an enzyme in your body called ATP citrate lyase that is responsible for allowing carbohydrates to be stored as fat. The side effect of this process is supposed to be a decreased appetite.
Scientific Evidence
Studies on HCA produce mixed results. A 2000 study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" concludes that this substance is not an anti-obesity agent because it does not produce significant fat mass loss or weight loss. However, a 2004 study published in "Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry," concludes that HCA does lead to significant weight loss. The 2004 study was performed on rats, however, while the earlier study featured human subjects. Meanwhile, a 2000 study published in "Physiology and Behavior" on whether HCA is effective in suppressing hunger in people found no evidence to support this claim.
Safety
Manufacturers of HCA claim that their products are safe. However, not enough scientific evidence exists to back such claims, according to Columbia University Health Services in New York. In fact, attempts to turn HCA into a weight-loss drug have been scrapped by at least one major pharmaceutical company due to problems such as testicular atrophy in animals during testing, according to Columbia.
Considerations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against one line of products that feature HCA in 2009 because they are associated with numerous serious liver injuries. However, the FDA notes that it hasn't determined exactly which ingredients or dosages are associated with the risk of liver damage and that the products contain a number of ingredients in the formulations. Following the warning, however, some lawyers began advertising possible lawsuits against companies that make diet pills featuring HCA.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Warning on Hydroxycut Products; May 2009
- "Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry"; Physico-Chemical Properties of a Novel (-)-Hydroxycitric Acid; M. Shara, et al.; 2004
- "Physiology and Behavior"; Effects of (-)-Hydroxycitric Acid on Appetitive Variables; R.D. Mattes and L. Bormann; 2000
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxycitric Acid) as a Potential Antiobesity Agent; Steven B. Heymsfield, et al.; 1998
- Columbia University Health Services: Weight Loss Products Containing Hydroxy Citric Acid --- Safe?; September 2000
- Schmidt And Clark; Hydroxycitric Acid & Liver Injury, Liver Damage Lawsuit; 2009
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