Hydroxycitric Acid
The newest diet ingredient
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Now there's a promising new way to help in the battle to lose weight without the use of stimulants, as in thermogenic products. It is (-)hydroxycitric acid (HCA), a natural extract of the fruit of the South Asian tree called Garcinia Cambogia. The fruit of the Garcinia is about the size of an orange, but it looks similar to a small pumpkin.

HCA, also known as Citrimax™ or Citrin®, may be new in the dieting world, but it is not new to the scientific world. To date, more than 70 scientific papers have been published which involve research on Garcinica/HCA. In one published study, HCA when combined with niacin-bound chromium almost tripled weight loss over a two-month period when compared to a placebo.

How does HCA work? Our bodies convert the calories we eat into energy. During and after meals, calories that are not immediately used for energy are stored in the body in the liver and muscles as glycogen, which is a ready source of energy for the body. When glycogen stores become filled, monitors in the liver send satiety signals to the brain indicating we are full. This is one of the primary ways the appetite is reduced during a meal. However, when we take in too many calories and glycogen stores are filled, the leftover amount is converted through several steps into cholesterol or into fatty acids, which are stored throughout the body.

The conversion of carbohydrates into fat requires an enzyme called ATP-citrate lyase. HCA works by temporarily inhibiting this enzyme, which essentially means it blocks the fat production. Prevention of converting excess calories into fat in turn slows the production of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. At the same time, the liver is able to synthesize more glycogen, amplifying the satiety signal to the brain and suppressing appetite and food cravings. The increased production of glycogen in the liver can also lead to greater and more sustained energy for those with glycogen storage problems.

Garcinia/HCA has been shown to be very safe for adults. Children and pregnant women should not take it, due to the need for fat synthesis during development. HCA is not a stimulant of the central nervous system, so it will not cause nervousness of increased heart rate.

HCA's effectiveness may be increased when combined with other nutrients, such as chromium or Gymnema sylvestre. When taken as a dietary supplement, Garcinia/HCA can be an effective addition to a weight management program, which should include proper diet, a good general multivitamin supplement, and exercise.

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The above article is something I read before I went out and bought HCA. I've just started taking this a week ago...has anyone else ever tried it? If you have, please reply as I'm interested in how it worked for you.

I'll keep you posted on my progress, but I can tell you it helps kill the appetite but I don't feel wired or shaky when I take it as it's ephedra free (no speed for me! LOL)!!

Wolfiesask

Wolfiesask, would you happen to have a link to the article, or perhaps the particulars of it? (author, magazine etc,) so that we can properly credit it?

Thanks!
Nat

http://www.akins.com/HH/hca.htm

This is one of many sites I went to when doing my research and the one I copied the article from.

Thanks, Woflie, I added the link to the post so it's credited and no one can be upset with us

Nat

BTW, this is what my favourite supplement watchdog has to say about HCA - I've never tried the product, but it looks like it might be promising.

Nat

OK, so I'm always the pessimist about such things but there is one thing I don't get:

If you're not eating the carbs to be stored into fat, how is HCA going to help? We already have the appetite suppression from our low-carb lifestyle, and many of us have trouble eating enough food as it is.

It seems to me that HCA is beneficial to those who continue to cling to a low-fat/high-carb diet. But it doesn't increase fat burning, it prevents fat building.

;-Deb

Hi, I've just read that link and I've come away with the notion that it only really works if you're eating enough carbs to be converting the excess into fat. Which we're not, are we? So it might work in people with 'normal' diets but not us?

My gut reaction to anything like this is "Oh no, not another "Magic Bullet". But then again there are so many of those diet drugs like Metabolife, Metabolite, 48 hour hollywood "miracle" diet, slim fast, ripped fuel, hydroxycut, body solutions... The list is almost endless. I just feel like if all of these drugs REALLY worked, we would all look like Brad Pitt and Brittney Spears. A healthy diet is the only TRUE solution, in my humble opinion.

We all remember Fen-Fen, right? I have a cousin on permanent oxygen from trying a new radical diet drug. But then again she is also something like $6,000,000.00 richer. But is it really worth it?

-Rick