Garcinia

Last Updated: May 1, 2025

Garcinia cambogia is a fruit that has historically been used as a food-flavoring agent and in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. More recently, and despite the need for more evidence to support its effectiveness, it has gained popularity as a weight-loss supplement.

Garcinia is most often used for

What is Garcinia cambogia?

Garcinia cambogia is a fruit that is native to India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka but can now be found across Southeast Asia.[1] The fruit rind has been used to flavor food and to cure fish[6] and is sometimes added to food to make meals more filling.[7] While the fruit is safe to eat, it is rarely eaten raw because of its acidic taste.[6] It has also been used traditionally as a treatment for multiple medical conditions, including constipation, intestinal parasites, and menstrual irregularities.[8][1]

What are Garcinia cambogia’s main benefits?

Garcinia cambogia is most commonly used to help with weight loss, and some studies have found it can help with lowering body weight, body fat, and BMI.[9][10][11] Other studies have found that it was not effective for weight loss.[4][5] Even in studies that showed weight loss, the amount was minimal (2–3 kilograms, or 4.4–6.6 lbs, over 3 months), and Garcinia was only studied in the short term. Furthermore, although the differences noted between the control and treatment groups were statistically significant, they were not clinically meaningful. It is also worth noting that some studies used combination supplements that contained other ingredients, such as Gymnema sylvestre and chromium, and any effects cannot be attributed directly to Garcinia cambogia.

Although there are several other potential uses, including as an antibiotic or a treatment for stomach ulcers, there is little evidence to support them at present, and further clinical trials are needed to investigate these effects in humans.[12][1]

How does Garcinia cambogia work?

The active component in Garcinia cambogia is called hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA inhibits an enzyme called adenosine triphosphate citrate lyase (ACLY). ACLY is important for the synthesis of acetyl-CoA, which is used in energy production and the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. HCA inhibits ACLY, which leads to a decrease in fatty acid synthesis and an increase in glycogen production and storage. This process might increase energy expenditure, and the stimulation of gluconeogenesis (glucose production) in the liver could decrease appetite. Other mechanisms, including vagal nerve stimulation and an upregulation of serotonin, could also contribute to the weight-loss effects of Garcinia cambogia.[13][14]

What are other names for Garcinia?
Note that Garcinia is also known as:
  • Malabar tamarind
  • Garcinia gummi-gutta
  • Hydroxycitric acid (HCA)
  • (-)-Hydroxycitric acid
  • Pazhampuli
  • Gambooge
Garcinia should not be confused with:
Dosage information

Formulation:

Garcinia cambogia supplements are usually taken as capsules and are also often part of combination weight-loss supplements.

The usual dosage is 1,500 milligrams per day (mg/day) of the active ingredient hydroxycitric acid (HCA), but some toxicology studies suggest a no-observed-adverse-effect level of up to 2,800 mg/day.[1]

Range of dosages studied:

Studies have used dosages ranging from 300 milligrams to 4,667 milligrams of HCA per day.[2][3] It is worth noting that not all the studies looked at Garcinia cambogia or HCA in isolation, and some used combination supplements.

Effective dosages:

People trying to lose weight

Adults: 500 mg of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) three times per day before meals.

Special considerations: Garcinia cambogia may have a minimal effect on body weight, and, although this is the most commonly recommended dose for weight loss, it might not be effective.[4][5]

Other considerations:

There are no recommended doses as yet for the other potential uses of Garcinia cambogia. This is because there is no evidence to support its efficacy outside of its use as a weight-loss supplement.

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Update History
31 days ago

All new FAQs were added to this page.

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We added all new FAQs to this page, which include:

What is Garcinia cambogia?: A new FAQ with information about where garcinia comes from and its historical uses.

What are Garcinia cambogia's main benefits?: Garcinia's use for weight loss is discussed and the limited effectiveness highlighted.

How does Garcinia cambogia work?: A brief discussion on the possible mechanism of action has been added.

Does Garcinia cambogia lower cholesterol levels?: The evidence in this area suggests garcinia might lower triglyceride levels, but is inconclusive for other cholesterol measures.

Can Garcinia cambogia treat type 2 diabetes?: We added the current evidence which does not yet support the use of garcinia to lower blood sugar.

Is Garcinia cambogia an anti-inflammatory?: Studies in vitro show some potential anti-inflammatory effects of garcinia.

Can Garcinia cambogia be used to treat cancer?: In vitro studies suggest that garcinia might have some anticancer properties, but clinical trials are needed.

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References
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Examine Database References
  1. Food Intake - Kim JE, Jeon SM, Park KH, Lee WS, Jeong TS, McGregor RA, Choi MSDoes Glycine max leaves or Garcinia Cambogia promote weight-loss or lower plasma cholesterol in overweight individuals: a randomized control trialNutr J.(2011 Sep 21)
  2. Weight - Mattes RD, Bormann LEffects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variablesPhysiol Behav.(2000 Oct 1-15)
  3. Weight - Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, Pietrobelli A, Greenfield D, Nunez CGarcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trialJAMA.(1998 Nov 11)
  4. Testosterone - Hayamizu K, Tomi H, Kaneko I, Shen M, Soni MG, Yoshino GEffects of Garcinia cambogia extract on serum sex hormones in overweight subjectsFitoterapia.(2008 Jun)