The real truth about Citrimax and weight loss...

HCA (also known as hydroxycitric acid or CitriMax®) is a popular ingredient found in many weight loss supplements. It's derived from the fruit rinds of Garcinia Cambogia, which has traditionally been used to make meals more "filling."

Animal research shows that HCA can reduce food intake by raising serotonin levels [6]. Some studies show a direct link between obesity (due to overeating) and decreased brain serotonin levels.

HCA is also supposed to inhibit the formation of fat, and increase the activity of certain enzymes that oxidize, or burn fat.

In theory, HCA reduces the conversion of carbohydrate to fat by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme citrate lyase [2]. HCA may also increase glycogen storage in the liver, leading to a sensation of fullness and reduced appetite.

Most human research shows that HCA has little effect on weight loss. In one study, three days of HCA supplementation (3 grams daily) had no effect on fat oxidation at rest or during exercise when 30-35% of the calories in the diet come from fat [4].

And researchers from Maastricht University found that HCA, taken alone or combined with medium-chain triglycerides, does not increase weight loss over a two-week period [3].

Eleven overweight male subjects consumed three meals and four snacks daily with no supplementation, 500 milligrams of HCA, or 500 milligrams of HCA and three grams of medium-chain triglycerides. Although all subjects lost weight, there was no difference between groups.

There is some evidence to show that higher doses of HCA can suppress hunger. However, the results are far from consistent.

In one trial, HCA (300 milligrams three times daily) was shown to reduce 24-hour energy intake in obese humans by 15-30% with no increase in hunger [7].

However, a three-month study of 89 overweight females at Purdue University shows that 1.2 grams of HCA daily has no effect on appetite. Interestingly, the group using HCA did lose more weight (8 pounds versus 5 pounds) than subjects given a placebo [5].

In contrast, a trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows no effect of HCA on weight loss over the same period [1].

The problem with many of these studies is that they've used relatively small amounts (1500 milligrams daily) of HCA.

According to one research team, the optimal amount for human consumption is 2,700-2,800 milligrams of HCA per day taken in three divided doses (900 milligrams HCA per serving) 30-60 minutes before meals.

This high dose is based on recent animal trials, which show that the amount of HCA needed to increase serotonin levels is a lot higher than previously thought.

The researchers, publishing their findings in the journal Nutrition Research, found that higher doses of HCA (alone and in combination with Gymnema sylvestre extract and niacin-bound chromium) could speed up weight loss, mainly by reducing calorie intake [8, 9].

The study, which was the initial phase of a larger trial published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, involved 30 volunteers divided into three groups.

Group A (HCA-SX) received Super CitriMax® (4,667 milligrams providing 2,800 milligrams of HCA per day).

Group B (Formula) received a combination of Super CitriMax® (4,667 milligrams providing 2,800 milligrams of HCA per day) plus niacin-bound chromium as ChromeMate® (400 micrograms of chromium per day) and Gymnema sylvestre extract (400 milligrams providing 100 milligrams of gymnemic acids per day). Group C received a placebo.

The supplements were administered daily in three divided doses 30-60 minutes before meals. All three groups were placed on a diet of 2,000 calories per day and took part in a 30-minute supervised walking program, five days a week.

After eight weeks, those taking Super CitriMax® alone lost 12 pounds, while the group taking Super CitriMax® plus ChromeMate and Gymnema sylvestre lost 15 pounds. In contrast, the placebo group lost only three pounds

Serotonin levels increased more in the Super CitriMax® and Formula groups than in the placebo group. Appetite (measured by the amount of food remaining on the plate) was also reduced.

At the end of eight weeks, subjects in the Super CitriMax® and Formula groups reduced their food intake, while those in the placebo group actually ate more.

This study appears to show that higher doses of HCA (alone and in combination with Gymnema sylvestre extract and niacin-bound chromium) can speed up weight loss, mainly by suppressing the appetite and reducing calorie intake.

However, the research has come in for criticism from other experts in the field.

Dr. Steven B. Heymsfield, a Professor of Medicine at New York's St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, along with colleagues from Weill-Cornell University and Harvard Medical School, point out a potential conflict of interest that was not mentioned in the paper [14].

"We note that Dr D. Bagchi lists himself as a faculty member of Creighton University, even though he is now Vice President for Research and Development of Inter Health, the supplier of the reported products. The Inter Health web site has a 1999 listing naming Dr Bagchi as Director of Research for the company. Similarly, Dr Preuss is listed on the web site as a consultant to Inter Health, although his affiliations and those of his other colleagues are not reported in the paper."

There were also some odd results that were not explained in the paper.

Why, for example, did the group using Super CitriMax® gain weight in the first four weeks of the study, despite the fact that serotonin levels (which the authors think may help to explain the drop in appetite) actually increased? And why did this group then suddenly lose weight from weeks four to eight?

What was responsible for the extra weight loss in the Formula group? Was it the Gymnema sylvestre extract, the chromium, or both?

What's more, the diet provided was high in carbohydrate and low in protein (2,000 calories per day, 17% protein, 25% fat, and 58% carbohydrate).

Many of the benefits offered by the supplements, such as reduced appetite or improved blood sugar control, could have been achieved by replacing some of this carbohydrate with protein, or simply by following a proper program of resistance and aerobic exercise.

About The Author
Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.

If you're stuck in a rut with your current exercise and diet plan... fed up with only losing a pound here and there... or still skinny after months (or even years) of trying to build muscle and gain weight... click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.

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References
1. Heymsfield, S.B., Allison, D.B., Vasselli, J.R., Pietrobelli, A., Greenfield, D., & Nunez, C. (1998). Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 280, 1596-1600
2. Jena, B.S., Jayaprakasha, G.K., Singh, R.P., & Sakariah, K.K. (2002). Chemistry and biochemistry of (-)-hydroxycitric acid from Garcinia. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50, 10-22
3. Kovacs, E.M., Westerterp-Plantenga, M.S., & Saris, W.H. (2001). The effects of 2-week ingestion of (--)-hydroxycitrate and (--)-hydroxycitrate combined with medium-chain triglycerides on satiety, fat oxidation, energy expenditure and body weight. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 25, 1087-1094
4. Kriketos, A.D., Thompson, H.R., Greene, H., & Hill, J.O. (1999). (-)-Hydroxycitric acid does not affect energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in adult males in a post-absorptive state. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 23, 867-873
5. Mattes, R.D., & Bormann, L. (2000). Effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables. Physiology and Behavior, 71, 87-94
6. Ohia, S.E., Awe, S.O., LeDay, A.M., Opere, C.A., & Bagchi, D. (2001). Effect of hydroxycitric acid on serotonin release from isolated rat brain cortex. Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology, 109, 210-216
7. Westerterp-Plantenga, M.S., & Kovacs, E.M. (2002). The effect of (-)-hydroxycitrate on energy intake and satiety in overweight humans. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 870-872
8. Preuss, H.G., Bagchi, D., Bagchi, M., Rao, C.V., Dey, D.K., & Satyanarayana, S. (2004). Effects of a natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 6, 171-180
9. Preuss, H.G., Bagchi, D., Bagchi, M., Rao, C.V., Satyanarayana, S., & Dey, D.K. (2004). Efficacy of a novel, natural extract of (–)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX, niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract in weight management in human volunteers: a pilot study. Nutrition Research, 24, 45-58