Garcinia cambogia is being hailed as the new wonder slimming aid; 100% natural, it belongs to the same genus as tamarind.
Every few years a new dieting fad comes along, but if the men in white coats are right, this one might just deliver where others have failed.
Garcinia cambogia is being hailed as the new wonder slimming aid; 100% natural, it belongs to the same genus as tamarind.
Losing weight can be complicated, but the bottom line is you will succeed only if your body burns more Calories than you ingest. Even if you do take weight off, chances are that it will creep back on again, and then some; we’ve been here before with The Men Who Made Us Thin.
What about appetite suppressants though? These have been around for a long time, one of the best known is tobacco; most smokers gain weight when they quit the habit. By the same token, most doctors would not advise taking up smoking as an alternative to eating less or exercising.
So what about garcinia cambogia? Garcinia is a plant native to Indonesia, and like ginseng it is believed to have near magical properties. The big question is, does it live up to the hype?
Over the past few months a lot of people have been uploading videos about it to YouTube; most of these YouTubers are women, and they are not all singing its praises uncritically, which gives the impression that most or all of them are genuine. At least to date none appear to have been uploaded by the cast of Coronation Street, which is surely a good sign!
Here is what appears to be a genuine review by a lady from Down Under. Although she seems to be unsure if she is engaged or married, she doesn’t appear to be a total flake, and her comments are worth noting.
Here is a talk show which features another young lady who really does know what she is talking about, Huffington Post correspondent and medical doctor Julie Chen. Here is another review from YouTube, this time by a man commenting on clinical trials and giving some sound advice about where not to buy it.
Only time will tell if this is really a wonder substance, but as it is 100% natural you are not likely to fall foul of the drug authorities wherever you live, and as it is a form of tamarind, it has a track record going back thousands of years. Finally, here is a review that is to be trusted, according to New York University, clinical trials have shown mixed results in humans, which means it may work for your neighbour but not for you. Or vice versa!
[The above op-ed was first published November 7, 2013 (London time), not November 6 as indicated here. When originally published, this article was linked to a video of Dr Julie Chen; this video has now been removed from its original location – not YouTube. I have replaced it with an article by her.]
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