Uses and Working of Garcinia Cambogia

Garcinia Cambogia is a pumpkin shaped yellowish fruit that is native to Indonesia. This fruit is also grown in Southeast Asia, Central and West Africa and in Indian coastal parts of Kerala and Karnataka. It is a tropical fruit and mostly thrives in moist forests. The size of the fruit, range from that of an orange, to a grapefruit. Mostly it looks like a reddish, greenish or yellowish pumpkin. The colour of this fruit can also vary considerably. The rind of the fruit becomes black or dark brown in colour when it is dried and cured for its extraction and storage.

Uses of Garcinia Cambogia

Cooking - It is mainly used in cooking, such as a preparation of various curries. A variety of traditional recipes are made using its extracts and the fruit rind. In the areas where the fruit is consumed, it is thought to make a meal more filling. In India, its extract and rind is also used as a curry condiment. The other places where this fruit and rind is used in food preparations are Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and other countries of South East Asia.

Fish Curing - Garcinia Cambogia fruit is commercially employed in Sri Lanka for fish curing. This process is also known as Colombo Curing and it is a commercial method of fish preservation that uses the fruit's antibacterial qualities for preservation.

Traditional Medicine - Along with its use in food preservation and food preparation, the extract is also sometimes used in making traditional medicines such as laxatives and purgatives for better bowel movement.

Weight Loss - The extracts of Garcinia Cambogia are used as an ingredient in some of the herbal products for energy, appetite suppressing and weight loss,

Working of Garcinia Cambogia Supplement

From the rind of this fruit, Hydroxycitric Acid or HCA is extracted. It has been seen that this extract has powerful results in making the body inhibit carbohydrate uptake, which results in repealing fat formation in the body. HCA extracted from the fruit helps in managing stress hormones and thus loose fat. Its seen that the ingredient stops the production of fat and burns more fat by moving towards glycogen. The supplement helps in increasing your level of serotonin and enhances your mood, thus cutting down on emotional eating. Thus, along with helping you lose fat but also removing the adverse carbohydrate effects, it also works as a good and effective appetite suppressant. HCA found in the Garcinia Cambogia extract also helps in blocking enzymes which work for the conversion of energy that is unused, into fat. Doing this, the fat is not able to build up into unwanted weight gain. This results in the body burning up other stored fat and thus resulting into weight loss.

Side Effects

Garcinia Cambogia extract is mostly found safe in people when it is used for upto twelve weeks or less. Though its long term safety is not known completely, it is mostly considered as a safe product. Also it is best to avoid using the product while breast feeding or during pregnancy.