If you’re like most people, weight health can often feel like a continuous uphill struggle without an end in sight. Healthy diets and physical activity can easily be disrupted by life events, stress and illness. Finding the time to organize your health plan can be even more daunting when you have a laundry list of other obligations. However, maintaining balanced weight health is critical to your body’s ability to function and ward off disease.

If you’ve ever struggled with weight health management, you’re not alone. In fact, globally about one in four adults is not active enough. Worldwide, about 315 million people fall into one of the World Health Organization’s obesity categories. Obesity is linked to several health concerns including joint issues, high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Now more than ever, researchers are looking for more ways to help people achieve healthier body weight compositions. Many plants, foods and herbs have been studied for their potential weight health benefits. One of the commonly discussed foods is garcinia, also known as GC. This unique fruit has appeared in headlines for the last thirty years as studies continue to unveil enticing weight management uses in a time when more than 39% of adults are overweight and another 13% are obese worldwide. Although garcinia continues to surface in news stories and studies, it is not new on the health scene. Since the 1990s, researchers and nutritionists have looked to garcinia as a method to naturally promote weight health.

What is Garcinia?

Garcinia cambogia (or Malabar tamarind) is a tropical fruit grown throughout Southeast Asia. It is used to preserve and flavor food and is a common ingredient found in Asian cooking. However, when most people learn about garcinia, it’s not because of its culinary uses. Since the 1960s, this pumpkin-shaped fruit has been studied for its benefits in weight management, exercise, joint pain and digestion. This is why it appears in many weight management health blends, such as Pure Vitality’s Garcinia Cambogia Slim Vitality.

The Science Behind Garcinia Health Benefits

The story began for garcinia in the late 1960s when researchers discovered a substance in the fruit called hydroxycitric acid, or HCA, which has been linked to a few interesting health benefits. It is this active ingredient that gives garcinia its reputation as a weight health booster.

More studies were conducted after garcinia showed promising appetite-suppressing effects on rats. One study conducted at the Ohio State University Medical Center found HCA to be effective in “restricting body weight gain in adult rats. Functional characterization of HCA-SX-sensitive genes revealed that upregulation of genes encoding serotonin receptors represent a distinct effect of dietary HCA-SX supplementation.”

A scientific review of these studies published in 2015 by Tshwane University of Technology concluded the following:

“Studies have shown that the extracts as well as (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA), a main organic acid component of the fruit rind, exhibited anti-obesity activity including reduced food intake and body fat gain by regulating the serotonin levels related to satiety, increased fat oxidation and decreased de novo lipogenesis. HCA is a potent inhibitor of adenosine triphosphate-citrate lyase, a catalyst for the conversion process of citrate to acetyl-coenzyme A, which plays a key role in fatty acid, cholesterol and triglycerides synthesis. The crude extract or constituents from the plant also exerted hypolipidaemic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anthelmintic, anticholinesterase and hepatoprotective activities in in vitro and in vivo models.”

How Does Garcinia Work?

The most popular discovery from studies about garcinia tends to be its ability to work as a weight management booster without needing dramatic lifestyle or dietary changes to be effective. Since garcinia is shown to balance serotonin levels, block fat cells and decrease appetite, it is commonly used in weight-balancing health plans. Although these studies signal a promising future for garcinia as a weight health booster, it is most effective when taken as a whole health approach. This means pairing garcinia with other potent ingredients and complementing its health benefits with a cleanse.

Colon Cleanses and Garcinia

A lifestyle of stress, processed foods, preservatives and unhealthy eating can overload the body with toxins. The body will try to flush out these toxins naturally, but this cleansing process can slow over time. When toxins build up faster than the body can cleanse them out naturally, colon function turns sluggish which can have numerous effects on weight health. Stunted metabolism, poor weight composition, fatigue and body aches are just a few of the symptoms of a sick colon.

Cleansing your colon can be as simple as adding two fibrous grapefruits to your daily meals, drinking plenty of water, cutting out junk food, increasing physical activity or burning excess fat with thermogenic substances like green coffee extract.

Both colon cleanses and garcinia have been used for centuries for their individual benefits, but together they make quite the pair as a modern weight health balancer. After cleansing the colon of toxins, taking garcinia can help the body recover and reach a balanced body weight composition. This is why many products market cleansing products with garcinia for weight management. Unfortunately, many of these products are not optimized with other healthful ingredients that can boost the effects of garcinia.

Other Important Ways to Enhance Weight Health

Due to its popularity, numerous garcinia products are marketed across the internet and world. Although many products promise weight health benefits, many do not contain the same potency of HCA, the active ingredient responsible for garcinia’s uses in weight health. To find high-quality sources of garcinia, check product labels for HCA extract potency and a testing or validation method used to determine it.

Some garcinia products may include other natural ingredients since this can compliment weight health while also enhancing other functions such as cognitive performance and physical activity. When paired together, these ingredients work on different systems of the body to boost healthy body weight composition. Beneficial weight health ingredients can be found in combination with the Slim Vitality Garcinia Cambogia blend by Pure Vitality.

Below are the ingredients that should be paired with garcinia to promote overall healthy weight composition.

Green Coffee Bean

Possibly one of the most newly prominent weight management superfoods on the market right now are green coffee beans and it’s not without reason. Coffee beans contain one active ingredient, Chlorogenic Acid, that is credited with balancing healthy weight composition. However, when coffee is roasted, it loses most of this potent ingredient. This is why health professionals and researchers have turned to uncooked green coffee beans instead to study weight management uses.

A study published in the Journal of International Medical Research examined the effects of chlorogenic acid on healthy and obese people. Both healthy and obese participants who consumed chlorogenic acid enriched coffee had reduced glucose absorption. This indicates chlorogenic acid can reduce body fat and body mass when taken for an extended period of time, the study concluded.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea seems to possess an endless abundance of health benefits. Used for centuries as both a food and a medicine, green tea continues to shine as a top superfood. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand green tea’s uses in health and medicine. It has been linked to beneficial uses in everything from high cholesterol to cancer and disease prevention.

However, its uses for weight management often steal the spotlight as new research is published every day. One of these studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that:

“Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se. The green tea extract may play a role in the control of body composition via sympathetic activation of thermogenesis, fat oxidation, or both.”

Another study conducted by the University of Chicago using mice showed more promising weight management effects. An active ingredient in green tea extract, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight due to appetite suppression.

Research is still being actively conducted on green tea, but so far, results are giving many people in the fitness and health communities reason to be attracted to this potent superfood. Green tea extract can also contribute more benefits when complemented with other healthy weight management ingredients like ketones, green coffee beans and garcinia.

Raspberry Ketones

Another popular topic in the health community, ketones, are cited to have positive results in many recent studies. Raspberry ketones are a flavoring agent extracted from red raspberries and other fruits that possess the ability to boost metabolism, according to research. A study by the Korea Food and Drug Administration found that raspberry ketones could “prevent high-fat-diet-induced elevation in body weight and… increase lipolysis in white adipocytes.”

Ketones are a more efficient energy source than fats, so the brain will often utilize them if they are present. This can happen during a state of ketosis when the body does not have enough carbohydrates to use glucose for fuel and will instead use up the body’s fat stores. This is why ketones are popularly discussed for weight management. Additionally, the presence of ketones is correlated with lower body fat percentages which indicate they play a positive role in weight health.

Other studies have found ketones to be beneficial for memory, focus and brain health as the body ages. One study found that ketones improved memory, while another study linked the use of ketones to increased cognitive performance among Alzheimer’s patients.

Acetyl L-Carnitine

Like ketones, Acetyl L-Carnitine is recognized for its ability to trigger the body to burn fat stores for energy, but it also packs extra health benefit for the brain. It is derived from amino acids that are naturally produced in almost every cell in the body. Specifically, Acetyl L-Carnitine is a processed form of L-Carnitine that shares all the same benefits but can additionally cross the blood-brain barrier and thus impact cognitive health. This has popularized Acetyl L-Carnitine as both a brain and weight health booster.

Acetyl L-Carnitine plays a vital role in metabolism, energy production and weight management because it helps convert food to fuel for the body. Studies have also found that it stimulates antioxidant activity, which is necessary to protect the body from free radicals that naturally escape when food is converted to energy. Stress, age and illness can also increase free radical activity. Free radicals are associated with a number of health issues including disease because they cause damage to DNA and cells. Poor weight balance and overall health can be indicators of the oxidative stress caused by free radicals. However, studies have uncovered protective benefits of L-Carnitine. According to a study published in 2011, L-Carnitine can increase “activities of antioxidant enzymes and the total antioxidant capacity.”

Overconsumption of food can lead to inefficient beta-oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids into energy, and cause fat to collect then clog metabolism. Since L-Carnitine is linked to improved metabolic function, it is frequently studied for weight health benefits. One study from the University of Catania observed the benefits of L-Carnitine on elderly patients and concluded that it caused “a reduction of total fat mass, an increase of total muscle mass, and appeared to exert a favorable effect on fatigue and serum lipids.” The study also found that it improved cholesterol.

L-Carnitine and Acetyl L-Carnitine have been linked to several other health benefits, including blood sugar balance. A study of 15 patients with Type II Diabetes found that “L-carnitine constant infusion improves insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant diabetic patients; a significant effect on whole body insulin-mediated glucose uptake is also observed in normal subjects.”

Acetyl L-Carnitine is an especially powerful component of weight management health when paired with another health ingredient like garcinia.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

The next beneficial weight management ingredient is Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid. Like all essential fatty acids, CLA is linked to improved immunity, weight management and overall health when consumed with a balanced diet. A report published by University of Southern Denmark found CLA to have anti-obesity properties by decreasing energy intake and suppressing appetite and impact other functions such as lipid metabolism and inflammation.

A human study of overweight and obese people found that patients who took 3-4 grams of CLA supplement a day for six months experienced improvements in weight health. The study concluded, “supplementation with CLA in healthy, overweight and obese adults decreases BFM in specific regions and is well tolerated.” Another study published in 1998 found that CLA supplementation significantly increases metabolic rate and reduced body fat in mice.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid continues to be a topic of interest for many scientists and health professionals. It has exploded in the fitness community for its weight management benefits. However, scientists are studying CLA for even more uses – including combating cancer and heart disease. For now, it seems CLA will continue to play a role in the fitness and health world as a weight management balancer.

It’s important to note that CLA is not made naturally by the body and must be obtained through food and supplementation. It performs best when taken in combination with other weight management ingredients such as the ones described in this article.

Piperine

Extracted from a piper nigrum fruit in Southeast Asia, piperine is the fuel that powers weight management benefits up to the next level. Piperine is mostly known for its ability to enhance the absorption of other nutrients. It often appears in combination with other ingredients in health blends and supplements because it can maximize absorption naturally. Piperine has also been linked antioxidant benefits including protecting cells from free radical damage. Other research has indicated that piperine could have its own weight management qualities by blocking fat cell formation, however, studies are still being conducted to understand piperine’s exact role in this process.

Weight Health Boosters

Each of these ingredients provides a different function that helps boost a healthy weight composition.

In studies, these ingredients have the following effects:

Garcinia and green tea are linked suppressed appetite
Raspberry ketones and Acetyl L-Carnitine are linked to increased fat oxidation and increased metabolic function
Piperine is linked to enhancing weight management benefits by increasing the bioavailability of nutritional compounds

Together, these ingredients compliment each other to provide complete weight management health-boosting activities. To enjoy the benefits of all of the above, try Slim Vitality Garcinia Cambogia by Pure Vitality.

Important Health Note

Make sure to speak with your doctor before using any health supplement, including ones containing the health ingredients described in this article. Consult your physician about any interactions natural health supplements could have on you or any of the medications you take.

Pure Vitality

Pure Vitality a natural supplement company based in an isolated village nestled against the snow-capped Southern Alps of New Zealand. We research health conditions thoroughly to discover the underlying root causes, find the most effective natural remedies, target the root causes rather than use a Band-Aid approach, use a multi-prong approach to fix the root causes from many directions and use high potency ingredients at scientifically supported amounts.

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15200237/

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/garcinia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25732350

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15200237/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20425690

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10067662

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12875611

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2826589/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9728060