FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A moss-like plant grown only in a few countries may offer better pain relief than medical marijuana, animal research suggests.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) from marijuana is used to treat conditions such as pain, muscle cramps, dizziness and loss of appetite. However, while medical marijuana is increasingly accepted in the United States, it’s illegal in many countries and can cause significant side effects.
Swiss scientists are working with a potential alternative. They say the liverwort plant (Radula perrottetii) contains an anti-inflammatory substance called perrottetinene that’s related to THC. The plant only grows in Japan, New Zealand and Costa Rica.
“This natural substance has a weaker psychoactive effect and, at the same time, is capable of inhibiting inflammatory processes in the brain,” researcher Andrea Chicca said in a University of Bern news release. Chicca is with the university’s Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.
Using a synthetic version of the compound on lab animals, the researchers found that perrottetinene reaches the brain easily and activates cannabinoid receptors there. They said it also has a stronger anti-inflammatory effect in the brain than THC.
However, this is still early stage research, the scientists noted, so medical pot won’t have competition anytime soon. And research on animals often doesn’t produce the same results in humans.
The study was published Oct. 24 in the journal Science Advances.
Japanese researchers in the 1990s were the first to identify the psychoactive compound in the liverwort plant. Previously, it was thought that only marijuana produced psychoactive effects, according to background notes with the study.
If you haven’t, you probably will soon enough; or perhaps you’ve heard of it, but you don’t know what it’s all about. If you follow diet trends, or buy diet or weight loss products, however, then Garcinia combogia has likely already become part of your everyday vocabulary: This extract of a South Asian plant is hot stuff these days.
For the past two years, I’ve been working on a book. The final product, titled Unmasking Superfoods, is now in wide release. While the road from concept to completion was long and at times daunting, I actually enjoyed the process more than I expected to, and the things I discovered changed the way I look at food.
Throughout the process of writing, however, I found myself tempted to write in a loud and highly opinionated — some might call obnoxious — way a voice heard often in diet and nutrition books these days. Bestsellers tend to be full of sweeping generalizations, us-vs.-them thinking and, perhaps most irritatingly, cherry-picked research, all to support the author’s grand claim. There’s also the common theme that “this” is poison, or “that” is the reason we struggle with our weight — though “this” and “that” can vary with each book. It was hard to know where my way of thinking fit in.
Garcinia cambogia is a plant found in India, Indonesia and other parts of South Asia that has a long history of use in cooking as a flavour agent in place of lemon or tamarind. More recently, Garcinia cambogia’s claim to fame stems from a compound found in the dried rind of its fruit, known as hydroxycitric acid, or HCA. First identified in the 1960s, HCA inhibits a particular enzyme, known as ATP-citrate-lyase, and early studies on cells and animals suggested it could prevent fat storage, reduce appetite, and ultimately, support weight loss efforts.
THE SCIENCE
The first well-controlled trial on Garcinia cambogia was published in 1998 in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), but the results were hardly sensational: in 84 overweight, but otherwise healthy men and women, half of whom were randomized to receive either two 500mg caplets of Garcinia cambogia 30 minutes before each of three meals per day (the caplets contained 50% HCA, providing a total of 1,500mg of the active compound per day), and half of whom received a placebo, or dummy pill, there was no significant difference in body weight or body fat between groups after 12 weeks. In fact, the placebo group actually lost nine pounds and 2.16% of body fat over the course of the study, while the Garcinia cambogia group lost seven pounds and 1.44% body fat, though the differences between the groups was small enough to be considered statistically insignificant.
National Post files
Importantly, while subjects were encouraged to follow a calorie-and fat-reduced diet, while maintaining their usual activity level, these elements of the study were not tightly controlled. While that means we didn’t necessarily gain insight in to the true effects of Garcinia cambogia alone, it does give a sense of how effective the supplement could be in a “real world” situation, and the results were hardly promising.
All told, among all placebo-controlled studies using HCA or Garcinia cambogia for at least eight weeks, six have demonstrated some benefit, while six have not. Of the six positive studies, only two used HCA or Garcinia cambogia on its own: the rest used weight-loss supplements that included other compounds, such as chromium or fibre, which could have influenced the results. In one of the two positive studies, published in 2000, overweight women given 2,400 mg of Garcinia cambogia (providing 1,200 mg of HCA) per day along with a low-calorie diet and exercise, lost 8.2 lbs over 12 weeks, versus 5.3 lbs for the placebo group. Interestingly, there was no difference in appetite markers between the groups, despite that being one of Garcinia cambogia’s possible methods of action. Also interesting was the fact that a small group of men initially included in the study had their results excluded because they showed no response to the supplement.
Of the six neutral studies, four examined HCA or Garcinia cambogia alone, with doses ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day of HCA. None found any effect on body weight or body fatness.
TAKING GARCINIA CAMBOGIA
If you do choose to take Garcinia cambogia, it is generally recommended that you do so between 30-60 minutes before each meal, however, some evidence suggests HCA levels take closer to between one and two hours to reach their peak, and that food present in the stomach suppresses its effect. So taking it on an empty stomach at least an hour before a meal is probably best. Recommended doses vary widely, but research studies typically use 1,000 mg to 2,400 mg of HCA per day, taken in divided doses over three meals.
‘You can’t trust most Garcinia labels, nor should you rely on suggested serving sizes’
As mentioned, Garcinia cambogia and HCA are commonly included in many weight loss products, often in combination with other stimulants, appetite suppressants or weight loss agents. Since being mentioned on The Dr. Oz Show in 2012, Garcinia supplements have exploded in popularity, leading to quality concerns. In late 2013, Consumer Labs, a consumer watchdog based out of the U.S., tested 13 Garcinia supplements, and found that only six contained the amount of HCA listed on the label.
Side effects, such as digestive upset and headache have been noted, but to date, Garcinia is generally considered safe, although studies in humans have only lasted up to 12 weeks.
THE BOTTOM LINE
“You can’t trust most Garcinia labels, nor should you rely on suggested serving sizes,” says Consumer Labs, and it’s hard to argue with the statement.
Garcinia might have some effect on weight loss, but to date, we have precious little high quality evidence in humans to prove the claims true. For my money, your best bet is still to focus on old-fashioned habits, such as a good, balanced diet and exercise, cooking and eating at home, and addressing mindless eating issues.
But that’s never quite as sexy as prescribing weight loss in a bottle, now is it?
-Jennifer Sygo, MSc., RD, is a registered dietitian and sports nutritionist at Cleveland Clinic Canada, and author of the newly released nutrition book Unmasking Superfoods, (HarperCollins, $19.99). Visit her on the Web at jennifersygo.com and send your comments and nutrition-related questions to her at info@jennifersygo.com.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — What’s the slimming secret of celebrities these days? Hollywood is supposedly swearing by an all-natural, appetite suppressant.
But could it really help you lose weight like a star? CBS2’s Cindy Hsu went to find out.
“The claim is that the active ingredient decreases our appetite and decreases the amount of fat we store,” Slayton said.
The active ingredient is called hydroxycitric acid, also known as HCA, and the one-two punch it supposedly delivers has many people saying they’re effortlessly shedding the pounds. Some say they’ve lost as much as 20 pounds over a single month.
“I’ve been seeing a really big difference in the way clothes are fitting me,” one user said.
Another said they’ve lost 47 pounds. Others claim different benefits.
“I’ve been seeing more definition in the shoulders, the pectorals and the arms,” another said.
Manufactured by a variety of supplement companies and sold just about everywhere now in pill form, Garcinia Cambogia actually comes from a tropical fruit grown in Southeast Asia.
For best results, directions indicate to take three pills a day; one before breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“By the time we are ready for our meals, we don’t really feel very hungry,” a user said.
But before you run out and buy a bottle, Slayton said the research on whether it actually works is mixed.
“There are some studies that show it’s more effective than a placebo, a couple of pounds,” she said.
But about half the studies show no results at all.
“And those are studies using an exact precise amount so it’s not necessarily effective,” Slayton said.
“We don’t always know exactly what else is in there, probably just filler,” he said.
“Garcinia Cambogia, did it for about a week, gained weight people,” another review read.
Reported side effects include dizziness and nausea.
Experts say there really is no “magic pill” and that the best way to lose weight is through diet and exercises, but they do have some tips.
“What we suggest is matcha, which is a powder form of green tea and research shows it improves your metabolism and decreases your fat storage,” Slayton added.
Several studies show matcha improves metabolism and decreases fat storage, something Slayton say has yet to be proven with Garcinia Cambogia.
