The Federal Trade Commission has announced its first ever case tackling fake, paid reviews published on an “independent retail website.” According to the FTC, it has settled a complaint with Cure Encapsulations and its owner Naftula Jacobwitz over alleged “false and unsubstantiated claims” involving a weight-loss supplement sold on Amazon. According to the FTC’s complaint, the company paid a third-party website to post fake reviews about the product.
Garcinia Cambogia, brindle berry, Malabar tamarind or Garcinia gummi-gutta, this fruit has n number of names and health benefits. There are over 300 species in this genus but this one gets max attention due to its properties. Garcinia Cambogia is a little pumpkin-shaped fruit which is light greenish-yellow in color and has a sweet-sour taste. For centuries it has been used in the South-east Asian countries for making meals more filling. Multiple studies have shown that this fruit has the ability to burn oodles of fat in just a month. But besides weight loss, this fruit has many other health benefits to offer. This is one of the reasons why Garcinia Cambogia is termed as the ultimate fruit.
Also read: These Are The Healthiest Citrus Fruits: Know The Health Benefits
So let’s cut to the chase and take a look at 6 miraculous health benefits of Garcinia Cambogia.
1. Weight loss
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One of the most talked about health benefits of Garcinia Cambogia is weight loss. When it comes to weight gain, certain enzymes do the damage. They slow down body metabolism and store the calories consumed in the form of fat. These enzymes need to be blocked in order to prevent the calories from being stored. This is done by hydroxy citric acid (HCA) in Garcinia Cambogia. This acid converts the calories into glycogen which is necessary for building muscles. Both the fruit and the supplement can promote weight loss.
2. Eliminating fatigue
Certain enzymes slow down your body metabolism and make you feel lazy. Other health conditions can also be blamed for chronic fatigue. This can be eliminated by regular consumption of Garcinia Cambogia. HCA in this fruit boosts your stamina and this acts as a motivation for you to move to a healthier lifestyle.
3. Keeps you safe from HIV
HIV happens to be one of the deadliest diseases in today’s world. This virus directly attacks your immune system and weakens it over time. It may sound strange that the properties of a fruit can fight back a virus as deadly as HIV, but it is true. Some researchers show that the Garcinol compound in this fruit has the ability to replicate HIV virus and to destroy them.
Also read: Tiger Nuts: Weight Loss, Anti-Ageing And Many More Health Benefits
4. Suppresses appetite
Garcinia cambogia promotes weight loss by boosting body metabolism and by suppressing appetite as well. Basically, the extracts of this fruit train your body in a way by which it eats limited food at specific times. For example, for those who are trying to lose weight, giving up on snacks is not such an easy task. To kill the temptation, the extracts of this fruit can be used.
5. Reduces stress and depression
Cortisol is one of the most common stress hormones. HCA in Garcinia Cambogia is helpful in regulating the levels of this hormone. It reduces the levels of this hormone in the body, thereby treating anxiety. Regular consumption of this herbal supplement can improve the functioning of your organs and reduce oxidative stress in the body. Besides this, the organic compounds of this fruit can be helpful in releasing the pleasure hormones in the body. This stabilizes the mood and can contribute in treating long-term depression.
Also read: 10 Awesome Health Benefits Of Mangoes
6. Lowers cholesterol
Bad cholesterol or LDL levels in the body need to be regulated in order to keep heart diseases at bay. Garcinia Cambogia optimizes cholesterol balance in the body. The compounds of this fruit are known to lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels thereby keeping serious heart diseases at bay.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is finally tackling the scourge of fake reviews on online marketplaces like Amazon, bringing its first successful case against a company that it said paid to artificially boost its product’s ratings.
The agency filed a complaint on Feb. 19 alleging that the company, Cure Encapsulations, Inc., and its owner, Naftula Jacobowitz, paid a website called Amazonverifiedreviews.com to post glowing critiques of a weight loss supplement called garcinia cambogia. In addition to maintaining a rating of at least 4.3 out of 5 stars, the reviews asserted that the product was a “powerful appetite suppressant” that “literally blocks fat from forming” — claims that the FTC found to be false and unsubstantiated.
As part of the terms of the settlement, announced Tuesday, the company must notify Amazon that it paid for fake reviews, violating the e-commerce giant’s terms of service, and must contact anyone who purchased the supplements to disclose the FTC’s findings.
Cure Encapsulations and its owner are also now barred from making “weight loss, appetite suppression, fat-blocking or disease treatment claims for any dietary supplement, food or drug unless they have competent and reliable scientific evidence in the form of human clinical testing supporting the claims.” If the company does continue marketing products, it is prohibited from misrepresenting endorsements. Finally, the agency levied a $12.8 million judgment against the company, of which it will have to pay $50,000, with the remainder due if it is found to have misrepresented its financial situation.
“People rely on reviews when they’re shopping online,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “When a company buys fake reviews to inflate its Amazon ratings, it hurts both shoppers and companies that play by the rules.”
Amazon’s fake-review problem has been widely known for years: The company banned incentivized reviews in October 2016 and has since shut down accounts suspected of abusing the system and even sued websites and individuals for selling fraudulent reviews online. Still, the issue has persisted, according to review audit sites like ReviewMeta and FakeSpot.
“We welcome the FTC’s work in this area,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “Amazon invests significant resources to protect the integrity of reviews in our store because we know customers value the insights and experiences shared by fellow shoppers. Even one inauthentic review is one too many. We have clear participation guidelines for both reviewers and selling partners and we suspend, ban and take legal action on those who violate our policies.”
Fake reviews are particularly rampant in high-margin categories like Bluetooth speakers and headphones, per the sites, but certain styles of shoes and accessories are targets, too. These categories will likely become even more competitive as an increasing number of shoppers turn to Amazon for fashion purchases.
Last year, a survey of several of the top Facebook groups showed that footwear had become a popular category for sellers looking to trade free or heavily discounted product for glowing reviews. For example, posts for knitted sneakers, LED kids’ shoes and platform stilettos have racked up dozens of comments from interested users, while many such items ultimately earned failing grades on more legitimate review websites.
Until now, federal regulators haven’t intervened to prevent the proliferation of fraudulent reviews, which can be used to promote dangerous products (the offending weight loss supplement has been associated with acute liver failure), counterfeits or poor-quality merchandise, but the FTC’s latest case should put unscrupulous sellers on watch.
Over the years, Amazon has had a strenuous relationship with some shoe brands, most notably Birkenstock, over alleged knockoffs on its platform. It made headlines in 2017 when Nike announced a trial partnership with the e-tail behemoth — a deal market watchers deemed an “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” move on Nike’s part, after it too struggled to rein in unauthorized sales of its wares.
Just this month, Amazon admitted to its challenges with controlling the proliferation of counterfeit goods on its site. While the firm isn’t legally responsible for third-party counterfeits, it has said that it has zero-tolerance policy on fake items.
Only time will tell whether the FTC’s involvement marks a significant step toward Amazon building and maintaining a higher level of trust for both shoppers and sellers on the site.
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