Trying to lose weight can be a frustrating and difficult journey for many people. It seems like every day a new miracle diet or supplement is released on the market that promises to make shedding pounds more attainable. While losing weight is already tough, keeping that weight off can be even more challenging. According to the New Zealand Ministry of Health, 1 in 3 Kiwi adults is either overweight or obese. This results in a need for products and literature that can help aid New Zealanders in their weight loss efforts.

Garcinia cambogia has been touted by some health professionals as an important component of weight loss routines. But what exactly is this supplement? Does it work? Has it shown any measurable results in terms of affecting weight loss outcomes?

What is Garcinia cambogia?

Garcinia cambogia is a tiny fruit that hails from Indonesia. Also referred to as the tamarind, it's a common component in a variety of ethnic foods, including chutney. Though Garcinia cambogia is a tasteful addition to many ethnic foods, it has also been consumed for the purpose of appetite satiation and weight loss throughout the years.

How Garcinia cambogia works

The component of Garcinia cambogia that makes it effective for weight loss is hydroxycitric acid (HCA). According to Science Based Medicine, HCA can inhibit citrate lyase, an enzyme the body uses to turn carbohydrates into fat. HCA may also increase your levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is closely related to satiation and pleasure. By blocking the creation of fat and increasing serotonin levels, HCA may lead to you eating less and storing less fat in your cells.

Garcinia cambogia and emotional eating

Thanks to its relationship to serotonin levels, Garcinia cambogia may be particularly useful for those who tend to fall prey to emotional eating. Low serotonin levels are also linked to depression, which can lead to emotional eating, according both Science Based Medicine and Dr. Oz.

"Having low levels of serotonin may make you feel depressed or anxious; it drives many people into emotional or reactive eating," Dr. Oz's website states. "By increasing serotonin levels, HCA improves mood and suppresses the drive to react to stressful situations with food."

What do studies say?

A study published in the US National Library of Medicine titled 'Beneficial and deleterious effects of hydroxycitrate in rats fed a high-fructose diet' confirmed that HCA supplementation led to a decrease in calories consumed. Researchers monitored a group of rats over a period of four weeks in which the rats ate a high-fructose diet. Excess fructose is stored in cells in the form of fat, which is why this diet was a necessary component of the study. Researchers wanted to determine whether or not fructose was converted to fat at different rates in the presence of HCA. The results were positive. Researchers found that fat accumulation was reduced in rats who whose diets were supplemented with HCA.

"HCA decreased food intake and weight gain throughout the test and reduced visceral fat accumulation compared with control rats fed ad libitum (CON). Rats that were pair-fed (PF) to the HCA rats showed similar decreases in weight gain and visceral fat," the study's authors noted.

A systematic review of several studies also confirmed the effectiveness of HCA for weight loss. The paper 'The Use of Garcinia Extract (Hydroxycitric Acid) as a Weight loss Supplement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Clinical Trials' independently analysed data from 23 studies. The reviewers upheld that HCA can lead to weight loss in certain people.

"The meta-analysis revealed a small, statistically significant difference in weight loss favouring HCA over placebo," authors noted. "It is concluded that the RCTs suggest that Garcinia extracts/HCA can cause short-term weight loss."

How to use Garcinia cambogia to aid weight loss efforts?

Garcinia cambogia supplements may be a useful addition to your current weight loss plan. NetPharmacy offers a variety of natural weight loss products that may useful for your individual efforts. Garcinia cambogia 1300 and Go Healthy Slimfast Detox Diva both combine Garcinia cambogia with important detoxifying ingredients to help jump-start your efforts. Go Healthy Slimfast Hunger Buster uses HCA to help beat cravings so you can stick to your diet plans. Browse our selection to help figure out which Garcinia cambogia product is best for you.

If you decide to supplement with Garcinia cambogia, your supplement choice will determine the appropriate dosage to take.

Furthermore, health professionals don't recommend relying on Garcinia cambogia alone. You should follow a healthy diet and exercise on a regular basis in conjunction with your HCA supplementation. Healthy diets are generally rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, lean meats and fish, and whole grains. When it comes to exercise, the Ministry of Health recommends getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise on most days of the week.