Garcinia cambogia is a small, pumpkin-shaped fruit that’s often added to meals in South East Asia to make them more filling. In some villages of Malaysia, it’s also used to make a soup that’s eaten before main meals because of its appetite-suppressing properties. Studies have suggested that when paired with a healthy diet and exercise regime, taking garcinia cambogia extract in supplement form may help accelerate weight loss.
The specific extract used in garcinia cambogia supplements is called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and it works in two ways to promote weight loss. First, it suppresses your appetite by increasing serotonin levels. Low levels of serotonin are linked to depression and anxiety, which drive many people to eat emotionally. Thus, as your serotonin levels rise, your mood improves and lessens the drive to reach for food during emotional situations. Second, HCA helps stops the fat-making process in your body by inhibiting a key enzyme called citrate lyase that your body needs to make fat from carbohydrates.
