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Nutrimartus
GARCINIA
DESCRIPTION : Garcinia is a medium to large evergreen tree. The fruit may resemble a small yellow or reddish pumpkin, or it may have a unique purple color. It has a distinctive sweet acid taste. When fully ripe it is too acid to eat fresh by itself. (It contains 16-30% (_)-hydroxycitric acid by dry weight, as well as other fruit acids.) It is used as a spice either, sprinkled over food, or dried and used in curries in place of limes or tamarinds. Its addition is said to make the food more "filling and satisfying."
INDICATIONS : One researcher tried the fruit and said that "as little as one gram before each meal was extremely effective in reducing my own appetite and weight, and resulted in a definite sustained increase in energy and a weight loss for me of about one pound per day without any dieting. However, my results may not be typical." Significant research has been done on the effects of the purified active ingredient, (_)-HCA, in its sodium salt form, is considerably more powerful than the crude powder and has important additional functions. (_)-HCA has been shown in animal experiments to suppress both appetite and the formation of fats and cholesterol in the liver. In addition it results in an increase in LDL receptor activity in liver cells that can pull LDL cholesterol out of circulation. If further research shows that other mechanisms do not increase LDL production enough to compensate, then (_)-HCA is likely to be adopted as a cholesterol-lowering agent. There is no reduction in protein or muscle tissue to detract from the reduction of circulating fatty acids and total lipid levels in the body. Furthermore, there is an increase in glycogen production that may be the cause of the perceived energy increase mentioned above. Finally, (_)-HCA does not speed up metabolism or produce the side-effects of amphetamines, and does not create strong aversions to foods. In animal studies, (_)-HCA retained its full effectiveness in reducing food intake for one month of sustained use, and for 80 days of interrupted use.
PHYSIOLOGY : It is uncertain how (_)-HCA reduces appetite. Possibilities include feedback controls tied to glycogen and glucose levels in the liver (glucose sensitive fibers have been found in the vagus nerve within the liver). In experiments with Carbon-14-labeled (_)-HCA, C-14 was found in the brain and in the hypothalmus, the seat of appetite regulation. A mechanism of action in the hypothalmus has not yet been established. Studies show that (_)-HCA reduces fatty acid and cholesterol production in the liver by inhibiting the citrate cleavage enzyme (ATP: citrate oxalo-acetate lyase). This enzyme is required to cleave excess citrate into oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA is the source of 2 carbon units required for fatty acid and cholesterol biosynthesis outside the mitochondria. (_)-HCA does not act inside the mito chondria, so normal energy production in the Krebs', or citric acid, cycle is not interrupted. The decrease in carbon unit availability for cholesterol synthesis results in increased activity of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors. The increased LDL-receptor activity results in significant increases in the amount of LDL cholesterol that is bound to the cells and degraded, reducing the LDL in circulation.
TOXICITY, CAUTIONS & CONTRA-INDICATIONS : Garcinia has been used safely as a food for centuries in many areas of tropical Asia. The acute LD50 values for (_)-hydroxycitrate in mice are: more than 2000 mg/kg (intraperitoneal); and more than 4000 mg/kg (oral). This is equivalent to 200 to 400 grams orally, or 7 to 14 ounces (depending on body weight), for adult humans.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE : 250 mg of (_)-hydroxycitrate (the active ingredient), 1/2 to 1 hour before each meal (45 to 75 minutes for tablets), 3 times a day. Adjust extract quantity depending on potency.
