Research

Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA / Garcinia Cambogia)

10 peer-reviewed studies curated from PubMed and Semantic Scholar.

1
Meta-analyses
0
Systematic reviews
8
RCTs
1
Other studies
Meta-analyses (10%)
RCTs (80%)

Studies

Sorted by quality and recency

2023·Urolithiasis·María Del Carmen Cano García, Rocío Caballero Cobos, Álvaro Vadillo Bohorquez, et al

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the use of hydroxycitric acid adjuvant to shock wave lithotripsy therapy in patients with calcium stones. Stone fragmentation results.

RCTn = 81

A double-blind randomized clinical trial comparing hydroxycitric acid (HCA) to placebo as an adjuvant to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in 81 patients with calcium stones. The study found that 100% of patients receiving HCA achieved stone fragmentation, compared to 83% in the placebo group, suggesting HCA facilitates stone fragmentation.

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2023·Clinical therapeutics·Mina Morsali, Jalal Poorolajal, Fatemeh Shahbazi, et al

Pharmaceutical Therapies for the Treatment of Obesity: A Network Meta-analysis.

Meta-analysisPhysique

Network meta-analysis comparing pharmaceutical therapies for obesity treatment. Hydroxycitric acid, among other treatments, was ranked as one of the best options for both men and women, alongside semaglutide and phentermine hydrochloride.

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2023·International journal of clinical practice·Helda Tutunchi, Sara Arefhosseini, Solmaz Nomi-Golzar, et al

Effects of Hydroxycitric Acid Supplementation on Body Composition, Obesity Indices, Appetite, Leptin, and Adiponectin of Women with NAFLD on a Calorie-Restricted Diet.

RCTn = 40Physique

RCT of 44 overweight/obese women with NAFLD comparing calorie-restricted diet with and without hydroxycitric acid (HCA) supplementation for eight weeks. The intervention group showed significant reductions in obesity indices, fat mass, and muscle mass, with a greater reduction in visceral fat compared to the control group. No significant changes were observed in serum leptin and adiponectin levels.

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2005·International journal of clinical pharmacology research·H G Preuss, R I Garis, J D Bramble, et al

Efficacy of a novel calcium/potassium salt of (-)-hydroxycitric acid in weight control.

RCTn = 90Physique Nutrition

The study re-examined the weight-loss efficacy of a novel calcium-potassium salt of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) in 90 obese subjects. Subjects were divided into three groups, with group A receiving HCA-SX, group B receiving HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract, and group C receiving a placebo. After 8 weeks, groups A and B showed significant reductions in body weight, BMI, and improvements in blood lipid profiles compared to placebo, with group B showing greater benefits.

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2004·Diabetes, obesity & metabolism·H G Preuss, D Bagchi, M Bagchi, et al

Effects of a natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss.

RCTn = 60Physique Nutrition

RCT in 60 moderately obese subjects evaluating the effects of HCA-SX alone and in combination with niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss. Both treatment groups showed a 5-6% decrease in body weight and BMI, with improvements in lipid profiles and serum leptin levels, compared to placebo.

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·Physiology & behavior·R D Mattes, L Bormann

Effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables.

RCTn = 89Physique

Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT with 89 mildly overweight females assessing the effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA) on weight loss and appetitive variables over 12 weeks. The HCA group lost significantly more weight than the placebo group, but no effects on appetitive variables were observed.

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2015·Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)·Sony S Thazhath, Tongzhi Wu, Michelle J Bound, et al

Effects of intraduodenal hydroxycitrate on glucose absorption, incretin release, and glycemia in response to intraduodenal glucose infusion in health and type 2 diabetes: A randomised controlled trial.

RCTn = 20Nutrition

RCT investigating the effects of intraduodenal hydroxycitric acid (HCA) on glucose absorption and glycemic response in 12 healthy individuals and 8 patients with type 2 diabetes. In healthy individuals, HCA reduced blood glucose and increased plasma GIP and glucagon, but had no effect on GLP-1, insulin, or glucose absorption. In patients with type 2 diabetes, HCA had no effect on glycemia.

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2003·Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology·Kiwon Lim, Sungpil Ryu, Ho-Sung Nho, et al

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid ingestion increases fat utilization during exercise in untrained women.

RCTn = 6Physical Performance Physique

Double-blind crossover study with six untrained women ingesting 250 mg of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) or placebo for 5 days. HCA ingestion decreased respiratory exchange ratio and carbohydrate oxidation during exercise, and significantly enhanced exercise time to exhaustion, suggesting increased fat metabolism and improved exercise performance.

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1999·International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders : journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·A D Kriketos, H R Thompson, H Greene, et al

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid does not affect energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in adult males in a post-absorptive state.

RCTn = 10Energy -

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover study investigated the effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA) supplementation on energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in sedentary adult males. The study found that (-)-HCA did not significantly affect respiratory quotient or energy expenditure during rest or moderate exercise compared to placebo.

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2017·Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience·M L Peng, J Han, L L Li, et al

Metabolomics reveals the mechanism of (-)-hydroxycitric acid promotion of protein synthesis and inhibition of fatty acid synthesis in broiler chickens.

Animal study

The study used metabolomics to investigate the effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA) on protein and fatty acid synthesis in broiler chickens. HCA promoted protein synthesis and inhibited fatty acid synthesis by altering amino acid metabolism and the citric acid cycle.

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