Citrimax / Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA): Does Citrimax Block Carbs?

Known as hydroxycitric acid (HCA for short), or Citrimax, this popular supplement has become a standard ingredient in many popular weight loss products. Derived from the rind of the Indian Garcinia Cambogia fruit, hydroxycitric acid is used primarily as a "carb blocker" in such products. And initially at least, it seemed like a good idea to do so.

Early animal studies, for instance, seemed to indicate that HCA/Citrimax displayed an amazing ability to block the conversion of carbohydrates into fat by inhibiting an enzyme called ATP-Citrate Lyase. It also appeared to suppress appetite as well.

Marketers assumed hydroxycitric acid would prove as an effective a diet and weight loss aid to humans, as it appeared to be to animals. Unfortunately, they made this assumption without the benefit of any double blind, placebo-controlled testings. It's well-known in scientific circles that promising results garnered from animal testings do not guarantee positive results in human subjects.

And unfortunately, this certainly appeared to be the case with Citrimax / hydroxycitric acid. An early study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA. 1998 Nov 11;280(18):1596-600) indicated that hydroxycitric acid has no positive weight loss effects, concluding...

"Garcinia cambogia failed to produce significant weight loss and fat mass loss beyond that observed with placebo."

Further studies (see Physiol Behav. 2000 Oct 1-15;71(1-2):87-94) dispelled HCA's ability to increase satiety, or reduce hunger.

However, there is still hope for Citrimax. Will Brink, supplement guru and author of Fat Loss Revealed, feels Hydroxycitric acid still holds promise for several reasons. According to him, early studies were not perfomed with a high enough dosage of HCA. Will suggests that a minimum of 1-5 grams daily is required for any effect. He also suggests newer forms of Citrimax HCA (potassium / potassium magnesium) are much more absorbable, and may lead directly to a more positive affect.

For example, Interhealth's SuperCitrimax™ is a patent-pending form of HCA where the HCA is bonded to calcium and magnesium to increase potency and bioavailibility. SuperCitrimax™yields a much more concentrated form of citrimax, and probably is the version to experiment at this time.

Although real data is relatively hard to come by, one clinical study performed at Georgetown University Medical Center showed that not only was SuperCitrimax™ effective, it significantly outperformed plain citrimax as a weight loss agent (not that difficult I would imagine... since we've already seen how little citrimax does).

Many high quality supplements do use HCA in their respective formulations, but you shouldn't give it much heed unless it accounts for 1,000 mg or more of the formulation (any lower dosage is likely to serve only as window dressing). If it includes the SuperCitrimax™ version of HCA, so much the better.

Although I personally have never seen much in the way of results from Citrimax HCA (and never heard anyone rave over its effectiveness) it may be worth experimenting with the more concentrated SuperCitrimax™. I'd recommend using it in isolation (and not in a fat burner that contains HCA as part of its overall formula) to more acurrately asses its effects and benefits. It's a pretty cheap supplement so you won't be out of a lot of cash either (BodyBuilding.com sells 90 caps of the NOW brand Super Citrimax for less than $10... click here to visit!).

Have you used Hydroxycitric acid? Tell us all about it!

Want to learn more about fat burners? Industry professional Will Brink reviews dozens of top weight loss products in his superb "Fat Loss Revealed" Click here to read my review! Click here to visit the Fat Loss Revealed web site!

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