How to Take Garcinia Cambogia

Are you looking for an herbal supplement to curb your appetite and help you lose weight? Garcinia cambogia has been used in Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine, as a digestive aid. Whether you are severely overweight and looking for something natural to help or just need to lose a few pounds, you can understand the origins and use of garcinia cambogia to see if it might be right for you.^[1]

Steps

Method 1 Losing Weight with Garcinia Cambogia

1. 1 Eat healthy and get active. Taking this supplement alone will not cause you to lose weight unless you also change your diet and increase your level of physical activity. You don’t necessarily need a special diet. Eating nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day is a great place to start. You should also remove sweets, processed food, and sweetened soft drinks in order to lose weight.
   • You don’t need to start running marathons to get active. Start with smaller steps that will increase your activity level, help you move around more, and keep you healthy. Begin with walking, gardening, hiking, swimming, playing golf, or playing tennis. Then, work your way up to higher level activities.
2. 2 Avoid high fiber foods. There have been no scientific studies to date that prove garcinia cambogia can help you lose weight. But, a number of studies have suggested that if you use garcinia while avoiding certain foods, you may increase your weight loss, especially around your waist. You should limit your intake of high fiber foods, particularly around the time you take the garcinia.
   • This means you don’t want to eat the high fiber foods with every meal because you take garcinia 30-60 minutes before meals. To get your daily fiber intake, eat high fiber snacks outside of this window.
   • These snacks include nuts, granola bars, kale chips, fruit, especially those with edible rinds like apples, cherries, and plums, and raw vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and celery.
3. 3 Limit fatty or sugary foods. You should also avoid foods that have too much fat or too much sugar. This includes fast food, chips and dips, cakes, pies, bacon, mayonnaise, candy, and chocolate. These all have a high fat or sugar content, and some of them have both.
   • You should also limit you intake of breads, potatoes, pasta, and sauces thickened with wheat flour.
   • Focus more on fish , lean meats such as turkey, chicken, and lean beef, and leafy green vegetables such as spinach and arugula.

Method 2 Understanding the Risks of Taking Garcinia Cambogia

1. 1 Recognize the side effects. The reported side effects for garcinia cambogia include dizziness, dry mouth, headaches, an upset stomach, and diarrhea. If you see any of these signs after taking your supplement, stop taking it until you can see a doctor.
   • Garcinia has not been tested in children, in pregnant women, or on women who are breastfeeding. The use of garcinia in these women is not recommended.
2. 2 Understand drug interactions. There are reports that garcinia may interact poorly with certain medications. These include medications for asthma, allergies, and diabetes. According to the reports, the garcinia make these drugs less effective.
   • It may also interfere with blood thinners, psychiatric medicines, pain medicines, iron supplements, and statins, which are drugs used to lower cholesterol.^[2]
   • Consult your physician if you are using any of these medications before starting garcinia.
   • If you experience any of these side effects, immediately stop taking the garcinia and contact your physician for advice.^[3]
    
3. 3 Be aware of a serious risk. Garcinia is believed to increase serotonin levels and when taken with antidepressant medications called SSRIs, can lead to serotonin syndrome. With serotonin syndrome, the levels of serotonin are much higher than normal. This can lead to neurologic symptoms such as stuttering, restlessness, agitation, loss of coordination, and hallucinations. It can also cause an increased heart rate and blood pressure, fever, and diarrhea.
   • There has been a single case reported of a woman who was taking garcinia along with the class of antidepressant medications called SSRIs. She developed the neurological symptoms of serotonin syndrome. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking any supplement and contact your healthcare professional immediately.^[4][5]

Method 3 Understanding Garcinia Cambogia

1. 1 Know the origins. Garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit native to Indonesia. It is also known as brindleberry, Malabar tamarind, and kudam puli. It looks like a small, light green pumpkin and is used in Indonesia for cooking. It has a sour taste.^[6][7]
2. 2 Learn the benefits. Garcinia contains a type of citric acid, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which appears to encourage weight loss by regulating the release of serotonin and the uptake of blood sugar. It also increases the oxidation of existing fats and decreasing the synthesis of new fat. While it is not very clear yet, this may mean that Garcinia may increase the biochemical use of fats for energy and decrease the amounts of new fat that is made.^[8]
   • Serotonin is a type of neurotransmitter, which is a chemical messenger between nerves and other types of cells. It is related to feelings of happiness, moods, and a sense of well-being.^[9][10]
   • Studies have been conducted to determine whether garcinia supplements encourage weight loss in people who are overweight, and the results have not been clear cut. The upshot is that concentrated Garcinia may help people lose weight, especially when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. But there is no scientific evidence showing it actually has an effect.^[11]
3. 3 Know the issues related to supplements. Since garcinia is dietary supplement, it is not subject to review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that the FDA cannot approve garcinia according to its health and safety standards.
   • Always use caution when taking dietary supplements, and be sure to check with your doctor before use.
   • Whenever buying a supplement, make as certain as possible that the company follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and has been in business for some time.
   • Check out the company website. They should state that they follow GMP and should have some information about the company, their philosophy, and their company mission.

Method 4 Taking Garcinia Cambogia

1. 1 Learn the correct dose. From some early studies, a safe dose of Garcinia appears to be up to 2800 mg per day. But, it's not known what may happen if you take these amounts, so you should stay well below that dose.^[12] Once you have found a good place to buy the supplement, you need to understand how much of the HCA you need to take. The dose of HCA should be about 1500 mg per day, though this varies from supplement to supplement.
   • Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and you consult a knowledgeable healthcare professional before starting.
2. 2 Take garcinia as a pill. Garcinia comes in two different forms. The first is a pill form, either in a tablet or capsule. If you buy the supplement as a pill, take the recommended dosage of garcinia as a tablet or capsule with water. Take the pill about 30-60 minutes before each meal.
   • In general, garcinia is taken three times a day. This means that each pill should be 500 mg. That way, you stay within your daily dosage suggestions.
3. 3 Consider liquid garcinia. The second form that you can take of garcinia is liquid. The liquid form of garcinia usually recommends taking 1-2 drops before every meal, but the amount can vary based on the dropper or concentration. Take the drop or drops under your tongue and let them stay for a minute or so. Then, have your regular meal 30-60 minutes later.
   • Before you take the liquid form, ask your pharmacist or a knowledgeable healthcare professional how much garcinia is in every drop for the particular kind you have. You should also ask how many drops would equal a total of about 1500 mg of garcinia every day. Once you have the total number of drops, divide that by three and take that amount before each meal.

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