Weight Loss Claims About Garcinia Cambogia-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
Many people have questioned whether ads for a weight loss supplement called Garcinia Cambogia are real.
The Truth:
There’s no proof that Garcinia cambogia can help you lose weight without diet and exercise, so this one is fiction.
Garcinia cambogia is a fruit that grows in Southeast Asia. Dietary supplement companies regularly claim that it’s an appetite suppressant that also prevents the body from making fat. So, supposedly, the supplement can help you lose weight without diet or exercise.
Garcinia cambogia got a major boost in November 2013 by “The Dr. Oz Show.” Dr. Oz said, “Thanks to brand new scientific research, I can tell you about a revolutionary fat buster. It’s called Garcinia cambogia.” As Dr. Oz delivered that intro, the words “No Exercise. No Diet. No Effort.” appeared on the screen behind him. Dr. Oz then interviewed a woman who said she lost 10 pounds thanks to Garcinia cambogia.
But claims that Garcinia cambogia being a “miracle” dietary supplement have been disputed ever since.
A 1998 study found that Garcinia cambogia didn’t help people lose weight. But a follow up analysis of numerous studies on any possible weight loss benefits concluded in 2013 that the supplement’s dietary benefits “remain to be proven.”
A number of dietary supplement producers used the 2013 analysis to market Garcinia cambogia as a miracle supplement that could help people lose weight without diet or exercise — but those claims are unproven.
A congressional panel later grilled Dr. Oz about his endorsement of unproven dietary supplements, and about his endorsement of Garcinia cambogia in particular, CNN reports:
Oz testified Tuesday that he could not be held responsible for what certain companies say online about the products. He said he’s toned down some of his language and will publish a list of products he thinks really can help people lose weight.
“To not have the conversation about supplements at all however would be a disservice to the viewer,” Oz said in a prepared statement after the hearing. “In addition to exercising an abundance of caution in discussing promising research and products in the future, I look forward to working with all those present today in finding a way to deal with the problems of weight loss scams.”
The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate weight loss supplements. Under current law, companies selling these products do not need FDA approval before marketing them to the public.
It’s important to note that the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements. That means companies don’t have to back up claims about “miracle” weight loss supplements like Garcina cambogia. And, right now, there’s no proof that Garcinia cambogia has any affect on weight loss at all.