Garcinia cambogia is a plant that grows in Southeast Asian countries. Extracts from its fruit are used in treating parasites, joint pain and in facilitating weight loss and better exercise performance. The latter two benefits have contributed to the product’s recognition.
Garcinia cambogia works through a chemical compound known as hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA is a type of citric acid that inhibits enzymes involved in metabolism.
Because of this role, it curbs appetite. It also minimizes fat storage and increases endurance. However, these outcomes have not been proven fully.
In the process of causing weight loss, Garcinia may tamper with the brain’s inner workings and cause serious side effects. Some of them are triggered by the supplement. Others interact with pre-existing conditions to worsen them.
Garcinia Cambogia Side Effects
1. May cause anxiety and depression
This side effect is a result of the excess serotonin produced by Garcinia Cambogia. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the body that helps regulate mood, sleep, appetite, and social behavior.
When there is a malfunction and the levels of serotonin are low, your mood may be altered. You are likely to feel sad and low. If you are on antidepressants, you should not take Garcinia. It would increase serotonin in the brain thus leading to shivering, sweating, and anxiety.
2. Leads to liver complications
In this study, it was shown that Garcinia cambogia (GC) causes hepatic failure or liver injury. There were several research subjects who reported liver problems in the article. Some of them had jaundice, nausea, and confusion. Their history demonstrated that they had all taken dietary supplements containing Garcinia.
It was proven that the HCA from Garcinia causes inflammation in the liver, oxidative stress as well as fibrosis. If you have a history of alcoholism or liver disease, you are even more susceptible to the damage the supplement inflicts.
3. Causes an upset stomach
This symptom almost always accompanies the consumption of the supplement. Experts affirm that it is due to a reduction in sugar conversion to fat.
If you eat foods with more fat than your body needs, it excretes them in your stool. The changes in your digestive tract are thus likely to cause stomach pain and diarrhea.
4. Increases high blood pressure and may cause heart disease
The problem with GC when it comes to blood is that it spikes your blood pressure. It contains a substance called sibutramine that works in the same way as caffeine.
When the spike happens, the heart has to work harder. If this goes on continually, you would experience heart problems like coronary artery disease, abnormal heart rate, congestive heart failure or stroke.
That being said, this side effect is likely to occur when you are on antidepressants. Garcinia counteracts depression medicine to cause serotonin toxicity (excess serotonin) which manifests as high blood pressure and increased heart rate.
5. May trigger restlessness
Garcinia Cambogia helps you to lose weight by keeping the enzymes in your body from turning excess sugar into fat. This means that it metabolizes most of the sugars you take. The result is that you will have an extra level of energy in your system.
If you don’t expend it by exercising or engaging in physical activities, you are likely to feel restless. When it is time to sleep, you are also less likely to fall asleep.
6. Nausea is a possibility
This seems like a moderate side effect compared to some of the potentially fatal Garcinia Cambogia side effects mentioned above. Nonetheless, it still causes discomfort and uneasiness.
Taking this dietary supplement can lead to a sensation of vomiting. Most times, the effect sets in shortly after taking the drug. It also occurs when you take the medication on an empty stomach.
Garcinia causes nausea because it alters the neural pathways in your body. It triggers the chemoreceptors in your brain which cause vomiting.
7. May cause dizziness
Ingesting GC can sometimes lead to lightheadedness. Usually, this happens because there is an imbalance within your inner ear that leads to motion sickness.
The problem with dizziness is that it can lead to a fall. Falls often cause head trauma or severe body injuries. What’s worse, if your brain is affected, you may be unable to function both psychologically and physiologically.
8. Leads to dry mouth
Another name for this condition is xestomia. This refers to a condition in which the saliva in your mouth dries up. If this happens chronically, you will develop cracked lips, split corners, a painful tongue and sore mucous membranes. Your gums too are likely to feel sore.
When your tongue and inner mouth is in pain, eating can become a painstaking experience. You would also react adversely to spicy and salty food and your teeth would irritate you constantly.
9. May give you headaches
Some people experience headaches after taking the dietary supplement. This often comes from prolonged use of the drug. In the pharmaceutical industry, drug-induced headaches are characterized into 3.
They could be due to withdrawal from the substance, overuse, and exposure to a substance. In this case, exposure to the HCA in the Garcinia may lead to this outcome.
10. It could damage the quality of your testicles
If you are a man, beware of Garcinia Cambogia side effects on your reproductive system.
In this study, obese rats were given high levels of the extract while a control group was given a modest amount. The group that consumed high levels reported changes in weight. However, there were also effects on the strength and health of their testis.
The authors warned readers of the dangers of Garcinia cambogia. They explained that it is toxic to testis because it causes atrophy.
11. Causes psychological problems or mania
In this study, 3 case studies were analyzed and found to have manic conditions after consuming Garcinia Cambogia. Some of them reported grandiosity, excessive spending, fast talking and having inflated self-esteem. Others even had paranoia or religious delusions.
This outcome is attributed to HCA which is a psychoactive substance. As mentioned earlier, it affects serotonin, which in turn affects a person’s mental health. Some subjects may have a psychiatric history while others may not. Therefore, anyone is in danger of this indication if they take this supplement.
12. Worsens Alzheimer’s
People with Alzheimer’s should not take this extract because it affects the level of acetylcholine in their brains. The latter is a neurotransmitter responsible for sending signals between cells. It is responsible for pain and memory as well as several other mental health functions. People with Alzheimer’s already have a depleted amount of the substance.
Therefore, if they take GC which depletes it further, their condition could get worse. Dementia is often a sign of its depletion.
Final Word
Garcinia cambogia is a dietary supplement that is not worth the trouble. It may cause physical challenges such as nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, sleeplessness, and high blood pressure. Some of these medical side effects could be fatal. It worsens conditions like Alzheimer’s and liver disease.
Additionally, it may alter your mental well-being by triggering mania. Since the intended outcome of taking the product is not even guaranteed (that is, weight loss), you would be better off not using it.
Instead, this natural program that can help you lose up to 10 pounds in just 7 days.
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