Garcinia Cambogia is a weight loss supplement made from the rind of the tamarind fruit, which is grown in India and parts of South East Asia. The world lost its collective mind over Garcinia Cambogia when Oprah’s mate, Dr Oz, recommended it on his television show in 2012, making it one of the highest selling diet supplements of all time. Pretty darn impressive for a pill that sounds like an infectious disease…just sayin! But does Garcinia Cambogia really work? I tried it, so lets find out.

The promise…

Garcinia Cambogia is rich in hydroxycitric acid – or HCA. This wonder substance is said to help us burn fat and reduce our appetite making it easier to lose weight.

So how does it work? Well HCA is said to block the enzyme which helps turn carbohydrates into fat. This allows your body to burn carbohydrates for energy instead of storing it as pudge. It is also meant to increase the level of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin, which helps you to feel full and reduces food cravings. So it’s basically like a smack down for fat…take that muffin top!

How do you take it?

It’s as simple as two capsules before breakfast every day. Garcinia Cambogia, is available from your local pharmacy, health food store, or online. It is relatively inexpensive with a one-month supply of 60 capsules setting me back $13 from a discount pharmacy.

Just a tip, the quality and price of Garcinia Cambogia capsules can vary greatly across brands. The consensus on the inter webs is to stick with capsules that contain at least 50% HCA, pass on brands that contain any nasties like artificial fillers, and be sure you are getting the correct dose of at least 1600 milligrams per day.

So does Garcinia Cambogia really work?

In other words, will I be auditioning for the next Victorias Secret fashion parade with my bangin’ hot new body? It did reduce my appetite in the mornings, but that was probably the by product of swallowing two multivitamin size horse pills, rather than an extra shot of serotonin…lets just say I wasn’t suddenly bouncing into work singing ‘Because I’m Happy’ Pharell style after my daily dose of GC. But you guys don’t really care about any of that do you? You just want to know whether I lost any weight, so without further ado:

Drum roll, please…

I lost…

a whopping 0.8 kilograms or 1.7 pounds to be precise.

Yes, it is technically a weight loss, but it’s hardly the 12 kilograms promised in the ads…in fact it’s pretty much the difference between an extra trip to the loo the day before weigh in. Even the scientific jury us out on whether Garcinia Cambogia can help you lose weight. While some scientific studies suggest that Garcinia Cambogia can help people shed small amounts of weight in the short term, others show that it has no effect on weight loss at all. You can read more about some of those studies here.

So does Garcinia Cambogia really work? For me, no.

But what about all those ads on Facebook…

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious when I saw the Facebook ads sponsored by Women’s Health about the ‘weird fruit’ that could melt away your fat, and thought…even for just a second…that maybe this stuff works.

Well damn you a fool… Garcinia Cambogia is clearly not the miracle weight loss cure it’s cracked up to be. Even Dr Oz who called it the ‘holy grail’ of weight loss says the pills need to be combined with a healthy diet, exercise and a balanced lifestyle to be effective… quick fix (not!).

And those Facebook ads, well turns out they were part of an Internet scam that illegally used the Women’s Health brand likeness and copyrighted materials to promote Garcinia Cambogia. Women’s Health have since confirmed that they do not endorse Garcinia Cambogia, and pursued legal action to prevent further use of their brand and logo.

So be on your guard peeps…those tricky trickstas will stop at nothing to get their hands on your hard earned cash.

So is it a keeper?

A fruit that melts fat…sounds ridiculous…is ridiculous, but somehow our brains go AWOL at the promise of a bikini body. No matter who you are, insecurity and negative body image are a powerful force that can make us believe some crazy ass shit! So is it a keeper? Um….no!

If you are still thinking of giving Garcinia Cambogia a go, keep in mind that while studies have shown that it is safe to use for short periods there have been no studies on the long-term effects of the pills. It is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, as there have been no studies to confirm it is safe for your little bambinos. Its ability to increase serotonin may have a negative effect on those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. And it may also impact on the effectiveness of diabetes and cholesterol medication, so best to get the all clear from your doctor if you are taking these meds.

Has Garcinia Cambogia worked for you? I’d love to hear you thoughts.