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At Nucific™, we not only offer high-quality supplements and skin care products, but we also strive to be a resource for up-to-date, relevant health and medical information! While we hope you find our articles helpful, please remember that these are not a substitute for medical advice – if you are having any medical issues, please consult with your doctor.
When you’re trying to lose weight, it can feel you’re pushing a huge rock up a mountain. You try to silence your cravings, control your appetite, and reduce your eating by cutting calories, but your metabolism slows down and with it, your energy level plummets. With no energy for a workout, and inconsistent diet changes, your body can be unresponsive to weight loss attempts.
If this happens, you need to rev things up, somehow. Hunger pangs, the rumbling of an empty tummy, can make managing your appetite seem impossible. The answer to your problems could be in the prickly cactus known as Caralluma fimbriata. Scientists have studied the effects of the cactus’s extract and have linked it to beneficial effects when it comes to appetite control and weight loss. (That’s why we’ve included it in BIO-X4!)
To better understand its effects, let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of this cool cactus.
Caralluma Fimbriata: The Cactus Snack of India?
Edible cacti grow in the wild throughout India, one of which being Caralluma fimbriata. As one of the more commonly found species, this cactus can be found growing in urban centers, as a roadside shrub, and even as a boundary marker in gardens, making it widely available.
Caralluma fimbriata, with its star-shaped, fleshy flowers, is known for it’s unappealing smell. The blossoms can range from purple to black, yellow, red, or dark brown. In parts of tribal India, it’s a common, everyday vegetable for eating and can be eaten in a variety of ways. This colorful cactus is cooked as a regular veggie with spices and salt, used in preserves and pickles, eaten as a powder, and is even eaten raw. Its green follicles can also be boiled and salted for a tasty snack.1
How Does It Help With Weight Loss?
If you’re thinking about what to have for dinner, chances are cactus isn’t high on the list of choices. Should it be? Caralluma fimbriata extract is widely known today for its use as an appetite suppressant, making it an obvious choice in a weight loss battle.
Scientists haven’t figured out exactly how eating the extract suppresses our appetite – just that it does. There are theories as to how it works its magic. One study suggested that certain sugar compounds could act to increase energy production within the brain, which in turn decreases appetite.2
Reduction for Weight Loss Indicators
Researchers in multiple clinical trials and studies have reported on how beneficial Caralluma fimbriata extract can be when added to a person’s diet. The extract has been well tolerated by most study participants and significant reductions in all key indicators of weight loss, such as appetite and body measurements, are believed to be linked to the extract.3
A recent study suggested that eating Caralluma fimbriata extract helped obese and overweight participants see a reduction in weight, body mass index (BMI), and even waist and hip size.4
- Fighting the Good Fight Against Metabolic Syndrome
The extract is also believed to help combat metabolic syndrome, a condition associated with risk factors like high blood pressure, elevated glucose levels, and dyslipidemia – an elevated level of fat in the blood. When included with a healthy diet and exercise regimen, Caralluma fimbriata extract was suggested to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.5
- Effective Against Prader-Willi Syndrome
Caralluma fimbriata extract has the potential to help children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a genetic disorder than can cause overeating. One study found the extract to be helpful by suppressing appetite and reducing eating without any adverse effects.6
In terms of other potential benefits of Caralluma fimbriata, more human research will likely lead to more important discoveries. Either way, it’s safe to say that this cactus is off to a great first impression.
There have been little to no adverse reactions recorded for Caralluma fimbriata during its use as a weight loss supplement. For reference, one study found that 1 gram of the extract daily didn’t show any significant side effects.7 Even though appetite control is the goal, there is a fine line between that and developing a poor appetite. Always listen to what your body is telling you and consume supplements responsibly.
We lead busy and often stressful lives, and sometimes hunger makes us give into our cravings a little more than we should. When it comes to weight loss, this can be a major problem if we’re looking to see any noticeable results. We may need help.
Enter Caralluma fimbriata extract. In combination with a healthy diet and a consistent workout regimen, this cactus plant extract can help control cravings and appetite – potentially becoming a valuable tool in a weight loss arsenal. Just remember to consult your doctor if you’re unsure of any supplement dosage.
Want more information understanding ingredients in your supplements, keep reading:
Krill Oil – Superfood of Healthy Fats
The Buzz About Berberine (Great Metabolism Booster!)
Sources:
1 “Caralluma Fimbriata A New Dietary Supplement In Weight Management Strategies”. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
2 LG, MacLean. “Increased ATP Content/Production In The Hypothalamus May Be A Signal For Energy-Sensing Of Satiety: Studies Of The Anorectic Mechanism Of A Plant S… – Pubmed – NCBI”. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. N.p., 2004. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
3 “Caralluma Fimbriata A New Dietary Supplement In Weight Management Strategies”. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
4 Khajuria, Vijay et al. “To Evaluate Efficacy And Safety Of Caralluma Fimbriata In Overweight And Obese Patients: A Randomized, Single Blinded, Placebo Control Trial”. N.p., 2015. Print.
5 Astell KJ, et al. “A Pilot Study Investigating The Effect Of Caralluma Fimbriata Extract On The Risk Factors Of Metabolic Syndrome In Overweight And Obese Subjects: A… – Pubmed – NCBI”. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. N.p., 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
6 Mathai, MichaelL, JoanneL Griggs, and XiaoQ Su. “Caralluma Fimbriata Supplementation Improves The Appetite Behavior Of Children And Adolescents With Prader-Willi Syndrome”. N.p., 2015. Print.
7 Kuriyan R, et al. “Effect Of Caralluma Fimbriata Extract On Appetite, Food Intake And Anthropometry In Adult Indian Men And Women. – Pubmed – NCBI”. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. N.p., 2007. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
