Super Citrimax: A Weight Loss Supplement Worth Using?

If you want to use Super Citrimax (also known as HCA or Garcinia cambogia) to help you lose fat, the first and probably most important thing I can tell you is that it doesn’t work anything like as well as it’s supposed to.

The only study I could find to put Super Citrimax to the test was published back in the January 2004 edition of the journal Nutrition Research.

The study involved 30 volunteers divided into three groups.

• Group A (HCA-SX) received Super CitriMax® (4,667 milligrams providing 2,800 milligrams of HCA per day).

• Group B (Formula) received a combination of Super CitriMax® (4,667 milligrams providing 2,800 milligrams of HCA per day) plus niacin-bound chromium as ChromeMate® (400 micrograms of chromium per day) and Gymnema sylvestre extract (400 milligrams providing 100 milligrams of gymnemic acids per day).

• Group C received a placebo.

The supplements were administered daily in three divided doses 30-60 minutes before meals. All three groups were placed on a diet of 2,000 calories per day and took part in a 30-minute supervised walking program, five days a week.

After eight weeks, those taking Super CitriMax® alone lost 12 pounds, while the group taking Super CitriMax® plus ChromeMate and Gymnema sylvestre lost 15 pounds. In contrast, the placebo group lost only three pounds

Serotonin levels increased more in the Super CitriMax® and Formula groups than in the placebo group. Appetite (measured by the amount of food remaining on the plate) was also reduced.

At the end of eight weeks, subjects in the Super CitriMax® and Formula groups reduced their food intake, while those in the placebo group actually ate more.

This study appears to show that higher doses of HCA (alone and in combination with Gymnema sylvestre extract and niacin-bound chromium) can speed up weight loss, mainly by suppressing the appetite and reducing calorie intake.

But when I looked through the study in detail, I did come across some rather odd results.

Why, for example, did the group using Super CitriMax® gain weight in the first four weeks of the study, despite the fact that serotonin levels (which the authors think may help to explain the drop in appetite) actually increased?

And why did this group then suddenly lose weight from weeks four to eight?

What was responsible for the extra weight loss in the Formula group? Was it the Gymnema sylvestre extract, the chromium, or both?

What's more, the diet provided was high in carbohydrate and low in protein (2,000 calories per day, 17% protein, 25% fat, and 58% carbohydrate).

Many of the benefits offered by the supplements, such as reduced appetite or improved blood sugar control, could have been achieved simply by replacing some of this carbohydrate with protein.

Dr. Steven B. Heymsfield, a Professor of Medicine at New York's St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, along with colleagues from Weill-Cornell University and Harvard Medical School, point out a potential conflict of interest that was not mentioned in the paper.

"We note that Dr D. Bagchi lists himself as a faculty member of Creighton University, even though he is now Vice President for Research and Development of Inter Health, the supplier of the reported products. The Inter Health web site has a 1999 listing naming Dr Bagchi as Director of Research for the company. Similarly, Dr Preuss is listed on the web site as a consultant to Inter Health, although his affiliations and those of his other colleagues are not reported in the paper."

In other words, two of the study authors were involved with the company who make the supplement. But for some “mysterious reason” they didn’t mention this in the research paper.

There might be a small benefit in terms of appetite control with Super Citrima. But having looked through the research, as well as having tried it myself on several occasions, it’s not a supplement I would recommend using.

If you enjoyed this post, there’s a good chance you’ll also like Truth and Lies about Building Muscle: 10 Muscle Myths Debunked By Science.

It's a FREE 20-page special report (PDF) I put together to debunk 10 popular myths that are still widely believed, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Click here now to download a copy.

About the Author

Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.

If you want better, faster results from the time you spend in the gym, click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.