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Research · Supplements

Garcinia cambogia

Two meta-analyses found weight loss about 0.9 to 1.3 kg greater than placebo over short trials. The largest single trial, 135 adults over 12 weeks, found no difference. Triglycerides fell in pooled trials, and LDL did not change. A US liver injury network adjudicated 22 cases linked to garcinia products. One patient died and one needed a transplant.

Add to Bio HackChecked 2026-11-13
Status
Dietary supplement in the US. Hydroxycut products were recalled by the manufacturer in May 2009 after reports of liver injury.
Also called
hydroxycitric acid, HCA, (-)-hydroxycitric acid, Garcinia gummi-gutta, Malabar tamarind, brindleberry, garcinia extract, Hydroxycut
Taken for
weight loss, fat loss, appetite, belly fat, cholesterol, blood sugar

Strong several reviews agree · Moderate one review or consistent trials · Limited one or a few small studies · Untested no study in people, listed with what it rests on

Shown to help1

Reported risks3

What people take it for, and what was found

Shown to help1

Moderate

Cholesterol and triglycerides

Shown to lower triglycerides about 24 mg/dL and raise HDL slightly in adults, with no LDL change. One 10-week trial found no lipid change.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Across 14 trials with 623 subjects, total cholesterol fell 6.76 mg/dL (95% CI -12.39 to -0.59), triglycerides fell 24.21 mg/dL (95% CI -37.84 to -10.58) and HDL rose 2.95 mg/dL (95% CI 2.01 to 3.89). LDL did not change (-1.15 mg/dL, 95% CI -16.08 to 13.78). Changes were larger in trials longer than 8 weeks [5]. In the 10-week Korean trial, garcinia extract did not change triglycerides or total cholesterol compared with placebo [4].
Population
Adults in 14 RCTs [5]; 86 overweight adults [4].
Sources
[4], [5]
Caveats
Interventions were short and heterogeneity was significant [5].

Mixed results1

Moderate

Weight loss

Mixed results: pooled trials found about 0.9 to 1.3 kg more weight loss than placebo in overweight adults, while the two largest trials found no difference.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Pooling 9 RCTs, weight loss was 0.88 kg greater with hydroxycitric acid than placebo (95% CI -1.75 to -0.00) [1]. A dose-response meta-analysis of 8 trials with 530 subjects found weight 1.34 kg lower (95% CI -2.62 to -0.07) and BMI 0.99 kg/m² lower (95% CI -1.48 to -0.49) than placebo [2]. In the largest single trial, 135 overweight adults on a high-fiber, low-energy diet lost 3.2 kg with 1,500 mg of hydroxycitric acid a day and 4.1 kg with placebo over 12 weeks. The difference was not significant, and fat mass loss did not differ [3]. In 86 overweight adults eating their usual diet, 2 g a day of garcinia extract for 10 weeks did not change weight or body fat compared with placebo [4].
Population
Overweight and obese adults in RCTs [1][2]; 135 adults with BMI about 32 [3]; 86 adults with BMI 23 to 29 in Korea [4].
Sources
[1], [2], [3], [4]
Caveats
The upper bound of the confidence interval in [1] reached zero. The pooled trials were short and the authors of [1] called the clinical relevance uncertain. The two largest controlled trials [3][4] found no difference from placebo.

Not shown to help1

Moderate

Blood sugar and insulin

Not shown to change fasting blood sugar or insulin in adults. Subgroup results pointed in different directions.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Across 9 publications with 444 participants, garcinia did not change fasting blood sugar (1.02 mg/dL, 95% CI -1.29 to 3.33) or insulin (-0.12 mU/L, 95% CI -1.50 to 1.25) compared with control. In subgroups, insulin rose in women, insulin and fasting blood sugar rose in those with BMI of 30 or more, and insulin fell in trials longer than 8 weeks [6].
Population
Adults in RCTs [6].
Sources
[6]
Caveats
Subgroup results point in different directions and come from few trials.

Doses studied

The 12-week US trial used 1,500 mg of hydroxycitric acid a day alongside a high-fiber, low-energy diet [3]. The Korean trial used 2 g a day of garcinia extract tablets for 10 weeks [4]. The meta-analyses pooled trials of varying products and doses [1][2].

Risks

Reported risks2

ModerateHow often is not known

Liver injury

Linked to liver injury in 22 US registry cases, mostly in products with green tea. 91% were hospitalized, one needed a transplant and one died.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
Among 1,418 patients enrolled in the US Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network from 2004 to 2018, 22 cases were adjudicated with high confidence as liver injury from garcinia alone (5), with green tea (16) or with ashwagandha (1). Patients were 17 to 54 years old and injury began 13 to 223 days (median 51) after starting. 91% were hospitalized, one needed a liver transplant and one died. The HLA-B*35:01 allele was present in 55% of garcinia cases against 19% of other supplement cases [7]. Separate reports describe fulminant liver failure needing transplant [8] and acute liver failure in 4 women taking garcinia for weight loss [9].
Population
US registry cases [7]; case reports and series [8][9].
Sources
[7], [8], [9]
Caveats
Most network cases involved multi-ingredient products, and 16 of 22 also contained green tea. Liver injury from garcinia and from green tea could not be told apart clinically [7].
LimitedHow often is not known

Hydroxycut liver injury

Case reports: liver injury in 17 people after Hydroxycut, a multi-ingredient product containing hydroxycitric acid. Three needed transplants and one died.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
Hydroxycut was recalled by its manufacturer in May 2009 after reports of liver injury. A case series identified 8 patients treated for liver injury after Hydroxycut, all hospitalized, 3 needing liver transplant. Nine more cases came from FDA MedWatch, including one fatal acute liver failure. Causality was adjudicated as definite in 8, highly likely in 5, probable in 2 and possible in 2 [10]. Hydroxycitric acid was an active ingredient in the Hydroxycut products withdrawn in 2009 [8].
Population
17 patients [10].
Sources
[8], [10]
Caveats
Hydroxycut was a multi-ingredient product. The series does not isolate which ingredient caused injury [10].

Mixed results1

ModerateHow often is not known

Liver enzymes and side effects in trials

Liver enzymes did not change in short trials. In one trial, gut side effects were twice as common as on placebo.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
In pooled trials, garcinia did not change ALT (Hedges' g 0.27, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.73) or AST (Hedges' g -0.08, 95% CI -0.43 to 0.26) [6]. In one trial included in [1], gastrointestinal adverse events were twice as common with hydroxycitric acid as with placebo [1].
Population
444 participants in 9 publications [6]; RCTs [1].
Sources
[1], [6]
Caveats
Trials were short and too small to detect rare liver injury. The registry and case findings [7][8][9][10] and the trial enzyme data describe different things.

Claims tested and not found

  1. That garcinia produces weight loss beyond diet alone. In 135 adults on a prescribed diet, weight loss did not differ from placebo over 12 weeks (3.2 kg against 4.1 kg) [3].
  2. That garcinia lowers LDL cholesterol. Pooled LDL change did not differ from control (-1.15 mg/dL, 95% CI -16.08 to 13.78) [5].
  3. That garcinia lowers blood sugar. Fasting blood sugar and insulin did not differ from control in pooled trials [6].

Sources

  1. Onakpoya I, Hung SK, Perry R, et al. The Use of Garcinia Extract (Hydroxycitric Acid) as a Weight loss Supplement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Clinical Trials. Journal of Obesity. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/509038
  2. Golzarand M, Omidian M, Toolabi K. Effect of Garcinia cambogia supplement on obesity indices: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102451
  3. Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, et al. Garcinia cambogia (Hydroxycitric Acid) as a Potential Antiobesity Agent: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA. 1998. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.280.18.1596
  4. Kim JE, Jeon SM, Park KH, et al. Does Glycine max leaves or Garcinia Cambogia promote weight-loss or lower plasma cholesterol in overweight individuals: a randomized control trial. Nutrition Journal. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-94
  5. Amini MR, Rasaei N, Jalalzadeh M, et al. The effects of Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) on lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy Research. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.8102
  6. Tavakoli S, Amini MR, Rabiee R, et al. The effects of Garcinia cambogia on glycaemic control and liver enzymes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2024.91
  7. Vuppalanchi R, Bonkovsky HL, Ahmad J, et al. Garcinia cambogia, Either Alone or in Combination With Green Tea, Causes Moderate to Severe Liver Injury. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2021.08.015
  8. Lunsford KE, Bodzin AS, Reino DC, et al. Dangerous dietary supplements: Garcinia cambogia-associated hepatic failure requiring transplantation. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2016. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v22.i45.10071
  9. Crescioli G, Lombardi N, Bettiol A, et al. Acute liver injury following Garcinia cambogia weight-loss supplementation: case series and literature review. Internal and Emergency Medicine. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-018-1880-4
  10. Fong TL, Klontz KC, Canas-Coto A, et al. Hepatotoxicity Due to Hydroxycut: A Case Series. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2010.5

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