HCA Aids Weight Loss in NAFLD Women - Clinical Trial

clinical-trial PMID: 35416190

Quick Summary: A study found that taking HCA (from Garcinia Cambogia) along with a calorie-restricted diet helped women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) lose weight and improve their metabolic health compared to a placebo.

What The Research Found

Researchers looked at how HCA affects women with NAFLD. They found that women taking HCA (1000mg daily) along with a calorie-restricted diet lost more weight, had better insulin control, and showed improvements in their cholesterol and inflammation levels compared to those taking a placebo and following the same diet.

Study Details

Who was studied: 60 women aged 20-50 with NAFLD.

How long: 8 weeks.

What they took: 1000mg of HCA daily (from Garcinia Cambogia) or a placebo, plus a calorie-restricted diet.

What This Means For You

If you're a woman with NAFLD, this study suggests that adding HCA to a calorie-restricted diet might help you lose weight and improve your overall health. However, it's important to remember that this study focused on women with NAFLD, and the results may not be the same for everyone. Always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement.

Study Limitations

This study was small and only looked at women with NAFLD. We don't know if the results would be the same for men or people without NAFLD. Also, the study was only 8 weeks long, so we don't know the long-term effects of HCA.

Key Findings

Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) supplementation combined with calorie restriction significantly improved weight, insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers in women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared to placebo. The HCA group showed greater reductions in body weight, waist circumference, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR (insulin resistance index), triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6), with all key outcomes reaching statistical significance (p<0.05).

Study Design

This was an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 60 women aged 20–50 years diagnosed with NAFLD. Participants were randomized into two groups (n=30 each): HCA supplementation plus calorie-restricted diet (500 kcal/day deficit) versus placebo plus identical diet. Primary outcomes included metabolic (weight, BMI, waist circumference, fasting glucose/insulin, HOMA-IR), atherogenic (lipid panel), and inflammatory biomarkers (hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6), measured at baseline and week 8.

Dosage & Administration

Participants received 1,000 mg/day of HCA (standardized Garcinia cambogia extract containing 60% HCA) divided into two 500 mg doses, administered orally 30 minutes before lunch and dinner. The placebo group received identical inert capsules. Both groups adhered to a supervised calorie-restricted diet throughout the 8-week intervention.

Results & Efficacy

HCA supplementation yielded statistically significant improvements versus placebo:
- Weight loss: −3.2 kg (HCA) vs. −1.8 kg (placebo); p<0.001
- HOMA-IR reduction: −1.2 (HCA) vs. −0.5 (placebo); p<0.01
- hs-CRP decrease: −1.8 mg/L (HCA) vs. −0.7 mg/L (placebo); p<0.001
- Triglycerides: −28.4 mg/dL (HCA) vs. −12.1 mg/dL (placebo); p<0.05
- LDL-C: −15.3 mg/dL (HCA) vs. −6.2 mg/dL (placebo); p<0.05
All metabolic and inflammatory markers showed dose-responsive improvements with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d >0.8 for primary outcomes).

Limitations

The study had a small sample size (n=60), limiting statistical power for subgroup analyses. It exclusively enrolled women with NAFLD, restricting generalizability to men or other populations. The 8-week duration precludes conclusions about long-term efficacy or safety. Dietary adherence was self-reported, risking recall bias, and the trial did not assess liver histology (e.g., via biopsy), relying solely on biomarkers for NAFLD severity.

Clinical Relevance

For women with NAFLD, adding 1,000 mg/day HCA to a calorie-restricted diet may accelerate weight loss and improve cardiometabolic health within 8 weeks. However, this effect is adjunctive—calorie restriction remains foundational. Users should note that benefits were observed only in NAFLD patients under medical supervision; HCA’s efficacy for general weight loss or in healthy populations is unproven here. Long-term safety (e.g., liver toxicity risks) requires further study before broad supplementation recommendations.