The botanical name Garcinia cambogia refers to a plant, native to moist forests in India and grown in numerous areas of tropical Asia that yields a small yellowish fruit in the shape of a pumpkin. It is also called by the botanical names G. gummi-gutti and G. quaesita. It is commonly known as brindleberry, gamboge, Kodumpuli and Malabar tamarine. Garcinia cambogia is also the name of an alternative medicine that claims to aid in weight loss and treat intestinal problems. Does this Spark an idea?
Plant Genus
Garcinia cambogia is a species of the plant genus Garcinia, part of the Clusiaceae family of plants that are native to Australia, Asia, parts of Africa and Polynesia. There are between 50 and 300 species of Garcinia. They include mangosteens and other plants, as well as those called saptrees.
Description
Garcinia cambogia is an evergreen tree that grows from 30 to 50 feet tall. It has dark green, shiny leaves and produces clusters of cream-colored flowers. Garcinia cambogia yields sweet-sour fruits, about 2 inches wide, in the shape of tiny pumpkins that are yellow, reddish or sometimes purple in color. The thick-skinned fruit is dried and ground into a powder that is used in Indian curries.
Camboge
Camboge is the yellow sap extracted from the bark of Garcinia cambogia. The sap hardens into brittle lumps that are ground into a bright yellow powder. Flemish painters used camboge as a pigment. In the 19th century it was used as a yellow varnish. Camboge is the basis for traditional medicines used to induce vomiting and as a laxative.
Weight Loss Supplements
Extracts of Garcinia cambogia are used as a traditional medicine to treat indigestion and ailments of the digestive tract. In India, it is thought that Garcinia cambogia makes food more filling and therefore more satisfying. More recently, extracts of Garcinia cambogia have been popularly touted as a natural weight loss supplement because of its high content of hydroxycitric acid. The hydroxycitric acid is said to suppress appetite and inhibit the body's ability to store fatty acids, called triglycerides, and cholesterol. However, clinical research reported by the National Institutes of Health concluded that Garcinia cambogia does not contribute to weight loss.
Tags: Garcinia cambogia, ground into, hydroxycitric acid, that Garcinia, that Garcinia cambogia