Also sold as Hydroxycitric acid, HCA, Malabar tamarind
A long-running weight-loss supplement with little evidence of benefit and repeated reports of serious liver injury.
TrustedSupp Tier System™ · Tier 3Take as a defined course
Check before you startThis one has documented interactions with medication classes where the consequences are serious. If you take any prescription medicine, run it past a pharmacist before starting.
Evidence strength
10/100Weak
WEAKLIMITEDMODERATESTRONGVERY STRONG
What the evidence supports: weight loss — reviews find little or no meaningful effect.
This scores how well-supported the claim above is — not how much benefit you personally would get. A high score on a narrow claim does not extend to everything the product is marketed for.
How long to take it
Not recommended.
Who it's actually for
Hard to justify. Reviews find little or no meaningful weight loss.
Safe upper limit
Unverified
No formal upper limit; liver injury reports have occurred at typical label doses
Case reports and case series have linked garcinia products to acute liver injury, some requiring transplant. Many involved multi-ingredient products, but garcinia is a recurring common factor.