LipoFlush - How Does it Work?

Hydroxycitrate (HCA), Carnitine and Fumarate

Laboratory research suggests that garcinia cambogia extract or HCA may be an effective compound for promoting weight loss. It is believed that HCA acts in several different ways. It is an effective appetite suppressant, and also limits the production of cholesterol and fatty acids in the body. It is also believed to raise body temperature to act in a thermogenic manner. HCA has also recently been shown to suppress weight regain.

HCA is not one of the new kids on the block. Over the last 30 years there has also been a lot of research on HCA and it’s effects on fat metabolism, with even the early research looking at its effects on fat metabolism. ⁷

Theoretically, because HCA decreases the 2-carbon pool necessary for the formation of fat, and increases certain enzymes that promote fat oxidation, it should increase fat oxidation and decrease fat formation. In fact, several studies have shown that these effects do occur. For example, in one study, HCA and other tricarboxylic acids were shown to inhibit fatty acid synthesis from body glycogen without affecting protein synthesis.⁸ Studies have also shown that HCA has appetite suppressant effects, especially if taken prior to meals.⁹

Even though its use in weight loss is supported by animal studies, where it appears to act (by a mechanism which is not yet clear, although some studies have implicated a serotonin connection) by reducing food intake, much of the research on the effects of HCA on appetite and body composition has been inconclusive and in some cases showed no effects, especially in humans. As well, there’s been a lack of studies that show significant long lasting effects on weight loss and total fat formation and oxidation.

Over the past few years, however, this situation has changed. A recent study on humans has shown that 2 weeks of taking as little as 300 mg of HCA three times a day reduced 24 hour energy intake in obese humans with no increase in hunger.¹⁰

Another recent study has shown that HCA has sustained long-term effects in rats on various parameters of weight loss and hunger.¹¹ An interesting finding in this study is that the fat content of the diet seemed to be important for the long-term suppressive effect of HCA on feeding. HCA had little effect on rats that were on a very low fat diet.

The bottom line is that HCA has the potential to decrease appetite and weight and fat loss and, along with a proper diet, exercise and other targeted nutritional supplements, should be part of any serious weight and fat loss regimen.

But there’s more!

A recent pilot study showed that the use of hydroxycitrate (HCA), carnitine and pyruvate to obese subjects resulted in a remarkable rate of body-fat loss and thermogenesis,¹² which pointed to an uncoupling of fatty-acid oxidation – that is the energy from the burning of fat was thrown off mostly as heat, and thus took some fat out of the metabolic equation.

In LipoFlush I’ve combined HCA with carnitine fumarate. I believe that fumarate has an advantage over pyruvate in that it is a more direct Tricarboxlyic Acid cycle (TCA cycle) intermediate resulting in an anapleurotic increase in TCA cycle intermediates and an increased TCA cycle flux.

The increased flux, combined with the activation of fatty acid oxidation induced by HCA and carnitine, increases fat breakdown and the oxidation of fatty acids, along with an increase in uncoupling protein. The overall result is an increase in fat breakdown and an increase in heat production from the metabolism of fat.

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