Obesity and overweight-related problems are often considered to be the stepping stone for various types of diseases.
You could also have situations where obesity and overweight body could lead to joint and bone-related issues and could also cause damage to other vital organs like kidney, liver, lungs and brain.
Many of them place their confidence on weight management supplements and the market is filled with quite a few of them. One such supplement is seemingly extracted from Garcinia Cambogia.
Garcinia cambogia is a fruit that is available abundantly in South East Asia. It is a rich source of powerful antioxidants.
It also has properties that could help in weight loss, detoxifying the body and removing purities.
There are some possible side effects of Garcinia Cambogia. Kidney stones & damage is often mentioned as one of the possible side effects of this substance.
Lets explore what is the truth about Garcinia Cambogia & Kidney problems.
Does Garcinia Cambogia Cause kidney Problems like Kidney stones or Kidney Failure?
There have been a few instances where patients have complained of abdominal pain & vital kidney functions deterioration.
But, the problems associated with the kidney are few and far between as far as garcinia cambogia is concerned.
According to experts and also according to feedback from renowned nephrologists, there could be reasons to believe that garcinia cambogia could provide a layer of protection to the kidney when the filtration and detoxifying process is happening because of garcinia cambogia supplements.
Further, it also could play a big role in reducing the risk of kidney stones and calcification of the various minerals inside the kidney or in the tubes that lead to the excretory system.
However, those who have a record of renal issues should exercise care while using the product.
This is because garcinia cambogia supplements have to be used for a long period of time.
Secondly, if the user is suffering from high blood pressure and high blood sugar, then he or she should have his entire rental functioning checked thoroughly.
The same is the case with patients who are using special types of medicines for high cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.
Combining these drugs with garcinia cambogia could have a negative impact on the functioning of the kidneys.
Kidney is Vital Body Organ
There is no doubt that the kidney is one of the most important and vital organs of the body.
When we talk about the five vital internal organs of the body, there is no doubt that the kidney has a vital role to play.
It helps in keeping the body clean and filters toxic waste products generated by the body.
It also performs other vital functions including production of RBCs for the body and much more.
It helps in regulating the blood pressure of the body.
Hence, when we are into any new supplements, we should be careful that it does not do any damage to the kidneys.
Garcinia Cambogia and Kidney Function
Though there is no doubt that in general garcinia cambogia is well tolerated and has minimal side effects, there are a few instances where patients have complained of abdominal pain and other such problems.
There has been a particular case where the patient who on being admitted for abdominal pain was put on the complete screening for her renal functioning.
The reports did suggest increased levels of creatinine and abnormal GFR results.
On further examination it was found that the patient was on a regimen of garcinia cambogia and more specifically on a high dosage of around 1400 mg of HCA.
HCA or hydroxycitric acid is a substance present in Garcinia Cambogia known to have properties for aiding and helping in weight loss and weight management.
The patient was immediately advised to discontinue the use of garcinia cambogia supplement.
Though the vital kidney functions did show deterioration even after discontinuation, it did come back to normal after a days’ hemo-dialysis.
Hence, there are reasons to believe that this specific incident points to a direct connection between acute kidney failure and consumption of garcinia cambogia.
Why Is Garcinia Cambogia Good For Weight Loss?
There is a substance called HCA or hydroxycitric acid in Garcinia Cambogia that helps in weight loss and weight management.
It seemingly has the capability of blocking fats and also inhibiting hormones that trigger abnormal appetite.
Further, it could also have properties that could aid and help in increasing the efficiency of the metabolic functioning of the body.
When all the above properties combined with exercise and dietary discipline are seen together, it could work very well in handling the problem of obesity and overweight issues quite effectively.
There are many cases where the efficacy of garcinia cambogia as a safe, reliable and trustworthy weight management product has been proved.
It is considered safe because, these kinds of weight management supplements have to be taken for a long period of time.
There are few such weight management supplements that are notorious because of their very severe and disturbing side effects.
What Are The Garcinia Cambogia Side Effects?
Like most weight management supplements, there is no doubt that garcinia cambogia also has some side effects.
But most of the side effects are transient and temporary in nature.
A few common side effects include headaches, rashes, complete lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting, increased blood pressure levels, dryness in the mouth and a few others.
Since the impact of garcinia cambogia is not known on pregnant women, most manufacturers of garcinia cambogia weight supplements advise pregnant mothers to stay away from garcinia cambogia during pregnancy and immediately after pregnancy when the new born baby is lactating.
A Few Questions That Might Interest Readers
While there are some areas of concerns, we would like to answer a few questions about garcinia cambogia and its safety
Is garcinia cambogia safe?
Yes, on the whole there are no reasons to believe that there are any substances that are harmful or damaging in garcinia cambogia for end users.
It is very well tolerated and is a fruit from where the ingredients are sourced.
It has been in use for the past many centuries by millions of people for various medicinal properties.
Is Garcinia Cambogia Safe for Kidney Transplant Patients?
If there are patients who have impaired renal functions or kidney transplant, then it would always be better to stay away from garcinia cambogia unless they get an okay from their physicians or nephrologists.
Is Garcinia Cambogia Safe Long Term?
The answer is again yes. Garcinia cambogia is an edible fruit based composition and therefore it can be take long term subject to all medical conditions remaining normal.
3 Best Brands Of Garcinia Cambogia
If you look around the market place, you will come across dozens of brands of garcinia cambogia. We will look at a few of them for the benefit of our readers.
This is a product from the house of Foraging.It is a combination of high class garcinia cambogia and dandelion root.It comes in the form of ready to use tea bags (28 of them) to be used once daily.It could be useful for detoxifying the body and also for increasing energy.
2. Herbal Nutrition Garcinia Cambogia
This is a quality two 90 count bottles of garcinia cambogia which comes in 750 mg capsules.Apart from offering value for money it also contains a clinically proven diet formula. It contains the finest quality of Garcinia Cambogia extracted from the best technology. It also is safe and virtually free from side effects of any sort.
3. New Life Botanicals Garcinia Cambogia
This product from New Life Botanicals is offered with the claim that it has the highest concentration of HCA (90%). Therefore, the manufacturers and also many customers are of the view that it could be extremely useful as a safe and effective as well as efficient means to overcome the problem of obesity and overweight related issues.
The Final Word
We are hopeful that the information provided above would give some clarity regarding garcinia cambogia in general and it efficiency, safety and tolerability in particular.
Though there are mixed opinions regarding the impact of Garcinia Cambogia on the renal functions, the negatives are very few and far between and they could be exaggeration when one looks at it absolute numbers.
On the whole, there are many reasons to believe that the benefits far outweigh the risks of side effect.
However, the onus lies on the customers to do their research.
They should go through the right due diligence process and be sure that they choose only the best quality product that is of the highest standard in terms of purity.
Diana Paul is a certified nutritionist who writes for leading health blogs. She is a master herbalist, yoga teacher, forager, and wild-crafting writer She is focused on helping people transform life blocks to opportunities. Based in NYC, she often holds health seminars and lectures.