RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF GARCINIA CAPLETS IN OBESE SUBJECTS

Obesity and its concomitant health risks are among the most common conditions managed by health care practitioners. The limited long-term effectiveness of conventional weight management has led to researching alternative medicine and one which is widely accepted is the herbal products by virtue of its safety in long term use. The study was conducted to evaluate effect of caplet of Garcinia extract with reference to reduction in BMI and skin fold thickness in obese individuals. This study was performed according to a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, design. Subjects aged 18 to 60 years with Obesity as decided by BMI > 25 Kg/m2 to 35 Kg/m2 falling in the category of overweight and class I obesity were included in the study. A total of 110 individuals participated in the study. Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups of 55 each to receive treatment for 4 months with Garcinia or matching placebo at a dose of 1 caplet twice daily. All the subjects completed the study as stipulated. At the end of 4 months, Garcinia group had significant reduction in BMI and skin fold thickness when compared to the placebo group and baseline values respectively. No severe adverse effect was observed at any time in the study period. Compliance to treatment was good. It is therefore expected that Garcinia may be useful for the prevention and reduction of obesity