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Is Citrimax Safe?

Losing weight is not only difficult and frustrating; it can be confusing. Every time a "miracle" appears--ephedra, Phen-fen, hoodia, guarana--an equal number of testimonials and condemnations pop up and hang around like the unwanted pounds you're trying to banish. One of the most popular of these supplements is citrimax.

  1. What Is Citrimax?

    • Citrimax is an over-the-counter diet supplement patented by InterHealth Nutraceuticals. It consists of a citric acid derivative called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which is found in plants like Garcinia cambogia and Hibiscus subdariffa.

    What Does Hydroxycitric Acid Do?

    • Studies done on animals as far back as the 1970s show that in enormous doses HCA helps keep the body from converting carbohydrates to fat. But subsequent clinical trials on humans have not shown any appreciable difference in the amount of fat burned by people taking citrimax, compared to those who were not taking it.

    Pros of Using Citrimax

    • According to a 2000 study done by scientists at Maastricht University, HCA can possibly help your liver convert lactic acid into glucose more quickly. Lactic acid builds up in your muscles during a workout and is associated with the "burn" you feel.

      They say "possibly" because the study involved concentrations of HCA that were between six and 30 times higher than a person would normally take, and the athletes involved were studied on bicycles for two hours at a time, which is far more exercise than the average person would engage in.

      Citrimax is considered much safer than supplements containing ephedra (not available without a prescription) and guarana, both of which affect the central nervous system and can cause jitters and racing hearts.

    Cons of Using Citrimax

    • A December 2003 study done at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, showed that large doses of HCA given to male Zucker rats resulted in some weight loss, but it also caused serious toxicity and atrophy in the rats' testicles. Whether this finding would translate to humans has not been studied. What effect, if any, HCA might have on female rats was not addressed in this study.

    Where to Get Citrimax

    • Citrimax is available in a lot of different over-the-counter (meaning non-prescription) weight-loss supplements. Read the labels for citrimax, HCA and extracts of Garcinia cambogia and Hibiscus subdariffa if you are interested in taking--or avoiding--HCA.

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