Vrikshmala

HABITAT

This medicinal herb is native to India and Southeast Asia, West and Central Africa. It is commonly found in moist forest area. This medicinal plant grows up to 5000 feet of altitude. Humid or hot climate is favourable. This herbal plant is found in Southwestern Coast of India.

INTRODUCTION

Hailed as the “holy grail of weight loss,” Garcinia cambogia, or Garcinia indica, has actually been a known remedy for different imbalances for thousands of years in India. In Sanskrit, Garcinia cambogia is called “vrikshamla.” It is mentioned in the ayurvedic “nighantu”-s (or glossaries) as a vata and kapha dosha pacifying dravya or food ingredient.

BENEFITS

Improve Digestion: Garcinia helps to manage indigestion. The blend of unique chemicals and components in Garcinia can help reduce inflammation in the gut and stimulate proper nutrient uptake and digestion of food. This can also help to reduce constipation and diarrhoea, as well as IBS symptoms.

Ayurvedic View: According to Ayurveda, indigestion means the state of an incomplete process of digestion. The main reason for indigestion is aggravated Kapha that causes Agnimandya (weak digestive fire). It helps to improve Agni (digestive fire) and digests the food easily. This is due to its Deepan (appetizer) and Pachan (digestive) properties respectively.

Helps Aid Weight Loss: It contains a compound called HCA (Hydroxy citric acid) which acts as an appetite suppressant. It also reduces the conversion of carbohydrates to fats, thus helps in weight management. It inhibits an enzyme called citrate lyase, which plays a vital role in the production of fat. By stopping the citrate lyase, Garcinia is thought to slow or block fat production in your body and may reduce blood fats and lower your risk of weight gain.

Ayurvedic View: Garcinia is useful in managing weight. It gives a feeling of satiety and reduces craving. This is because it takes time to digest due to its Guru (heavy) nature. It also helps to improve metabolism and reduce Ama (toxic remains in the body due to improper digestion) which is one of the causes of overweight due to its Deepan (appetizer) and Pachan (digestive) properties.

Boosts Immunity Naturally: Garcinia is loaded with nutrients that are essential for our body. It has a healthy mixture of B-vitamins, ascorbic acid, manganese, potassium, and dietary fibre. It also has antibacterial and anti-viral properties that make it an excellent herb for boosting immunity.

Improves Heart Health: It is low in calories but rich in dietary fibre. It has zero cholesterol and the presence of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and manganese make it an amazing herb for protecting heart.

Helps in Diabetes Management: Garcinia has antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. The level of certain enzymes that get reduced in case of type 2 diabetes is restored by Garcinia. Certain components of Garcinia are also involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, It may be useful in managing diabetes as well as its related complications

Ayurvedic View: Garcinia is useful in managing normal blood sugar level. According to Ayurveda, diabetes is known as Madhumeha which is due to an aggravation of Vata and impaired digestion. Impaired digestion leads to an accumulation of Ama (toxic remains in the body due to improper digestion) in the pancreatic cells and impairs the function of insulin. It helps to correct impaired digestion and improve metabolism due to its Deepan (appetizer) and Pachan (digestive) properties. This reduces Ama and improves the function of insulin, thus managing the normal blood sugar level.

Aid in Skin Care: It is rich in antioxidants due to which it reduces degeneration of skin cells. It also restores skin elasticity thereby reducing wrinkles and prolonging the effects of ageing. In traditional medicine, It has been used to manage rashes due to skin allergies and also manages burns and chaffed skin.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

The active component of Garcinia cambogia is hydroxy citric acid, a compound that inhibits the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase, which is involved in endogenous lipid biosynthesis. Active ingredient Hydroxy citric acid also increases hepatic glycogen synthesis, suppresses appetite, and decreases body weight gain. HCA has a chemical structure similar to that of citric acid (the primary acid in citrus fruits). It also raises levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which may make feel less hungry. The rind is rich in anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids that help mitigate free radical damage. It's also consisting of garcinol, which neutralises free radicals.

CLINICAL STUDIES & REFERENCES

Goudarzvand, M.; Afraei, S.; Yaslianifard, S.; Ghiasy, S.; Sadri, G.; Kalvandi, M.; Alinia, T.; Mohebbi, A. Yazdani, R.; Azarian, S.K.; et al. Hydroxy citric acid ameliorates inflammation and oxidative stress in mouse models of multiple sclerosis. Neural. Regen. Res. 2016, 11, 1610–1616.
Kayode Alaba Oluyemi1, Idowu O. Omotuyi2, Olusegun R. Jimoh3, Olamide A. Adesanya1, Chia L. Saalu1, Sunday J. Josiah2Erythropoietic and anti-obesity effects of Garcinia cambogia (bitter kola) in Wistar rats Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry Volume 46, Issue 1, pages 69–72, January 2007.
Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, Pietrobelli A, Greenfield D, Nunez C. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 1998; 280:1596-1600.
Vasselli JR, Shane E, Boozer CN, Heymsfield SB. Garcinia cambogia extract inhibitsbody weight gain via increased energy expenditure (EE) in rats. FASEB J.1998;12: A506.
Kim, K.Y.; Lee, H.N.; Kim, Y.J.; Park, T. Garcinia cambogia extract ameliorates visceral adiposity in C57BL/6J mice fed on a high-fat diet. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 2008, 72, 1772–1780.