Caralluma fimbriata
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| Caralluma fimbriata | ||||||||||||||||
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 1832 botanical illustration of C. fimbriata.
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| Caralluma fimbriata Wall. |
Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent plant in the family Apocynaceae. It has been eaten in rural India for centuries, raw, as a vegetable with spices, or preserved in chutneys and pickles, and is often found as a roadside shrub or boundary marker.
It has been used as a portable food and thirst quencher for hunting. It is also used for its purpored ability to suppress hunger and appetite and enhance stamina. It is believed to have an effect on the appetite control centre of the brain.[citation needed] Tribesmen on a day's hunt will often only pack some Caralluma fimbriata to sustain themselves and hence it is commonly known as "famine food" in India.
In a small clinical trial conducted in India, modest benefits of Caralluma fimbriata extracts were observed.[1] In the study, 50 overweight individuals were given either a placebo or one gram of extract each day for 60 days. Compared to the placebo group, individuals receiving the extract showed no significant change in body weight, body mass index, hip circumference, body fat or energy intake; however, both appetite and waist circumference were reduced.
Various diet pills claiming to contain Caralluma fimbriata extracts are aggressively marketed for weight loss. However there is no independent evidence to suggest that the amount of extract found in these products is sufficient to obtain the same results as the clinical trial. The FTC cautions against the use of such "miracle diet" products.[2]
The key phytochemical constituents of the herb are pregnane glycosides, flavone glycosides, megastigmane glycosides, and saponins.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Kuriyan R, Raj T, Srinivas SK, Vaz M, Rajendran R, Kurpad AV (2007). "Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women". Appetite 48 (3): 338–44. doi:. PMID 17097761.
- ^ Weighing the Evidence in Diet Ads, US Federal Trade Commission
