Caralluma Fimbriata - Essentials of The Essence

Ever considered an ugly succulent cactus-like plant to be the answer to your weight-loss woes? Then perhaps you've not yet considered the appetite suppressing effects of caralluma fimbriata. The extract of this particular plant has been well known to the holistic practitioners of India, both ancient and modern and used in various tonics and potions made up for general health and well-being.

What interests us in this day and age is that caralluma acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Though generally accepted, a scientific study published in sciencedirect.com called "Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake, and anthropmetry in adult Indian men and women" boasted among its conclusions a reduction in both the waistline and the appetite of its subjects (the study was blind).

Historically, people in rural India used to chew the plant in order to reduce their food cravings when they set out on activities like hunting or occasionally spiritual quests as it was reputed to not only dull the appetite, but to increase stamina as well. The hunt wasn't a casual event where you sat out in the woods for a while, shot a deer and then drove over to the nearest hamburger joint. When you went out, it was a strenuous activity and oftentimes took a day or more. Food was often scarce (hence the hunt) and the caralluma fimbriata plants were key in keeping the hunter free from the distractions of hunger and to some degree thirst.

When added to other medical preparations, caralluma can act effectively as an agent to control blood sugar which of course we now know is one of the most effective ways to control weight gain. There is also new research to verify that certain elements of the plant are capable of blocking several of the enzymes that create feeling of hunger. Some aggressive marketers of caralluma have suggested that it may be capable of burning fat stored in the body but these claims smack of the old "melt the fat away" miracle drugs from the eighties and nineties.

The fact is, there is no need for such claims. By dulling the appetite naturally, caralluma becomes an effective weight-loss preparation by aiding the individual in flat-out avoiding the fried twinkies that are going to contribute to weight gain in the first place.

Finally, caralluma fimbriata is safe. For all practical purposes, it is a vegetable and though here in the west we distill it for its essence, we could just as easily import it, cook it up and serve it as a side to a nice coq au vin. The point being, it's no more dangerous than a plate of broccoli, and probably going to do you more good in the long haul.