Dear Dr. Blonz,
My e-mailbox continues to be filled with articles about a weight loss miracle called caralluma fimbriata. All the articles discuss how it has been used to suppress appetite in India for centuries and about research studies with evidence that it will turn off your appetite and cause weight loss. I would normally let it pass but I also remember a full page advertisement a few weeks ago that was selling a product that contained this. Is this something you are familiar with and if so, do you have any recommendations? MQ, San Diego, CA

Dear MQ,
My e-mailbox is also overweight with these messages. Caralluma fimbriata is the name of a succulent plant that grows in India. It can be eaten raw or cooked with spices, but it is also used in pickles and chutneys. It is classified as a "famine food," a description used for foods that are eaten when other foods are in short supply. Folklore tells us that chewing chunks of this plant can suppress hunger while on a day's hunt. The story is similar to the one attached to Hoodia gordonii, a succulent plant found in Africa that is also being touted in weight-loss products.

Hoodia does not have even one published clinical study on which to base any claims, but there is a published, peer-reviewed study for Caralluma fimbriata. I am hoping that going through the details of this study will illustrate how folkloric stories coupled with persistent aggressive marketing is no guarantee that a product works.

The research was published in the May 2007 issue of the journal Appetite , and it describes a 60-day study using 50 overweight male and female volunteers. Half the subjects received an extract of Caralluma fimbriata, and the other half received a placebo. Measurements were taken before, midway and at the end of the study, including weight, BMI (body mass index) and body fat, along with appetite variables such as food intake, measures of hunger, thoughts of food and feelings of fullness.

At the end of the study, the group taking Caralluma fimbriata had lost weight, and their BMI and a number of other measurements were lower. This is mentioned in many advertisements, but what's left out is the fact that similar results were found in the placebo group. (This helps explain why it is absolutely essential to have a placebo group.) When both groups were compared, there was no significant difference in body weight, BMI, body fat or hip circumference. The only difference between the groups was in the measure of waist circumference. This is of dubious import, however, given that there was no effect on body weight, BMI and body-fat percentage.

The Appetite study reported no differences in thoughts of food, feelings of fullness, urges to eat or in the amounts of energy, fat, carbohydrate and protein consumed. The only difference between the groups was in reports of hunger. Again, this must be viewed in the context that when compared to the placebo, the treatment did not have a significant effect how much the subjects actually ate. This is the only published weight-loss study using Caralluma fimbriata. Others that might be cited cannot be considered as reliable evidence because they have not gone through independent reviews.

Bottom line: There's nothing miraculous to report about Caralluma fimbriata as a weight-loss product.

Do you have a question that involves nutrition, health and wellness? Dr. Ed Blonz holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in nutrition, and has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of nutrition, foods and health. He is the author of seven books and writes the nationally syndicated column, "On Nutrition," available through United Features Syndicate.

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