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Caralluma for Weight Loss
Indian Cactus is Promising Appetite Suppressant and Diet Aid

by Mary Shomon

January 2006 -- Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent plant, in the cactus family, that has been used as a natural appetite suppressant in India for centuries. It's another new arrival in the family of various cactii that are being used for their appetite suppressant, blood sugar lowering, and weight loss properties, much like the increasingly popular hoodia gordonii from the Kalahari Desert in Africa.

Many people in the rural areas of India eat succulent cactus which grow wild over various parts of the country.

How to Order Caralluma Fimbriata (GenaSlim) with Slimaluma You can get GenaSlim at most health food stores, or order it easily from my favorite online vitamin store, Iherb.com, now, by clicking on the image or clicking here. GenaSlim also has specialized soy-free Meal Replacement Drinks, in Chocolate Mousse and Vanilla Custard. These include Slimaluma, coconut oil, vitamins, minerals and digestive enzymes.

Caralluma fimbriata is the most popular edible cactus, and is cooked as a vegetable, used in preserves like chutneys and pickles, or eaten raw. It is used to suppress hunger and appetite, and enhance endurance throughout India. It is also sometimes considered a "famine food," used during periods of famine to suppress appetite.

Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) experts have noted that there are no adverse effects when using Caralluma fimbriata, and the plant has no known toxicity.

Caralluma fimbriata is believed to block the activity of several enzymes, which then blocks the formation of fat, forcing fat reserves to be burned. Caralluma fimbriata is also believed to have an effect on the appetite control mechanism of the brain.

A patented, tested extract of Caralluma fimbriata has been developed and standardized by a company called Gencor. Known as "Slimaluma," the extract delivers the plant in a concentrated form. Several clinical trials show potentially promising results in terms of weight loss and appetite suppressant properties.

The only product available in the U.S. that uses the Slimaluma patented formula is Country Life's GenaSlim supplement, which combines the Caralluma fimbriata extract with EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) from green tea. Together, they have a synergistic effect on appetite control and weight loss. In two independent clinical trials, Slimaluma was shown to be effective in reducing body fat through appetite control.

NOTE FROM MARY: I've been using this a while, and I have to say that I really like it. I am finding that it does add some extra energy, and lowers my appetite to some degree. I take it in conjunction with hoodia, and I think the combination really seems to pack an extra punch as far as suppressing appetite.


Sources:

• Caralluma fimbriata: A new dietary supplement in weight management strategies, Report to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  
• Slimaluma
  
• Famine Foods
  
• Caralluma
  
• Khan B, et. al. "Hypogylcemic activity of aqueous extract of some indigenous plants." Pak J Pharm Sci. 2005 Jan;18(1):62-4.
  

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