A wild Indian succulent sold as a capsule extract to curb hunger. Combining all trials leaves one small effect: reduced waist measurement and waist-to-hip ratio. Weight, blood sugar, and blood fats do not move, and the hunger claim is split. Well tolerated: mild, short-lived digestive upset and occasional rash. Nothing beyond sixteen weeks; the evidence base is commercially interested. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Waist circumference | < 94 cm (men), < 80 cm (women) | The only outcome with pooled trial support |
| Waist-to-hip ratio | < 0.90 (men), < 0.85 (women) | Second pooled-significant outcome; tracks fat distribution |
| Body weight and body fat percentage | 10–20% fat (men), 18–28% (women) | Detects whether any loss is fat or lean mass |
| Fasting glucose | 75–86 mg/dL | Baseline safety check and additive-hypoglycaemia guard |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.3% | Confirms no adverse glycaemic drift over a cycle |
| Fasting insulin | 2–5 µIU/mL | Detects insulin-resistance change alongside waist reduction |
| Leptin | 4–6 ng/mL (men), 8–12 ng/mL (women) | The one biomarker that differed between groups in the longest trial |
| Lipid panel (triglycerides, HDL, LDL) | Triglycerides < 100 mg/dL; triglyceride-to-HDL ratio < 2.0 | Human trials showed no lipid benefit; measured as a safety check |
| ALT and AST | ALT 10–26 U/L; AST 10–26 U/L | Human clearance route is uncharacterised; liver disease was a trial exclusion |
| Creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate | eGFR > 90 mL/min/1.73 m² | Kidney disease was a trial exclusion criterion |
| Blood pressure | < 120/80 mmHg | One trial reported within-group systolic changes; confirms no adverse shift |
| Salivary cortisol (morning) | No established target for this use; track change from the individual's own baseline | Only relevant if using the extract for the stress endpoint |
Cadence: Baseline panel before starting; waist circumference and body weight every 2 weeks; full biochemical panel at 12 weeks and at the end of a 16-week cycle; daily fasting glucose for 2 weeks on glucose-lowering medication.