Media Report on Slimaluma Study

MELBOURNE, AustraliaRecent stories in Australian media suggest the findings from a study at the University of Victoria, Melbourne, may help overweight adults reduce their appetite and waist circumference. Results of the study, conducted by Michael Mathai, Ph.D., have been submitted for publication and are not available for review.

However, Yahoo! News reported the trial involved 30 overweight and obese adults who consumed a placebo or a standardized extract of the plant Caralluma fimbriata (as Slimaluma from Gencor Pacific), along with diet intervention, for 12 weeks. Mathai told Yahoo! the intervention group reported less cravings and greater control; Yahoo! reported there was no difference in weight loss between the groups, although the Slimaluma group lost 6-cm. around the waist compared to 2-cm. in the placebo group. Mathai was quoted stating the compound "helps you lose the fat content around your waist, as measured by waist circumference." Abdominal adiposity has been associated with increased risk of various endocrine problems as well as type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

These findings come after it was reported that in an in vitro study, treating mouse pre-adipocyte cells with Slimaluma could inhibit fat cell division, suggesting the compound could inhibit initial fat accumulation (Food Nutr Sci. 2011;(2,)329-336. DOI:10.4236/fns.2011.24047). Another trial is underway to determine whether consumption of Slimaluma could help reduce appetite and increase satiety in adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a condition triggered by a chromosomal abnormality resulting in constant hunger and food-seeking behavior.

C. fimbriata, an edible succulent belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae, grows wild in India, Africa and Europe. It is widely consumed as a food, appetite suppressant and treatment for diabetes. Slimaluma is a standardized extract of C. fimbriata containing pregnane and  etastigmane glycosides marketed as a supplement for weight loss.