Someone emailed and asked what I thought of the weight loss supplement Apatrim and if I thought it is effective for weight loss.

Apatrim is Caralluma Fimbriata extract. A summary of the one and only published study is posted here.

The study found that Caralluma Fimbriata extract increased weight loss by 2.2 pounds more than placebo in two months, in other words, it increased weight loss by only 1.1 pounds per month -- not much. Read the entire article | Email this article

People given 1000 mg of an extract from an edible cactus called Caralluma fimbriata lost 4.4 pounds in two months compared to 2.2 pounds for those given a placebo, in other words, an additional 2.2 pounds according to a study by researchers from St John's National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore, India. This is only one pound per month -- not much. "Caralluma fimbriata is an edible cactus, used by tribal Indians to suppress hunger and enhance endurance," according to the paper. Read the entire article | Email this article