Ingredients · Herb
Garcinia Cambogia
Garcinia gummi-gutta · Clusiaceae (mangosteen family)
What it’s like, and how to use it
- As part of Skinny Mini blend
- 175°F / 80°C for 3–4 minutes (green tea base requires lower temperature)
- Not typically consumed standalone
- SAFETY NOTE: Avoid if taking SSRIs/SNRIs or if you have liver conditions
How to use it
Traditional South Indian fish curry (the rind provides sourness). Sri Lankan cuisine (Goraka — dried garcinia rind is a staple souring agent). Added to chutneys and relishes. Garcinia-based drink concentrates. In traditional cooking, it's a flavoring ingredient, not a supplement.
With food
Fish curries (traditional South Indian use). Tamarind (flavor cousin — both are souring agents). Coconut milk (balances the sourness). Rice. Best understood as a traditional culinary souring agent rather than a standalone ingredient.
With spices
Green tea (the Skinny Mini base — EGCG provides the only pharmacologically defensible metabolic activity). Cinnamon (TRPA1-mediated adipose browning complements any metabolic effect). Black pepper (general polyphenol bioavailability enhancement). Ginger (digestive comfort).
With tea
Green tea (the functional backbone in Skinny Mini). Peppermint (digestive comfort). Ginger Root (anti-nausea support — garcinia can cause stomach upset). Not a versatile blending ingredient — best kept within its existing formula.
Its story
Where it comes from
Native to Southeast Asia and India, where the fruit — also called Malabar tamarind — has been used in cooking for centuries. The sour rind is a traditional ingredient in South Indian curries and fish dishes. The supplement industry adopted it in the 2010s and the marketing outran the science. France's ANSES issued a 2025 advisory against garcinia supplements following a fatal hepatitis case.
What happened
Used for centuries in South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking as a souring agent, as fundamental to some regional cuisines as tamarind or lime. The supplement boom began after a 2012 television endorsement. Subsequent rigorous reviews failed to confirm the claims made for it. The FDA recalled all Hydroxycut products in 2009, following 23 reports of liver injury, and France's ANSES issued a safety advisory in 2025. The cooking tradition is the real story here; the rest is a cautionary one.
Good for
What the research looked at
Contains hydroxycitric acid, traditionally used for metabolic support
The sour flavor may help reduce appetite through taste-mediated pathways
Rich in antioxidant xanthones and garcinol
Traditional South Asian culinary ingredient for centuries
IMPORTANT: Not recommended with SSRIs/SNRIs due to serotonin interaction risk — documented hepatotoxicity signals at supplement doses
What’s in the leaf
Hydroxycitric acid/HCA (the active compound — dicarboxylic acid that dissolves well in water; ATP-citrate lyase inhibitor that theoretically blocks fat synthesis; 18–29 mg per cup of Skinny Mini vs 1,500–3,000 mg clinical doses). Xanthones. Garcinol (polyisoprenylated benzophenone — antioxidant). Organic acids (citric, malic).
These teas are foods, sold as such. Nothing on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
On the shelf with it
Every product it goes into.
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Skinny Mini, Organic
Regular price From $9.00 CADRegular price
