Caralluma Fimbriata
Caralluma Fimbriata is a succulent plant in the cactus family. It is a powerful appetite suppressant, helping to control hunger cravings. Caralluma Fimbriata has been used in India for centuries. Hunters would take it while hunting to reduce their appetite and increase their endurance. It was also used in times of famine tosuppress appetite.
Today, Caralluma Fimbriata is essentially a vegetable of daily use in tribal India, used in keeping with the holistic approach. It is cooked and eaten in several forms, as a regular vegetable, with spices and salt, used in preserves like chutney and pickles and even eaten raw. Botanical experts, noted Ayurvedic practitioners, University professors and botanists across India testify to the safety and complete lack of toxicity of Caralluma Fimbriata. During its entire history of use over centuries on the Indian subcontinent, not a single adverse effecthas been reported.
Caralluma Fimbriata used in India for centuries
Caralluma Fimbriata has been used for centuries in India. It’s still used today in the daily diets of local populations in the regions of India in which Caralluma grows and is believed to be a unique herb which cures common health problems and suppresses appetite and thirst.
Some common uses of Caralluma in India today include:
- Indian tribes chew chunks of Caralluma Fimbriata to suppress hunger when on a hunt. A bag full of Caralluma chunks are enough to cater for a tribal group when they go for hunting, with no need to carry food.
- Among the labour class in South India, It’s used to suppress appetite and enhance endurance.
- In the KoIli hills of South India, it’s a vegetable used daily.
- In the arid regions of Andhra Pradesh, it’s used in pickles and chutneys.
- In Western India, it’s well known as a famine food, appetite suppressant and thirst quencher. The green follicles are eaten, boiled and salted.
- In Kerala, South India, it’s used as a vegetable and appetite suppressant among tribal populations.
In the semi-arid regions of India, it’s used as an appetite suppressant and food during times of famine.
Safety of Caralluma
We use Slimaluma, which is the highest quality Caralluma extract on the market place.
Slimaluma has been subject to numerous studies and found to be safe, including:
Acute Toxicity Study at St John's National Academy of Health Sciences, India
A study on Wistar rats was done, under OECD guidelines, using a very high dose of 5g per kg
body weight. No mortality of toxicity was observed. Body weight, feed and water intake in
all of the rats were comparable with that of the control.
Subchronic Oral Toxicity Study at Bombay College of Pharmacy, India
A was done in Wistar Rats, under OECD guidelines, at 90mg per kg bodyweight, which is
equivalent to the recommended human dosage of 1g a day. No mortality or toxicity was
observed.
Mutagenicity Study (Ames Test) at Intox Pvt. Ltd., India
A Mutagenicity Study by Salmonella Typhimurium reverse mutation test was carried out as per
the OECD guidelines. It was concluded that the product was non-mutagenic in all the 5
strains of Salmonella Typhimurium. The Toxicity studies on Slimaluma were presented at the
2006 Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Chemists in
San Antonio, Texas, USA, held from 29th October to 2nd November 2006.
In-Vitro Chromosomal Aberration Study at Intox Pvt. Ltd., India
This study was carried out on the product as per the OECD guidelines, under GLP conditions.
It was concluded that the product was non-clastogenic in the in-vitro chromosomal aberration
test.
Teratogenicity Study (Prenatal Developmental Toxicity Study) at Intox Pvt. Ltd., India
This study was carried out on the product as per OECD guidelines, under GLP conditions. It
was concluded that the product is non-teratogenic in nature.
Chronic Toxicity Study at Intox Pvt. Ltd., India
This study was conducted to determine toxicity over long term usage, as per OECD guidelines,
under GLP conditions. It showed that the NOEL (No Observed Effect Level) for the product,
following oral administration for 6 months was greater than 1000mg/kg body weight,
demonstrating a very high level of safety.
Sources
1Safety Report ‘07
2Macho et al '03, Pyun et al '08
3Sancho et al '02
4Rosa et al '05, Rosa et al '08