Hydroxycitric acid, AHC
Part of the plant used: fruit rind
This small tree grows mainly in India and southeast Asia. There are many species which vary in appearance. The fruit, which look like small yellow pumpkins, turn red when ripe, and are about 5 cm in diameter. For centuries, these fruit have been used in food preparation, as condiments and as flavouring agents. The rind of the fruit contains hydroxycitric acid which is the active ingredient in garcinia.
In 2004, Canada adopted new regulations that control the manufacturing, packaging, labeling and importing of natural health products. The new regulations also include an adverse reaction reporting system. Products that conform to the regulation's criteria are identified with a natural product number (NPN) and can be legally sold in Canada. This number indicates that the product meets specific criteria for safety and purity, not that it is effective for any indication.
Medicinal plant contents vary naturally from plant to plant - just as fruits from the same package may vary in taste and texture. There is no standard to measure the active content of each plant. Thus, efficacy of natural products should be expected to vary from brand to brand as well as from bottle to bottle of the same brand.
For more information about the Natural Health Products Regulations, or to check if a product has been assessed, visit the Health Canada website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/index-eng.php.
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