What You Need to Know About Caralluma Fimbriata / Slimaluma

Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent plant, in the cactus family, that has been used as a natural appetite suppressant in India for centuries. It's a new arrival in the family of cacti and succulent plants that are becoming increasingly popular for their appetite suppressant and weight loss properties, as well as their ability to lower blood sugar. Supplements made from the popular hoodia gordonii cactus from the Kalahari Desert in Africa, are, for example, growing in popularity and usage in the U.S. and Europe.

Like hoodia, caralluma fimbriata has been used to suppress appetite, and as a portable food for hunting. It is used to suppress hunger and appetite and enhance endurance throughout India. It is also sometimes considered a "famine food," used during periods of famine to suppress appetite. For centuries, people in rural areas of India have eaten Caralluma fimbriata, which grows wild over various parts of the country. Caralluma fimbriata is cooked as a vegetable, used in preserves like chutneys and pickles, or eaten raw.

Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) experts have noted that there are no adverse effects when using Caralluma fimbriata, and the plant has no known toxicity.

A patented, tested extract of Caralluma fimbriata has been developed and standardized by a company called Gencor. Known as "Slimaluma," the extract delivers the plant in a concentrated form.

One of the only products available in the U.S. that uses the Slimaluma formula is Country Life's GenaSlim supplement, which combines the patented Slimaluma extract of Caralluma fimbriata with EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) from green tea. Together they reportedly have a synergistic effect on appetite control and weight loss. In several clinical trials, Slimaluma was shown to be effective in reducing body fat through appetite control. However, a 2015 study found little to no advantage in weight loss compared to a placebo.

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