Ingredient profile
Garcinia in Sodaslim: About 65 mg of HCA and What Trials Found
Each Sodaslim capsule has 130 mg of garcinia extract at 50% HCA, so about 65 mg of hydroxycitric acid. Trials used 1,000 to 2,800 mg of HCA a day and found an average loss of 0.88 kg over placebo, a small effect of uncertain value (Onakpoya 2011: Garcinia meta-analysis). LiverTox calls garcinia a likely but rare cause of liver injury (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia).
Written by the Sodaslim editorial teamUpdated
The basics
What is garcinia cambogia?
Garcinia cambogia is a small tropical fruit. Its rind contains hydroxycitric acid, or HCA, the part studied for weight.
The fruit looks like a tiny green or yellow pumpkin. Its dried rind has long been used as a sour flavoring in cooking. Supplement makers concentrate the rind into an extract, and extracts usually contain 20 to 60% HCA (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia).
Sodaslim lists "Garcinia Extract (Garcinia cambogia)(fruit)(50% HCA)" at 130 mg. That standardization is useful: it lets you work out the HCA, about 65 mg per capsule. Garcinia is one of two caffeine-free ingredients in Sodaslim, with raspberry ketone.
| Label name | Garcinia Extract (Garcinia cambogia)(fruit)(50% HCA) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Garcinia cambogia fruit · Fruit extract (HCA) |
| Position on the label | Printed with its own amount |
| Amount per serving (1 capsule) | 130 mg, printed (about 65 mg HCA) |
| Amount used in research | 1,000-2,800 mg of HCA a day in trials |
| Strength of evidence | Little to no effect |
| Why it is used | A tropical fruit rind with hydroxycitric acid (HCA) |
| Main caution | Rare liver injury reported; stop and see a doctor if signs appear. |
Dose check
How much HCA is in Sodaslim compared with garcinia studies?
Sodaslim gives about 65 mg of HCA a day, while trials used 1,000 to 2,800 mg. That puts one capsule at roughly one fifteenth to one forty-third of the amounts researchers tested (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (HP)).
| Source | HCA per day | Length | Weight result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodaslim, 1 capsule | About 65 mg | 30 days per bottle | Not studied |
| 2011 meta-analysis (12 trials, 706 people) | 1,000 to 2,800 mg | Varied by trial | 0.88 kg more than placebo |
| 1998 trial (135 adults with obesity) | 1,500 mg | 12 weeks | 3.2 kg lost vs 4.1 kg on placebo |
The math is simple. 130 mg of extract at 50% HCA is about 65 mg of HCA. Even the lowest trial dose is more than 15 times that amount. The Sodaslim Supplement Facts page does the same math for every ingredient.
At a glance
Garcinia in Sodaslim in five numbers
Evidence
Does garcinia help with weight loss?
Garcinia shows little to no effect on weight in the better trials. The NIH consumer fact sheet says exactly that (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (consumer)).
A 2011 meta-analysis by Onakpoya and colleagues pooled the trials. People on HCA lost 0.88 kg more than those on placebo, about 2 pounds. The range of likely values ran from 1.75 kg down to zero (Onakpoya 2011: Garcinia meta-analysis). The authors called the effect small and of uncertain clinical relevance. The NIH adds that the gap was not significant in the most rigorous trials (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (HP)).
The 1998 trial went the other way
In a 12-week trial of 135 adults with obesity, people on 1,500 mg of HCA lost 3.2 kg. People on placebo lost 4.1 kg (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia). The placebo group did slightly better.
Stomach effects were more common
In one trial, stomach and gut side effects were twice as common with HCA as with placebo (Onakpoya 2011: Garcinia meta-analysis).
Label claims
Does garcinia in Sodaslim control cravings?
No study shows that 65 mg of HCA controls cravings. The label's "Supports Craving Control & Satiety*" is a claim about the whole product, and the asterisk means the FDA has not evaluated it (FDA: Structure/function claims).
Garcinia is often sold with appetite claims. The trials above measured weight, and even at doses 15 to 43 times higher, the gain over placebo was small. The NIH sums up garcinia as having little to no effect (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (consumer)).
If you notice less hunger on Sodaslim, the caffeine is a more likely reason than the garcinia. The caffeine ingredient page explains what that dose does and does not do.
Liver safety
Can garcinia damage your liver?
Rarely, yes. LiverTox, the NIH liver injury database, gives garcinia a "B" score: a likely but rare cause of liver injury, thought to affect fewer than 1 in 10,000 users (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia).
LiverTox lists at least a dozen reports. Most involved multi-ingredient products, and more recent ones involved garcinia-only products. Symptoms usually began 1 to 4 weeks after starting, sometimes 3 to 12 months (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia). The NIH counts 10 liver cases, including 1 death and 2 transplants (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (HP)). It also notes 3 reports of mania.
Dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, belly pain, nausea or unusual tiredness. These signs are rare, but they need a medical check the same week, not after the bottle is done.
Fair context
Does Sodaslim's low garcinia dose lower the liver risk?
It lowers exposure, which is a fair point in its favor. Sodaslim gives about 65 mg of HCA, where many case-report products gave far more.
Still, we found no study that sets a dose below which garcinia liver injury never happens. Two more facts matter:
- Sodaslim also contains green tea extract, which LiverTox rates as a well-established cause of liver injury (LiverTox: Green tea).
- Most garcinia liver cases came from products with several ingredients (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia).
- Anyone with liver disease should ask a doctor before taking any of these extracts.
Read more in our post on garcinia, green tea extract and liver safety, or see the green tea extract page.
Our view
Is the garcinia in Sodaslim worth it?
As a weight ingredient, it is unlikely to add much at 65 mg of HCA. As a safety matter, the low dose keeps exposure lower than in the case reports.
In its favor
- Printed amount and a stated 50% HCA
- Low exposure compared with trial products
- Adds no caffeine
Against it
- About 65 mg HCA, far below the 1,000 mg minimum in trials
- Small, uncertain effect even at full trial doses
- Rare liver injury reports
FAQ
Garcinia in Sodaslim: common questions
How much garcinia cambogia is in Sodaslim?
Each Sodaslim capsule has 130 mg of garcinia extract standardized to 50% HCA, so about 65 mg of hydroxycitric acid. Garcinia trials used 1,000 to 2,800 mg of HCA a day (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (HP)), so one capsule gives far less than any studied amount.
Does garcinia cambogia really work?
The evidence says it does very little. A 2011 meta-analysis found 0.88 kg more loss than placebo at 1,000 to 2,800 mg of HCA a day, a small effect of uncertain value (Onakpoya 2011: Garcinia meta-analysis). The NIH says garcinia has little to no effect on weight (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (consumer)).
What is HCA in garcinia?
HCA is hydroxycitric acid, the compound in garcinia rind that researchers study for weight. Extracts usually contain 20 to 60% HCA (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia). Sodaslim's extract is 50% HCA, which works out to about 65 mg per capsule.
What are the signs of liver damage from garcinia?
Watch for dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, belly pain, nausea and unusual tiredness. LiverTox says garcinia liver injury usually starts 1 to 4 weeks after starting (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia). Stop taking it and see a doctor if any of these appear.
Who should avoid garcinia supplements?
People with liver disease, anyone under 18 and pregnant or nursing women should avoid it unless a doctor says otherwise. LiverTox rates garcinia a likely but rare cause of liver injury (LiverTox: Garcinia cambogia), and Sodaslim also contains green tea extract, a known cause (LiverTox: Green tea). Caffeine also lasts longer with liver disease (StatPearls: Caffeine).
Does garcinia have caffeine?
No. Garcinia extract contains no caffeine. Sodaslim's caffeine, about 140 mg per capsule, comes mostly from 138 mg of caffeine anhydrous, plus small amounts from its green tea and green coffee extracts.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the bottle label, the order page and linked public health sources such as NIH, FDA and CDC.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. retail desk for Sodaslim, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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LiverTox scores, timing and warning signs for green tea extract and garcinia, next to the small amounts in one Sodaslim capsule.
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Green tea extract
About 98 mg of catechins, below every trial dose. What Cochrane found, and why extract pills differ from a cup of tea.
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Caffeine effects, medicine interactions, the rare liver signs to know and a quick check before you start.
Read moreLicensed U.S. retail desk for Sodaslim
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