Maintaining or increasing lean body mass should be one of the important considerations of any weight loss strategy for the following reasons: 1) increase in lean body mass is proportionate to an increase in the body's thermogenic response to food and the basic metabolic rate (BMR), 2) food induced thermogenesis controls body weight by an increase in catabolism of body fat (thermogenesis is preferentially fueled by fatty acids derived from body fat and/or from food), and 3) a physiologic proportion of lean body mass to body fat correlates positively with a lower rate of disease from all causes.

This presentation will summarize 5 years of clinical experience with selected botanical compounds derived from tradition of Ayurveda medicine in shifting proportions of lean body/fat and lowering total body weight. An extract of Coleus forskohlii root, Benth. (Fam. Labiatae) standardized for diterpene forskolin and separately (-)hydroxycitric acid (HCA) combined with garcinol (polyisoprenylated benzophenone) both derived from the rind of Garcinia cambogia fruit (fam. Clusiaceae) were tested in double blind clinical studies for weight loss and lean body mass increase in overweight (BMI 25-30), but otherwise healthy individuals (men and women). The studies' hypotheses were based on (1) the recognized role of diterpene forskolin as the plant derived compound which stimulates enzyme adenylate cyclase and subsequently cyclic AMP (3'5'adenosine monophosphate), and (2) the recognized role of (-) HCA derived from the rind of the Garcinia cambogia fruit in competitive inhibition of the cytosolic enzyme adenosine triphosphate (ATP) citrate lyase in vitro and in vivo. 250 mg of Coleus forskohlii extract standardized for 10% dieterpene forskolin was administered twice a day vs. placebo for 8 to 12 weeks; 500 mg of HCA (60% purity) and 25 mg of garcinol (95% purity) were administered three times a day vs. HCA alone for 12 weeks. Each participant was asked to maintain their previous daily physical exercise and eating habits. During the course of the studies subjects were evaluated for body composition (BI and/or DEXA methods); subjective and objective observations of side effects were collected as well as compliance, the personal satisfaction rate and the subjective perception of the impact on health and daily performance data were compiled.