Caralluma fimbriata

Q: Does Caralluma fimbriata help with weight loss?

The trials are mixed. Some found smaller waists or less weight gain than placebo, but an 89-person, 12-week trial found no difference in weight, waist or appetite at 1 g/day.

Q: Does Caralluma suppress appetite?

A 2007 trial reported less hunger than placebo over 60 days, but a 2015 trial found no change in appetite. A Prader-Willi pilot reported eased hyperphagia in a few children.

Q: Can Caralluma reduce anxiety?

One 8-week trial in 97 adults with mild to moderate anxiety found larger drops in anxiety and stress scores than placebo at 1 g/day. It has not been repeated.

Q: Is Caralluma fimbriata safe?

Side effects in trials were mild and transient, and rat studies found no toxicity. Human data beyond 16 weeks, and in pregnancy, are lacking.

Q: Which Caralluma extract was tested in trials?

The 16-week trial used Slimaluma, an extract from Gencor Pacific, which funded that trial and also supplied the Prader-Willi pilot. The null 12-week Indian trial used a commercial extract and declared no conflicts. The adult trials used about 1 g/day, given as 500 mg twice daily.

Also called caralluma, Caralluma extract, CFE, Caralluma fimbriata extract.

Best grade C across 6 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 8 sources

Caralluma fimbriata is an edible Indian succulent sold for appetite control. At 1 g/day, trials were mixed: some found smaller waists or less weight gain, but a 12-week Indian trial found no difference (grade C). Small single trials suggest less anxiety in adults and less hunger in Prader-Willi syndrome (grade D). Two trials used extract from the ingredient firm Gencor.

Every graded outcome on this page

6 rows · line = participants

Grade CWeight, waist and appetite in overweight and obese adultsWeight and waistn 89
Grade CBody weight, waist and calorie intake in overweight adults (no diet advice)Weight and waistn 83
Grade CWaist size, hunger and body weight in overweight adultsWeight and waistn 50
Grade DAnxiety (GAD-7) and perceived stress in adults with mild to moderate anxietyAnxiety and stressn 97
Grade DWaist circumference in overweight and obese adults (with diet and exercise)Weight and waistn 33
Grade DHyperphagia (excess hunger) in Prader-Willi syndromePrader-Willi hungern 15
3 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter

Key facts

Usual studied dose: 1 g/day of extract, usually as 500 mg twice daily^1,2,3,4,5
Weight results: Mixed: smaller waists in some trials, no difference from placebo in an 89-person 12-week trial^1,2,3,4
Systematic review: A 2013 review of double-blind trials found mostly inconclusive evidence for appetite-suppressing plant extracts, with Caralluma one of two exceptions; the review came from the same university as two Caralluma trials^7,2,6
Side effects: Mild and transient in trials; none reported in the Prader-Willi pilot^3,6
Animal safety: No toxicity in a 6-month rat study up to 1,000 mg/kg/day and no fetal abnormalities in a rat developmental study⁸

What it is

Caralluma fimbriata is an edible Indian succulent whose extract is sold as an appetite suppressant.

How it works

Proposed

The way Caralluma might curb appetite is unknown. Trial authors speculate about increased sensitivity to satiety signals and effects on the stress-hormone (HPA) axis; neither has been shown directly in people.^4,5

Forms

Form

The form on this page
Form	Elemental %	Absorption (human data)	GI tolerance	Studied for
Caralluma fimbriata extract (capsules)	Varies^3,8Not applicable (whole-plant extract; no elemental fraction)	No human absorption data.⁸	Adverse events were mild and transient at 1 g/day for 12 weeks; the rat 6-month study found no treatment-related toxicity.^3,8	Appetite and weight, waist size, anxiety and stress, Prader-Willi hunger

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

6 graded outcomes, largest study first

6 graded outcomes: 4 improved, 1 mixed, 1 no effect. The largest, a 2019 randomized trial of 97 people on anxiety (GAD-7) and perceived stress in adults with mild to moderate anxiety, found an improvement.

By ageBy sizeTable

AgeAll ages

Bar: the ages a study enrolled (running to the edge when it states no upper or lower limit). Dot: only a mean age, counted as near your age within 5 years. Tick: the mean age inside a range.

6Hyperphagia (excess hunger) in Prader-Willi syndrome: improved, mean age 9.27

3Body weight, waist and calorie intake in overweight adults (no diet advice): improved, 20–50

4Waist size, hunger and body weight in overweight adults: mixed, 25–60

5Waist circumference in overweight and obese adults (with diet and exercise): improved, 29–59

1Anxiety (GAD-7) and perceived stress in adults with mild to moderate anxiety: improved, ages not stated

2Weight, waist and appetite in overweight and obese adults: no effect, ages not stated

1Anxiety (GAD-7) and perceived stress in adults with mild to moderate anxiety

Improved · Grade D · RCT, 97 people, 2019

Adults self-reporting mild to moderate anxiety (Australia)

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Anxiety (GAD-7) and perceived stress in adults with mild to moderate anxiety	Improved	97	Grade D · RCT, 2019	Adults self-reporting mild to moderate anxiety (Australia)
Weight, waist and appetite in overweight and obese adults	No effect	89	Grade C · RCT, 2015	Overweight and obese adults (India)
Body weight, waist and calorie intake in overweight adults (no diet advice)	Improved	83	Grade C · RCT, 2021	Overweight adults aged 20–50, mostly women (Australia)
Waist size, hunger and body weight in overweight adults	Mixed	50	Grade C · RCT, 2007	Overweight men and women aged 25–60, BMI over 25 (India)
Waist circumference in overweight and obese adults (with diet and exercise)	Improved	33	Grade D · Pilot RCT, 2013	Overweight or obese adults aged 29–59 (Australia)
Hyperphagia (excess hunger) in Prader-Willi syndrome	Improved	15	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2015	Children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, mean age 9 (Australia and New Zealand)

Every graded row

6 rows

Form tested

Showing 6 of 6 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade CWeight, waist and appetite in overweight and obese adultsWeight and waistNo effectRCT
n 89 · 2015

No effect Weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference fell only numerically in both groups with no significant difference from placebo; appetite did not change. Side effects were mild and transient.

Design: RCT, n = 89, 2015
Population: Overweight and obese adults (India)
Form: Commercial Caralluma fimbriata extract capsules
Dose: 500 mg twice daily (1 g/day)
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 3 · PubMed 25657901 (opens PubMed)

Grade CBody weight, waist and calorie intake in overweight adults (no diet advice)Weight and waist−0.37 vs +1.33 kgRCT
n 83 · 2021

Improved The placebo group gained 1.33 kg while the extract group lost 0.37 kg (p=0.03); waist fell 2.7 cm vs rose 0.3 cm (p=0.02), and calorie intake fell 245 vs 15.8 kcal from baseline.

Design: RCT, n = 83, 2021
Population: Overweight adults aged 20–50, mostly women (Australia)
Form: Caralluma fimbriata extract (Slimaluma, supplied by Gencor Pacific)
Dose: 500 mg twice daily (1 g/day)
Duration: 16 weeks
Source: Reference 4 · PubMed 33762661 (opens PubMed)

Grade CWaist size, hunger and body weight in overweight adultsWeight and waistMixedRCT
n 50 · 2007

Mixed Waist circumference and hunger fell more than with placebo; weight, BMI, hip size, body fat and energy intake trended lower but were not significantly different. Both groups got diet and activity advice.

Design: RCT, n = 50, 2007
Population: Overweight men and women aged 25–60, BMI over 25 (India)
Form: Caralluma fimbriata extract
Dose: 1 g/day
Duration: 60 days
Source: Reference 1 · PubMed 17097761 (opens PubMed)

Grade DAnxiety (GAD-7) and perceived stress in adults with mild to moderate anxietyAnxiety and stressImprovedRCT
n 97 · 2019

Improved Both groups improved, but GAD-7 and Perceived Stress Scale scores fell more with the extract at weeks 4 and 8 (p<.05). Salivary cortisol changed significantly in men only.

Design: RCT, n = 97, 2019
Population: Adults self-reporting mild to moderate anxiety (Australia)
Form: Caralluma fimbriata extract
Dose: 500 mg twice daily (1 g/day)
Duration: 8 weeks
Source: Reference 5 · PubMed 30609411 (opens PubMed)

Grade DWaist circumference in overweight and obese adults (with diet and exercise)Weight and waist−3.8 cm waistPilot RCT
n 33 · 2013

Improved After 12 weeks waist fell 6.5 cm vs 2.6 cm with placebo (difference −3.85 cm, 95% CI −7.47 to −0.23), and waist-to-hip ratio improved (−0.033); at week 9 the difference was not yet significant (CI −5.80 to 0.02).

Design: Pilot RCT, n = 33, 2013
Population: Overweight or obese adults aged 29–59 (Australia)
Form: Caralluma fimbriata extract capsules
Dose: 500 mg twice daily (1 g/day)
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 2 · PubMed 23642949 (opens PubMed)

Grade DHyperphagia (excess hunger) in Prader-Willi syndromePrader-Willi hungerImprovedCrossover RCT
n 15 · 2015

Improved Hyperphagia scores eased over time (P=0.05), with decreases in about a third of participants; in the 8 children at 1,000 mg/day the drop was larger (P=0.009). No adverse effects were reported.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 15, 2015
Population: Children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, mean age 9 (Australia and New Zealand)
Form: Caralluma fimbriata extract vs maltodextrin and cabbage-leaf placebo
Dose: Dose varied; highest arm 1,000 mg/day
Duration: 4 weeks per period with a 2-week washout
Source: Reference 6 · PubMed 26713299 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Waist changes more than weight

Where Caralluma beat placebo, the clearest change was waist size; body weight differences were small or not significant in the trials that gave diet advice.^1,2,4

The largest Indian trial was null

The 89-person, 12-week trial found no difference from placebo for weight, waist or appetite at the same 1 g/day dose that other trials reported as helpful.³

Small, short trials

Every trial enrolled under 100 people and lasted 16 weeks or less; two of the six (the 2013 pilot and the Prader-Willi pilot) came from Victoria University, which also published the supportive 2013 review.^2,6,7

Industry-supplied extract

The 16-week trial was funded by Gencor Pacific, which supplied the Slimaluma extract, and Gencor also supplied the product for the Prader-Willi pilot; the null Indian trial used a commercial extract and declared no conflicts.^4,6,3

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 1 g/day of extract (usually 500 mg twice daily) for 8 to 16 weeks, plus a Prader-Willi pilot that tested up to 1,000 mg/day for 4-week periods.^1,2,3,4,5,6

When trials measured an effect

3 outcomes

How long trials ran before effects were measured
Outcome	Measured at	Basis
Anxiety and stress scores	Week 4, still present at week 8	97-person trial of 500 mg twice daily; GAD-7 and stress scores fell more than with placebo at both visits⁵
Waist circumference with diet and exercise	Week 12; not yet significant at week 9	33-person pilot of 1 g/day²
Weight and waist without diet advice	Week 16 (end of trial)	83 completers measured at weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16; differences reported at week 16⁴

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Caralluma fimbriata and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Caralluma fimbriata.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

3 groups

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: No human data. A rat developmental study found no fetal abnormalities, but animal results do not establish safety in pregnancy.⁸
Children: The only pediatric data come from a 15-child Prader-Willi pilot lasting 4 weeks per period.⁶
People with diabetes or on weight-loss medicines: No interaction studies exist; the trials did not test Caralluma alongside glucose-lowering or appetite drugs.^1,3

Reading the label, and the cost per dose

Compare any product you already have by the amount it delivers, not by capsule count or front-of-pack weight.

How to read the label

2 checks

Match the 1 g/day research dose

Most trials used 500 mg of extract twice daily; check that the label states extract, not raw plant.^2,3,5

Diet advice muddies results

Two trials paired the extract with diet and activity advice or monitoring, so extract effects are hard to separate from lifestyle change.^1,2

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, caralluma fimbriata included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch

Your numbers, no product data

Price paid ($)Servings per containerCaralluma fimbriata extract per serving (mg)

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Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

5 answers

Does Caralluma fimbriata help with weight loss?

The trials are mixed. Some found smaller waists or less weight gain than placebo, but an 89-person, 12-week trial found no difference in weight, waist or appetite at 1 g/day.^1,2,3,4

Does Caralluma suppress appetite?

A 2007 trial reported less hunger than placebo over 60 days, but a 2015 trial found no change in appetite. A Prader-Willi pilot reported eased hyperphagia in a few children.^1,3,6

Can Caralluma reduce anxiety?

One 8-week trial in 97 adults with mild to moderate anxiety found larger drops in anxiety and stress scores than placebo at 1 g/day. It has not been repeated.⁵

Is Caralluma fimbriata safe?

Side effects in trials were mild and transient, and rat studies found no toxicity. Human data beyond 16 weeks, and in pregnancy, are lacking.^3,4,8

Which Caralluma extract was tested in trials?

The 16-week trial used Slimaluma, an extract from Gencor Pacific, which funded that trial and also supplied the Prader-Willi pilot. The null 12-week Indian trial used a commercial extract and declared no conflicts. The adult trials used about 1 g/day, given as 500 mg twice daily.^4,6,3

Sources

8 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

8 sources

1Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women.RCT Appetite, 2007 · PMID 17097761
2A pilot study investigating the effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on the risk factors of metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese subjects: a randomised controlled clinical trial.Pilot RCT Complement Ther Med, 2013 · PMID 23642949
3To evaluate efficacy and safety of Caralluma fimbriata in overweight and obese patients: A randomized, single blinded, placebo control trial.RCT Perspect Clin Res, 2015 · PMID 25657901
4The effect of an orally-dosed Caralluma Fimbriata extract on appetite control and body composition in overweight adults.RCT Sci Rep, 2021 · PMID 33762661
5A randomised placebo controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of Caralluma fimbriata supplement for reducing anxiety and stress in healthy adults over eight weeks.RCT J Affect Disord, 2019 · PMID 30609411
6Caralluma Fimbriata Supplementation Improves the Appetite Behavior of Children and Adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome.Crossover RCT N Am J Med Sci, 2015 · PMID 26713299
7Plant extracts with appetite suppressing properties for body weight control: a systematic review of double blind randomized controlled clinical trials.Systematic review Complement Ther Med, 2013 · PMID 23876572
8Safety assessment of a hydroethanolic extract of Caralluma fimbriata.Animal study Int J Toxicol, 2013 · PMID 23771637

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026time to effect, FAQ, questions, related	Searched PubMed for 2023–2026 human trials and reviews of Caralluma fimbriata: none found (only animal, cell and phytochemistry papers, and a 2026 genus review without new human data, 41183620), so the evidence table is unchanged. LactMed, LiverTox, NCCIH and MedlinePlus have no Caralluma entry, so the pregnancy note stays as no human data and the interaction list stays empty (no published interaction reports). Added time-to-effect rows from the trial visit schedules, replaced the FAQ item on studied dose (already answered by the page's dose question) with one on which extract was tested, and added page questions and a goal-hub link.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
Oct 14, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record; retraction, erratum and expression-of-concern links checked in the PubMed record) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice. Industry and funding: the 2021 trial was run with RDC Clinical staff and the 2013 review came from the same university as two included trials; funders are not named in the abstracts. The 2013 pilot's 12-week confidence interval is reported with the minus sign the printed abstract omits (checked against the stated difference).	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page
Oct 14, 2026evidence	Adversarial review: the 2021 trial's full text (PMC7991653) names Gencor Pacific as funder and supplier of the Slimaluma extract and gives the dose as 500 mg twice daily; dose, notes (140 randomized, 83 completed), studied-dose range (8–16 weeks) and FAQ updated, and Gencor's supply of the Prader-Willi product noted. Summary no longer runs the anxiety and Prader-Willi findings together. The 2013 pilot's 12-week interval (−7.466 to −0.228) re-checked: −3.847 is exactly its midpoint, while −7.466 to +0.228 would centre on −3.619, so the printed abstract dropped a minus sign and the interval excludes zero; week 9 (−5.802 to 0.023) crosses zero.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: review

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