Compound or practice · Supplement
Forskolin
A cAMP-raising herb marketed hard for fat loss with unconvincing human data.
- Overall grade
- Grade D
- Last revised
- 1
- graded outcome
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
1 at grade D — 1 graded row
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Fat lossEvidence grade D
Weak, unreplicated
Triviallow
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Fat loss (grade D).
The evidence in words
What it is
Forskolin is an active compound from Coleus forskohlii, popularized as a fat-loss and testosterone supplement.
How it works
It raises cyclic AMP, which theoretically promotes fat breakdown.
What the evidence shows
One small study suggested body-composition changes in men without much weight loss; results are weak and unreplicated. The weight-loss marketing far outruns the data.
Safety & interactions
Generally tolerated; may lower blood pressure and interact with anticoagulants.
Bottom line
The fat-loss claims aren't supported by solid human evidence. Skip it.
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Forskolin for Fat lossEvidence grade D — Weak, unreplicatedEvidence grade D
- CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) for Fat lossEvidence grade D — Not meaningfulEvidence grade D
- Forskolin: side effects, safety & interactionsGenerally tolerated; may lower blood pressure and interact with anticoagulants.Evidence grade D
- Garcinia Cambogia (HCA)A perennial TV weight-loss star that fails in controlled trials — and carries a rare liver risk.Evidence grade D
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.