Forskolin is a chemical found in the root of Plectranthus barbatus, a plant part of the large mint family. Grown in some parts of Africa, India, and Thailand, this ethnobotanical has been used as a medicine and a treatment for ailments ranging from nausea to high blood pressure for a long time. More recently it has gained attention due to studies and personal accounts linking it to weight loss, reduction of high blood pressure, potentially increased testosterone levels, and many other beneficial effects.
Some of the known popular uses for forskolin include: Assistance for asthma (due to its help at inhibiting histamine release), reduction of high blood pressure (from the relaxation of the arteries), fat burning assistance (due to an increase in lipolysis), and an increase in thyroid function. The cause for all of these effects that are known is an increase in cAMP, which is a cell regulating compound that can help cell function and use in the body. In people it appears that cAMP is activated alone by forskolin without additional hormones. This means that the benefits created should be relatively isolated and noticeable. Because of the above effects many people are interested in it. But a popular and seemingly elusive question that remains to be answered is: Does forskolin increase metabolism? The Answer: Maybe.
Unfortunately due to the limited studies done regarding forskolin it is hard to know if any data can be deemed conclusive, however what we could find points to the idea that forskolin can have an positive impact on metabolic rates. According to one account from The National Center for Biotechnology Information, forskolin can increase metabolic rates in platelets. This leads to the idea that after taking forskolin humans could receive a boost in metabolic rate. Unfortunately, no credited study leads to the solid conclusion that forskolin can boost metabolism in humans.
Another thought that may lead to the idea that forskolin can lead to an increase in metabolic rate is that cAMP, the receptor that helps increase thyroid function, is increased when forskolin is taken. Thyroid plays a large role in the metabolic rate and it is thought that a potential increase in thyroid function may play a role in a boosted metabolism. Unfortunately, there are no studies that can confirm this, however the theory behind this is pretty solid: if forskolin increases the level of cAMP, and cAMP causes an increase in thyroid function, then the increase of thyroid function will cause a boost in your metabolism.
Last Updated on July 27, 2021
