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Forskolin | What are the benefits?

Brandon Hahn October 29, 2014 Supplement Articles

Forskolin never really gets a lot of mention even though it is effective as a chemical found in the roots of the plant Plectranthus barbatus. This has been used in the past to help treat high blood pressure, heart disorders, and chest pain (Being that I grew up with asthma this is something else the product can relate to and aid for those who suffer from it). Another great thing about Forskolin is it’s not a very expensive supplement for being a bulk capsule product that can be found online all over the place (and has its place in fat loss).

The Benefits of Forskolin

Forskolin has fat loss benefits as well as benefiting; obesity, menstrual periods (women), IBS, your skin and allergies, and also can aid with advanced cancer, blood clots, insomnia, and bladder infections (from various sources I found online regarding the product). When I was younger there was also a point where I could actually use Forskolin powder to treat my asthma because I got winded very quickly while playing sports (basketball and football especially) to combat this problem. Not only is it found in pill form but also there are small traces of using it as drops for your eyes.

How does it work?

Forskolin is known to aid the muscle and heart in the walls of the blood vessel to create a more powerful heartbeat. It also aids in the widening of the blood vessels to lower blood pressure. This product also can help aid in:

  • raising testosterone (as some studies have shown up to 16-17%)
  • increase your metabolism
  • burn fat
  • break down triglycerides
  • increase lean body mass by stimulating the thyroid and TSH levels

Optimal Forskolin Dosing

Currently I am using Forskolin for the first time as I am using it on a mini-cut to see what it has to provide to myself. I am taking 25mg upon waking and then another 25mg 6-8 hours later in the day. Now many people can go up to 50mg 2x per day, but as with all supplements you should start at the lowest dosage possible before increasing the amount (to see how you respond and what you feel personally). We all have our sweet spots and if you jump to a double dose right away or double the amount it could be disaster. Lets flash back last year when I was training at Metro Fitness gym; a lady was taking a fat burner (with high levels of yohimbine and caffeine) for the very first time. The thing that caught my eye was that her rest periods continually got longer; she got beat red like an apple, and noticed she was short of breath while performing her exercises. 10 more minutes passed and she had passed out on the ground because she had a very high heart rate and was shaking from overdosing on yohimbine and caffeine + a lack of food (did not eat for 3-4 hours before her workout). Supplements can have a very vicious side effect if you do not research them and know exactly what they do to you.

Forskolin Research

We talked about how males had an increase in testosterone, we also noticed that females lost nearly 9 pounds and made gains in lean body mass during an 8 week period (found on PubMed and they had solid diet and training). In that same study the men and women (Which we talked about with the increase in testosterone and loss in weight) averaged a good 2lb Lean Body mass increase with weight training and their diet combined with the use of Forskolin.

How is that possible?

An increase in testosterone (as noted in Testosterone boosters) can aid in lean body mass and also strength gains (especially in a caloric surplus and changing your diet to suit your goal). The good thing was that in these tests people were in a caloric deficit and showing just how powerful it was to gain LBM (Lean body Mass) and testosterone production when our diet is going downward and through prolonged dieting that t3, leptin, and hormone levels can drop. This forksolin product would be a great remedy to help keep testosterone levels elevated during the deficit. Due to cAMP (Cycling Amp) being elevated, the cells inside our body will aid in lowering blood pressure, increasing vasodilation (which is found in volumizers for increasing blood vessels), and increasing hormone secretion to aid fat burning and lipolysis. To Sum this up Forskolin has many health benefits ( to help combat asthma, high blood pressure, heart disorders and chest pain), it can also help on caloric deficits to aid increased levels of cAMP, increased testosterone, and an increase in lean body mass which a lot of research and pub med studies do show and promote. The thing is Forskolin is not really heard of or used much in fatloss products, but if it is this is used at an inadequate dosage to really get the true benefits of the supplement to notice and reap the effects.  Next time you consider Forskolin for the price it may be worth a shot.

About The Author

Brandon has been in the fitness industry for over seven years and has trained over 1,000 clients. He has competed in several bodybuilding competitions and continues to improve his physique with hardwork and dedication. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science, Brandon has the knowledge and skills to get you on the fast track to fitness.