For generation members of South Africa's San tribe have been using the cactus like (it really isn't a member of the cactus family, it just looks like it should be) to help cure indigestion, heal minor infections, and to ward off hunger pains when they were making long treks across the desert. In more recent years (since 2002) Hoodia has become popular in the Western world as a powerful tool in the fight against obesity.
The first thing consumers should be aware of when they consider adding Hoodia to their weight loss program is that not all scientist, health care workers, and nutritionist are in favor of this product. The naysayer's point out that unlike the Chinese herbs that have been gracing the American shelves for years there simply isn't enough knowledge about Hoodia to guarantee the results would be safe for the population five, ten, or even fifteen years from now. They point out that there really isn't much known about the San's tribe, especially the health issues that might have plagued the tribe. They are also quick to point out that the South African's ingest the plant infrequently while the dieting Americans take it on a daily basis.
On the other hand the naysayers have found it harder and harder to argue in the face of Hoodia's success in the fight against obesity. So far no ill results have been detected.
Now you know what Hoodia is. You know the some of negative feedback about it. Now you want to know how Hoodia works.
The active ingredient in Hoodia is called P57. Scientists are trying to figure out a way to create the ingredient in the lab but they have had little success so far. P57 is an ingredient that does interesting things when it enters the human body. It turns into a simple sugar, similar to glucose, but ten thousand times more powerful.
Now obviously when the brain realizes it has ten thousand times the amount of energy it normally needs it sends a message to the stomach that enough is enough. The last thing it needs is more food turning into energy. This feeling of "fullness" lasts for hours. So, people go much longer between means and often consume much less. In most people this process causes the body to start shedding its unwanted pounds. Several consumers also claim that the combination of increased simple sugars and the loss of body weight combines to give them more energy which in turn causes them to burn more calories and shed more pounds. For most consumers it's the ideal situation.
In one study the group who was taking Hoodia consumed an average of one thousand calories less per day then the placebo group. When Hoodia was fed to rats that were breed to be obese and diabetic the Hoodia did not only help with the obesity but in some cases reversed the diabetes.
Alan Jensen is recognized as a leading expert on herbal weight loss products for fast and safe weight loss. He is a frequent contributor to Diet Tips and Hoodia Diet Pills He enjoys spending free time with his family and 3 year old German Shepherd. More of his work can be found at http://www.pure-hoodia-gordonii-complete.com.
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