Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Hoodia Gordonii Plus - Fast and Effective Weight Loss System

A lot of people are concerned about their weight and have tried several weight loss systems to no avail. Nowadays, there is an herb that is gaining popularity as an effective and safe way to lose weight. Hoodia gordonii plus is the herb that is gaining popularity and known to be an effective start in the weight loss program of many people.

Hoodia Gordonii Plus is known for its appetite suppressing properties. It also contains metabolism boosting properties which allow a person to lose weight safely. There are no reports of the herb containing harmful ingredients based on research. A lot of diet pills nowadays contain Hoodia gordonii but not all of them have the Hoodia gordonii plus. The plus indicates that the herb is 100% pure South African Hoodia extracted from the Kalahari desert, where it was first observed to show its appetite suppressing properties.

Not all diet pills in the market contain Hoodia gordonii plus so if you are planning to buy one which contains pure Hoodia gordonii, ask for the C.I.T.E.S certificate and the Analytical report since these documents certify that indeed the hoodia found in their products are of the plus variety. Major pharmaceutical companies are unsuccessful in developing hoodia gordonii plus due to the contested claims from the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa. Thus, you will only be able to buy Hoodia from independent distributors.

Basically Hoodia gordonii works by tricking the brain that there is enough energy or blood sugar so that it won’t feel the need to eat. This will eventually shut down the hunger mechanism. To experience the full effect of the herb, it will normally take two weeks for it to kick in. But people who have been taking it notice the appetite suppressing properties within a day of taking it. However, when you take this supplement make sure that you drink a lot of water because it will also shut off the thirst mechanism as well.

Apart from Hoodia gordonii, effective weight loss pills also have magnesium, Garcinia Cambogia extract, and Green Tea as their ingredients. Magnesium is an important nutrient that is needed by the body for blood clotting, muscle relaxation and adenosine triphosphate manufacturing. Garcinia Cambogia is a natural extract known to prevent conversion of excess calories to body fat. It also suppresses appetite by synthesizing glycogen and signal’s the brain’s hunger center that an adequate amount of food has been eaten. This extract is indeed very effective in controlling obesity and lowering cholesterol levels. Green tea, on the other hand, is a power antioxidant which lowers cholesterol levels and prevents the abnormal formation of blood clots.

It is a great discovery for medicine that such herb exists but it shouldn’t be treated as a wonder pill. Its purpose is to aid those who have trouble losing weight but effective weight loss is generally a combination of exercise and good diet. As a reminder, you should consult your doctor before taking this supplement or any other supplement for that matter.

History of Hoodia Gordonii as a Weight Loss Supplement

People who are a fan of diet pills will have heard of the recently discovered effects of Hoodia gordonii. Hoodia gordonii is an herb found to reduce appetite resulting to weight loss. It has only been popularized recently due to the ban against the diet herb ephedra, which has known to have side effects on its users. And with society dictating that thin is beautiful, everyone is more than welcome to accept a new and thought to be safer diet pill in the market.

Hoodia gordonii is a cactus-like plant found in the deserts of Namibia, Angola, Botswana, and South Africa. It largely resembles a cactus but it isn’t really one. Studies show that this succulent plant was being consumed by the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert to ward off hunger and thirst during extended periods of hunting. It was known that they would cut off the stem and eat the bitter plant while on a hunting trip. The purple flowers of the hoodia gordonii will take five years before it appears and only then can it be harvested.

There are several varieties of hoodia but only the hoodia gordonii variety is known to have the active ingredient called "p57", also known as steroidal glycoside. The first company to license p57 was Phytopharm and has spent over $20 million dollars in hoodia research. Pfizer, a pharmaceutical giant, recognized the potential of hoodia in the market and asked Phytopharm to allow them to sublicense the rights to develop p57 for commercial production.

Hoodia gordonii gained popularity after a TV correspondent Leslie Stahl traveled all the way to Africa to try hoodia. They hired a local Bushman to track down some hoodia and she tried it for herself. After eating the plant, Stahl has reported that she lost the desired to eat or drink for the rest of the day. She didn’t feel any immediate side-effects as well.

At present, hoodia gordonii is sold in powder, capsule, liquid or tea form that can be found online and in the local health stores. It is also an ingredient in popular diet pills. Albeit popular, there are no published results of controlled trials that the herb is safe to take in pill form. Hoodia gordonii works by altering the ATP levels so that a person will no longer feel hungry or thirsty.

Although hoodia gordonii is a relatively safe pill to take, its side effects are not known. It may not have side effects on the San Bushmen but that is because they are not taking any other type of medications unlike the populace today. Studies have not been made as to the interaction of the herb to other drugs. The intake of the herb can also be dangerous for those who have diabetes because with the hunger mechanism turned-off, blood sugar can get really low.

As with other supplements, it is wise to verify the product before actually using it. With the many suppliers of hoodia gordonii in the Internet, it is best to be cautious and do a thorough comparison of hoodia products before buying one.