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South African Hoodia Gordonii- The Hunger Quencher
South African Hoodia Gordonii is a popular weight loss solution. It is a natural ingredient found in most
diet supplements which is said to be a powerful element that helps a person lose weight by stimulating the brain to
ignore hunger. It basically suppresses one’s appetite which leads to less food intake.
There were different notions as to the effect of South African Hoodia Gordonii in trimming the fats. It
was said that thousands of years ago, hunters in Africa relied so much on hoodia to fight off hunger and thirst
during hunting season where they spend long periods of time wandering and not eating anything. Hoodia Gordonii is a
succulent or water bearing plant and is leafless but it bears purple flowers. Some people term it as a cactus
because Hoodia has a lot of spines. Other functions of hoodia during the ancient times are to treat mild infections
and digestive problems.
Active Ingredient p57 and Appetite Suppression
South African Hoodia Gordonii has several varieties but there is only one active substance found in most
of them. Scientists call it p57. This substance is said to be responsible for the loss of appetite. Once a person
has taken hoodia, he/she will not feel hungry until the effect expires (which is usually after 24 hours) and no
hoodia medication is taken again. In a lab animal (rats) study conducted at the Brown Medical School, it was
observed that the food intake of rats has reduced by 40-60 percent in one day. The active substance p57 works by
going to the brain and stimulating it to produce a ‘full’ feeling even though the person has not really eaten at
all. It is a steroidal glycoside which is 10,000 times more powerful than glucose in sending messages to the brain
and reducing hunger.
The Real Challenge on Hoodia Gordonii
However, the challenge that is until now faced by many scientists on the use of South African Hoodia
Gordonii is synthesizing p57 (the active substance is very hard to entirly separate from the plant itself). There
were claims that this substance is dangerous to the human’s liver and therefore should not be utilized as drugs or
supplements.
Hoodia-The Hunger Quencher
Even though Hoodia has not been scientifically proven to have positive effects on the human
body, it is still used today as a hunger quencher. There were no reports of severe side effects of Hoodia and many
people who tried using Hoodia diet supplements seem to enjoy the effect of the supplement in their diet regime. The
problem though is that a lot of hoodia products (as what their labels suggest) don’t actually contain natural South
African Hoodia Gordonii don’t and some which contain has only a very minimal amount of Hoodia. This is the reason why there are people who
did not become successful losing weight because of Hoodia. Counterfeit in Hoodia Gordonii is very prevalent so
customers must be very careful of what they buy.
For centuries, the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert have consumed a succulent plant as part of their
diet. This plant was a means of survival for them. Its main use was to curb their appetite and thirst as they
travel across the desert. Research by the CSIR in South Africa brought this plant and its ability to the civilized
world. It was identified as a weight loss miracle and has been harvested ever since for the production of weight
loss supplements.
The South African hoodia gordonii is one of 13 hoodia species. This is the only one in this genus
that has the ability to curb appetite. After it was discovered, uncontrolled harvesting led to its depletion in the
desert. The South African governments filed a petition to conserve its declining numbers. This led to the CITES
declaring it an endangered species. Therefore, anyone who harvests the South African hoodia gordonii in its native
lands must have a CITES certification.
This condition has led to the rise in the price of hoodia gordonii and its products. As a result
companies claiming to sell genuine South African hoodia have been found to sell nothing close to it. Many have
tricked consumers by selling their products at lesser prices. As a result, consumer confidence has gone down.
South African hoodia has been tested and confirmed to work in suppressing appetite. As a consumer, finding the South
African hoodia will be your best shot at losing some weight. Simply follow these steps.
Find a company that has not only the CITES certification but also, certification by companies that
carry out independent lab tests. Why you may ask. There have been cases where the CITES certification applies for
all hoodia species. Independent lab tests on the other hand confirm that it is hoodia gordonii that is contained in
the product. However, such tests render the hoodia more expensive.
The hoodia should be 100% pure hoodia gordonii. Hoodia works best when used on its own. Therefore, stay
away from products which contain hoodia among other ingredients. There are two types of hoodia products, the hoodia
extract and the pure hoodia. Their difference comes because of the processing methods involved.
Buy hoodia products that have been consumed and found to work. There are numerous hoodia products
out there. Newer ones are emerging each day. The best thing to do is find consumers who have used the product
successfully. The consumer is always the best source of information concerning products.
It is said that the South African hoodia gordonii is one of the best natural ways to lose weight.
By suppressing hunger, you eat less. Your bodily fat is burned for the body’s energy requirements. As a result you
lose weight. However, it is not free from controversy which has come as a result of production of fake “hoodia”
products.
It is also important that you make hoodia part of the weight loss program and not concentrate on it
too much as the determining factor in weight loss. Exercise and a healthy diet are important as well if you are to
lose weight.
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