What Is Hoodia and Can I Lose These 20 Pounds Fast?

by Sara Morris

Hoodia, and specifically Hoodia Gordonii has been used for many centuries by native southern Africans. Hoodia became known to modern researchers when studying the different foods of southern Africa. The Hoodia plant is a stem succulent - while it looks similar to a cactus plant, it is not technically one. The plants can grow to three feet in height, with cactus-like, spiky needles. The flowers of the plant are best described as having a strong and unpleasant aroma. There are numerous other species within the Hoodia family, and some of these can be grown in backyard gardens, but Hoodia Gordonii is the only species that may play a role in weight loss. The Bushmen of southern Africa consumed it because it suppressed their appetite, especially on extended hunting trips. This traditional use of Hoodia offers considerable credibility to contemporary claims about its suitability for weight loss programs. Hoodia first came to light in 2003 after BBC and CBS ran stories on it. Today it can be found on the market as a nutritional supplement in pill form. Given the number of people who struggle with their weight, it's easy to see why so many find this new product exciting. While more studies need to be done, some studies have shown positive results. People have experienced weight loss without the hunger pangs they often have on a diet. A clinical test involving a group of obese people was conducted - the subjects were given Hoodia and told to remain on their couches eating, reading and watching TV. They were happy to discover they had reduced their calorie intake and lost weight. Those sensational test results encouraged many companies to sell Hoodia-based nutritional products. Talk show gossip about TV actresses using Hoodia only added fuel to the fire as people raved about the hot new health product. Pharmaceutical companies, naturally, are working to develop extracts of the Hoodia plant. The active ingredient of Hoodia Gordonii (P57) is the subject of very extensive efforts to develop synthetic copies of the P57 component. But this has so far proved to be a very expensive and difficult task. Because of these obstacles manufacturers of Hoodia supplements are focusing on the natural plant itself. A contributing factor to the problem is the Hoodia Gordonii plant only grows in a limited area of southern Africa, and is now under increasing pressure. Tight restrictions on the sale of Hoodia Gordonii extracts have been put in place, limiting sales of the extracts to only certain authorized people. As a result, the cost of Hoodia products have increased sharply as demand for this weight loss solution has grown enormously. If Hoodia performs as well as claimed, it will have a huge impact on the enormous dieting niche. Till now, no studies have come up with conclusive evidence showing harmful side effects from the use of Hoodia. Continued research is needed to prove conclusively the extent to which Hoodia safely kills a user's appetite. When used with a smart diet and lots of exercise, users very often experience more weight loss without suffering from hunger pains. Hoodia testing is going on continually even while it is already widely available for sale. There is now a large and loyal group of Hoodia users worldwide. Obviously these users aren't waiting for more test results. They are happy with Hoodia as their weight loss solution. After all, what matters most is a user's own personal experiences with a product, and Hoodia seems to be providing a very positive experience for many users.

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