Hoodia a Centuries Old Weight Loss Aid

Kalahari Bushmen have ingested Hoodia gordonii for hundreds of years or longer. Hoodia gordonii is only found in a plant that grows in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. The Bushmen have used the plant to suppress hunger and thirst on long hunting trips. Today with the emphasis on being slim and weight loss the benefits of Hoodia gordonii has attracted a lot of attention as being a useful weight loss aid.

After many years of research a South African laboratory identified the P57 molecule found in the Hoodia plant as the appetite suppressant factor. The company applied for a patent to use the compound as a diet aid and then licensed it to Phytopharm a British pharmaceutical company.

Phytopharm scientists believe that P57, the active ingredient in Hoodia, acts similarly on the brain and sends messages that you are full even if you have not eaten. These effects are similar to how glucose works in the body. You desire to eat is decreased when you ingest Hoodia. The plant is bitter and unpleasant to taste but there are no known side effects.

Phytopharm has studied Hoodoo’s effects on human volunteers. They report that volunteers who were obese ate 1,000 less calories per day than those who did not take the supplement. Pfizer was teamed with Phytopharm and funded the research on Hoodia but backed out feeling that it was impractical to make pills out of hoodia’s active ingredient. The Hoodia plant takes years to mature and grown in extremely hot conditions. The plant has only been found in the wild and had not been cultivated and is, therefore, limited in supply. Phytopharm has since established plantations in South Africa to develop farming methods to cultivate the Hoodia plant.

Reports by BBC and CBS have stated that the leading brands of Hoodia pills that are sold in the U.S. do not contain any active Hoodia in any significant quantity. Hoodia’s active ingredient is scarce and hard for manufacturers to obtain. Yet, there are dozens of firms selling weight loss supplements that claim to contain Hoodia.

Hoodia supplements will not melt off your fat. They may be used as part of an overall diet plan. Hoodia can be very effective if used properly. Hoodia will not change your bad eating habits or fix overeating issues. If you eat when you are not hungry – Hoodia will not help you. Also, Hoodia does not build muscle. The best way to burn fat is to build muscles. Muscles are fat burning machines and the more muscles you have the more fat you will burn. The only way to build muscles is to exercise.

When used with a good diet plan and exercise program Hoodia may be what you need to help you with your weight loss goals. Be sure to verify that you are getting a product that contains the advertised amount of Hoodia. If you want to lose weight and feel that an appetite suppressant is what you need, give Hoodia a try.