Hoodia as a Diet / Weight Loss Aid

Hoodia really has been touted as THE holy grail as far as diet aids are concerned. It's been around for about  8 or 9 years now so I did some research on what appears to be the hottest weight loss product ever!

Firstly though, I have to qualify this information...I have  not used Hoodia, but this is what I have found out during extensive research.

There has been a lot of media coverage of what is described as Hoodia "cactus extract" as a diet aid. However, it is not actually a cactus! It is a "succulent" which is different! Apparently it looks much like a cactus with it's spikes, and beautiful pale purple flowers, but it is a succulent...so now you know!

One thing that is very important to know is that there are about 30 known varieties of the hoodia plant. They are found in various areas of Africa and as far a field as Mexico.The plant requires desert conditions to thrive. However, it is only one specific variety that has the relevant diet aid properties. That variety is the hoodia gordonii from the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa.

It was first researched back in the mid 1930's when it became known that the San Bushmen used it for not only medicinal purposes (skin ailments and indigestion cure), but also as an aid to quench both hunger and thirst on long hunts.

So how does it work?

Well, what appears to happen is that the hoodia acts on an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. This in turn has a specific area that deals with hunger and thirst. When you eat, the food is broken down into sugars and when these enter the blood stream, they act on the hypothalamus which in turn sends out signals that you have eaten enough and...you feel full. This is why there is a time lag between eating and feeling full (and why you should eat slowly so that you receive the brains signals before so much food has been consumed).

The hoodia acts in exactly the same way, and some research has suggested that it's effect can be 1,000 times more powerful than blood sugar.

Therefore hoodia is an extremely powerful hunger suppressant. This is why it has become so popular as a diet / weight loss aid.

There are a couple of things to be aware of before you rush out and buy some hoodia!

Firstly, be aware it is a thirst depressant as well. Make sure you drink plenty of water if you are taking hoodia!

Secondly, as I mentioned above, there is only one variety that truly works - hoodia gordonii. Why?

Hoodia Gordonii has the "magic" active ingredient that acts on the hypothalamus. It is a molecule called P-57 and it is only found in the gordonii version of hoodia from the Kalahari. So make sure you have the right variety. This is important, buy the wrong variety and it just will not work?

How do you know what is the right variety. Well firstly check the label. Make sure you get as near to 100% pure hoodia gordonii as possible. Secondly the price. It will not be cheap.

The hoodia plant takes 5 years to cultivate and it is not exactly in great supply. Active cultivation is now taking place in Southern Africa, but, it is so rare that it was even designated an endangered plant species some ten years ago.

So, beware of cheap imitations. If the price is cheap it will probably be fake and you will be wasting your money. Of course, you may well be buying hoodia, just not the gordonii version that has the active P-57 molecule. You have been warned.

It's interesting top note that the pharmaceutical companies have been trying to synthesise P-57 since 2002, but have failed. They do believe they will get there, but the last quote I saw was "at least another 5 years".

I have also learned that some less than ethical supplement companies are "bulking out" their hoodia with other so called supplements. Again exercise caution here. Hoodia itself has no known side effects, another reason it is so popular. However, some of these hybrid products may produce some unwanted effects as well as not work!

Hoodia is available in capsule (powdered) form and liquid. My research suggests that the liquid is faster acting (but more expensive). Some reports suggest that it can take a while for the effect to build up once you start taking hoodia (up to 10-14 days), others suggest it only takes 30 or so minutes to work. It would appear this depends on the individual!

This site is as an addedum to my Diet and Detox with Derek Blog which you can find at www.a1derek.wordpress.com

Please feel free to visit me and join in the fun!

Best wishes

Derek Armson