Friday, December 28, 2007

Revealed: How Hoodia Really Works

Hoodia has exploded into public awareness over the last two years, with many claiming it to be the solution to the fight against fat. In fact, the publicity around Hoodia has continued to grow, boosted by features on 60 Minutes, CNN and even Oprah's "O" Magazine. Even celebrities are reportedly using it to get back into shape.

So why is Hoodia causing such a stir?

All the hoopla around Hoodia can probably be put down to the fact that in human trials to date, there have been no conclusive side effects. That doesn't mean there never will be any side effects ever, it just means that there are none at the moment. There is though, a lot of hope that when enough clinical trials are conducted, Hoodia will proove to be safe. This is because of how Hoodia was actually first discovered as a potential effective appetite suppressant.

The particular type of Hoodia in high demand is Hoodia Gordonii Species grown in the midst of the Kalahari Semi-Desert in South Africa. It is only this version that has been proven to help with losing weight. Other types of Hoodia, grown in other parts of the world, like Mexico and China have so far had no effect on the appetites of humans in any tests.

So how in the world does a cactus like plant growing in extreme temperatures in the middle of Africa suddenly become a highly sought after weight loss solution?

It comes about from research into the native group of settlers in the Kalahari - the San Bushmen. As you can imagine the San Bushmen still live off the land. They need to go on long hunting trips, which can take days to survive. During these trips, they are away from their settlements, with no guarantee of food. While studying them, it was found out that they used the Hoodia plant before these trips to ensure that they didn't feel hungry during the trips. It eventually caught on that this same plant could be used to help the western world control their hunger. The great thing is that the San Bushmen continue to use Hoodia today, centuries after they were first thought to use Hoodia. Again that is not conclusive proof that it is totally safe, but it does provide greater hope.

What is known for sure is that there have been positive results from testing pure Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa to control hunger, even in the United States. That's why there has been so much publicity for it, and why its in such high demand.

Hoodia actually works by stimulating the part of your brain that controls your hunger. This part is called the Hypothalamus. When the Hypothalamus is stimulated, it signals to the rest of your body that you are full, and so you have no desire to eat.

The effects of Hoodia have been shown to work for up to twenty-four hours after consumption.

There is no doubt that the introduction of Hoodia into America has been positive on the whole. There are though some definite drawbacks.

The main issue facing the Hoodia Industry today is that it is largely unregulated. Combine this with the massive demand and, before you know it, there are seemingly hundreds of suppliers of Hoodia. The unfortunate thing about this is that only a small handful of these suppliers actually sell the version of Hoodia that works. The rest are trying to make a quick dollar by cashing in the on the craze.

Therefore, if you want to try out Hoodia for yourself, you need to be very careful. You should invest a good deal of time researching your information from as many independent and trusted sources as you can. Make sure you are skeptical about any site that tries to sell you their brand based on hype and claims, and seek concrete independent proof. Make sure you are very picky, don't settle easily, and you will eventually find a company that suits you.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/
revealed-how-hoodia-really-works-265298.html

No comments: