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What is Hoodia?

You have probably heard it on the news, or some friend told you about it, but just what is hoodia?

Hoodia was mostly an obscure local plant until Leslie Stahl, from 60 minutes, decided to go to South Africa to determine the answer to the question: what is hoodia? Hoodia is now being marketed as the next best weight loss solution. The plant does have some unique properties that make it an ideal weight loss pill. The problem with hoodia is the same as many new products that hit the market. Once a good-quality supplement hits the market many other supplement manufactures will try and mimic it. These other manufactures will often cut corners in an attempt to reduce the price of their supplement. Cutting corners, when it involves hoodia, means that you have a weight loss supplement that doesn't work.

What is Hoodia gordonii?

Who Can You Trust, really?

Found deep in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa, Hoodia gordonii is small cactus that has real promise as a weight loss agent and it works in ways that no other diet pill does. Known for centuries by the local Bushmen, hoodia is just now making it to the United States.

Hoodia is a small cactus that grows in some of the harshest conditions in the world. This ugly-looking cactus would be the last plant in the world one would suspect of being a great weight loss supplement. The plant is a slow growing succulent, which takes years to mature. This makes the plant rare and also makes real hoodia products expensive. Because of the success of hoodia, African farms are now growing the herb, but since it take 5 to 7 years for the plant to mature, they have a hard time keeping up with demand.

There are many different types of Hoodia cactus, but only one specific type of plant called hoodia gordonii has the active ingredient that has show promise as a weight loss chemical.

The San Bushmen have long used Hoodia for a variety of conditions, including taking the cactus before hunting trips to stave off hunger. In 1977, scientists isolated a previously unknown molecule found in the cactus, called P57 and began studies to see if it could be marketed as a weight loss product. The pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer, investigated this unique molecule but determined that they couldn't get a patent on the substance so abandoned it as a weight loss drug.

While big pharmaceutical companies found it unprofitable to try and synthesize Hoodia, that doesn't mean it isn't effective. The drug company couldn't figure out a way to make money from this herbal diet pill, because no one can patent a natural molecule.

How does it work?

Most diet pills work by trying to increase metabolism. If you have tried weight loss pills before, you know that this is true. When you take these, you often feel stressed, jittery, and nervous. This is because the ingredients in most herbal supplement for weight loss are stimulants similar to caffeine. In fact, caffeine is a common ingredient in many of these supplements. While these supplements do work, there are some concerns about their safety. The stimulating herb, Ephedra, was pulled off the shelves by the FDA because of heart conditions associated with its use.

Organic hoodia works in an entirely different way. Hoodia works by convincing your brain that you are full. Whenever you eat and become full, certain chemical messengers are sent to your brain to tell you that you have had enough to eat. While the scientific studies are still being done it appears that Hoodia mimics the bodies own chemical messengers and tricks the brain into thinking it is full, and it is safe. Scientists think that the Molecule P57 acts in much the same way as does eating a large amount of food. The "tricked" brain thinks it is full all the time, these means that you consume less calories.

People who take Hoodia report that they feel full and have a much less desire to eat. No longer do you have to suffer through a weight loss program feeling hungry and craving food. Since hoodia is not a stimulant, it is safe to use. One of the reasons why so many diets fail is that people are just simply hungry all the time; hoodia takes care of that problem. Sure you can burn off calories once you eat them, but wouldn't it be much better not to take those calories in first place?

Discover what is hoodia

Since Hoodia has hit the market, many companies are tying to market Hoodia products that come up short. Since the raw material is so expensive (true hoodia is rare and expensive), some companies only put a small amount into their product. Other companies put Hoodia in, but not Hoodia gordonii (the only well-researched form of Hoodia).

What is Hoodia, really? It may be the best chance at loosing weight without all the side effects.