If you're trying to loose weight, you definitely won't get any help from your local fast food resteraunt, or from Aunt Matilda, who feeds you coffee cake every time you pay her a visit. And with obesity rates skyrocketing in the United States, many must sigh and think to themselves, "if only there were something to help me out...I'll eat better and exercise, but I just need an extra something to pull me along the way..." Beyond wishful thinking, that extra "something" may in fact exist, and it's called Hoodia gordonni.
Hoodia gordonii is pronounced, according to Danylo Hawaleshka author of "Hoodia Love" in the August 1, 2005 issue of Maclean's, "hoo-dee-uh gore-doh-nee." But just what is this substance that some have touted as a miracle weight-loss cure?
Stephen Holt, M.D., in his book Supreme Properties of Hoodia Gordonii, say that it "is a 'stinky' plant from South Africa with 'miraculous properties.' This cactus-like plant contains substances that may exert dramatic control over hunger, appetite, and thirst... Hoodia is well known to the San bushmen of South Africa, who learned to eat this plant to reduce hunger sensations from the teachings of their forefathers." The bushmen, he adds, "beleive that Hoodia is their food, water, and medicine."
More specifically, Holt explains that the plant, known as Hoodia for short, "belongs to a group of plants called succulents of the Asclepiadaceae family," and that it "appears to contain special components (molecules) that act upon specific regions of the brain to promote a feeling of fullness. In this regard, Hoodia gordonii has an ability to 'play a trick' on the brain, by giving the central nervous system a powerfull message that a person is full (satiated). This feeling of fullness occurs because Hoodia gives a satiety signal to the hypothalamus, a small area of the underside of the brain."
Now, you're probaly thinking, "Where can I get this stuff?!" Before you rush off to find a Hoodia gordonii supplement, however, there are some things you need to know. For example, there is controversy regarding wheather Hoodia is actually effective for weight loss. The "Product Watch" section of the December 2005 issue of Enviormental Nutrition, for instance, states, "There are no published studies finding Hoodia safe or effective for weigt loss."
Others, however disagree with this statement. NJ-based Nature's Thyme, LLC, a company that supplies raw Hoodia to manufacturers, says that since it's had a lot of success selling the product to its customers and that they in turn have had success their customers, it must be working. Nature's Thyme also declares that there have been no reported side effects published at this time.
An August 30, 2005 article in the Irish Times, entitled "Is the End in Sight for Obesity and Hunger Pangs?" reports, "When the first human clinical trial was conducted in 2001, a morbidly obese group of people was placed in a secure unit. All the volunteers could do all day was read papers, watch television and eat. Half the volunteers were given Hoodia, and the other half a placebo. Fifteen days later, the Hoodia group had reduced their calorie intake by 1,000 a day...The clinical trial was considered a stunning success."
Hawaleshka notes, however, that the only scientific studies done on Hoodia were based on animal research. Clearly, the question of wheather or not Hoodia actually works is debatable. Though, what can't be debated is that the succulent has become widely popular and many people swear by it. In fact, it's become so popular that you've likely recieved junk emails about it, which brings us to the next point: how do you know Hoodia isn't Junk? Here are some guidelines from WoleFoods sources:
- Nature's Thyme maintains that everyone's body is different and that Hoodia will work for some and not others. It's main purpose is to suppress the appetite. The firm and others say that if you eat properly and exercise, you should notice a differance over a period of time. And that's just it - it takes time. "People won't loose five to ten pounds in one week," states the company. Instead, it notes that within a few days of taking Hoodia, a person's food and liquid intake should come down a bit.
- Another crucial point is that if and when you purchase Hoodia, you want to make sure that what you bought is in fact Hoodia. The article in Environmental Nutrition says, "It turns out compaines are very secretive as to where Hoodia in products comes from, so there is no way to evaluate its quality." Nature's Thyme even remarks that Hoodia gordonii seeds are now being taken and grown in other countries, but that they really dont result in true Hoodia. It suggest that consumers be cautious when buying Hoodia. "Products should only say Hoodia Gordonii powder from South Africa - if the label says extract or list Hoodia with different percentages, we wouldn't buy it." The company also aserts that consumers buy Hoodia by itself - not Hoodia in combination with other substances.
