howcaniloseweight
Hoodia
Hoodia (Gordonii) Review
Does It Work For Weight Loss?
If this isn’t your first time looking for a weight loss supplement that
can help you eat less chances are good that you’ve at least heard
of hoodia in the past. Sometimes it is sold by its full name, hoodia
gordonii, but whatever it is sold by the claims are all the same.
What’s even more impressive about this substance for weight loss is that it has a believable tale that’s designed to prove how effective the substance it is. The hard part is figuring out if this supplement has any weight loss properties or is it just another way to fill the ephedra vacuum?
Keep reading to find out if this plant extract is going to help you lose that excess fat.
About This Product
Hoodia is a succulent plant hailing from South Africa, where the Bush people used it to suppress their appetites during long hunting trips in the dessert. Or so the story goes. By nibbling on the stem they were able to keep hunger at bay and still slim, so it can work for you too, right?
That’s the plan.
[This cactus-like plant has been causing a big buzz for dieters…is it deserved?]
The good news is that you don’t have to suck on a succulent stem in the same way the Bush people did because hoodia is now available in pill form or easy to swallow capsules. In fact, you can even find chocolate chews online to help you get slim.
As an all natural supplement, many dieters are attracted to the chemical-free nature of hoodia. However all-natural does not mean that it works and to find that out you need to do your homework.
How It Works
At heart, hoodia is marketed as an appetite suppressant, which is supposed to help you reduce your energy intake for weight loss. For many of us, the hardest obstacle to the body we’ve always wanted is ignoring those thoughts that say “keep eating” or push you to eat when you’re not hungry. And this, in a nutshell, is exactly why the marketing for this product has been so effective.
What it does is simple; it suppresses your appetite by tricking your brain into thinking that your stomach is full, whether or not you have actually eaten anything. Of course you should eat, but the suppressant will kick in so that you don’t eat as much as you normally would.
The Science
The biggest problem with using Hoodia for weight loss is that, while the claims sound good, the science has yet to totally verify those claims. A 2010 case report published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics found there were no peer-reviewed or published studies that were randomized or controlled featuring this substance.
There were 2 unpublished studies conducted that did indicate that hoodia might have some weight loss efficacy, however they have been unpublished and have yet to meet standard scientific criteria. So while all the hype surrounding it can be overwhelming, there is nothing yet that says these claims are documented.
In fact, there is so little science on hoodia that the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (sponsored by the National Institutes of Health) could not even determine the safety of this substance. This is because there have been no studies, particularly human studies, of health risks, side effects or drug interactions when taking products of this plant extract.
[Hoodia may suppress your appetite, but how will you burn fat & tone muscle?]
How Much To Lose Weight?
Again, because of the lack of science to back up the claims of hoodia’s weight loss effectiveness it is unknown how much one can safely take for weight loss. The one human study on this substance gave test subjects 1,000mg of extract and reduced their energy intake to 1,000 calories each day. Unfortunately this research was never published, so the results cannot be repeated.
If you don’t what dosage of any type of substance to take, how can you be sure any amount will work for its stated purpose?
Can You Lose Weight?
While hoodia probably will help suppress your appetite, this can only lead to significant weight loss if you do something else to help you create a large enough energy deficit to lose weight. Suppressing your appetite can definitely lead to weight loss, if you’re also doing something to burn fat as well. Simply eating less will lead to a slow, prolonged weight loss process.
The other, perhaps more important factor at play here is that it is widely acknowledge that many of these products on the market don’t actually contain any hoodia gordonii. Without the key ingredient you won’t receive any of the purported health and weight loss benefits. Those that do contain the substance may not contain enough of it to get the actual benefits of weight loss.
When products become wildly popular as hoodia has, you are often at risk of not losing weight thanks to the frauds out there, than you are due to the efficiency (or lack of) of the actual product.