Hoodia Gordonii Plants And The Hoodia Genus
September 4th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
The Namib desert, like most deserts, is a harsh environment that has a scarcity of both food and water. In this environment, a plant known as the hoodia gordonii, part of the hoodia genus, appears to thrive. The people of this region, the Sans Bushmen, have also survived in this region for hundreds of years despite the privations and have learned to exploit much of the regions natural resources. These natural resources include the hoodia gordonii plant.
Origins
For hundreds of years, the Sans Bushmen have used Hoodia plants to suppress their appetite, perhaps a necessity in a land where food is scarce. The Sans Bushmen people would often spend many weeks hunting and foraging for food. Often they would not find enough and use the hoodia plant to ward of hunger. In 1937, a researcher in the area noted their use of the plant, but it wasn’t until the end of the century that pharmaceutical companies began to work on making the ingredients capable of being used in mainstream medicine. By 2003, the Hoodia craze had begun with a 60 Minutes special, and the popularity has spiraled to enormous heights.
Hoodia plants are not used exclusively for anorectics, many florists and gardeners use the bright and colorful flowers of the plant to brighten up flower beds. They appear to be visually similar to a cactus while in truth varying internally a great deal. These plants are perfect for desert environments (like the Namib Desert where they originated from), and they can retain water for extended periods of time.
Anorectic Uses and Concerns
Hoodia seems to be a solution for many weight loss problems but it may still have some health and safety issues. Firstly, hundreds of thousands of people have used Hoodia products to help lose weight, and the vast majority of them agree that it has helped them suppress their appetites. No severe or even mild side effects have ever been confirmed, and for all intents and purposes, this appears to be a great weight loss product.
However, some safety concerns still exist regarding the plant’s relatively short lifetime as a supplement. Without much time to run studies or publish the scientific facts around how the plant works there may be cause for concern. Although research is currently being conducted and more information will be gained on the active ingredients of the plant, some of the expected effects are a heightened risk of anorexia and dehydration from a reduction of both eating and drinking. Also, although the Sans Bushmen used the plant for years to prevent hunger, they didn’t use other drugs. Thus, pharmaceutical companies simply don’t know how Hoodia might react with other popular medicine.
However, the huge mainstream success of the plant and the promising results of scientific evaluations of Hoodia seem to present a sense of optimism. The hoodia gordonii plant could be the solution that most people with weight loss issues are looking for. As yet they show no side effects and deliver on suppressing appetite and helping to lose weight.
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What is Hoodia Gordonii : A Simple Cactus Or Something More ?
August 31st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
For people that have problems with their weight or would like to lose a few pounds, the much heralded Hoodia Gordonii is causing quite a buzz. It has been featured on some of the major TV networks, including CNN, MSNBC, BBC and a special feature of CBS 60 minutes. The product has been discussed in noteworthy publications like the Oprah magazine. If you listen to the gossip columns, it seems that the product is popular in Hollywood too. So what is this new diet product ? What is hoodia gordonii ?
What is Hoodia Gordonii and Where Did it Come From?
Hoodia gordonii is the botanical name for a type of cactus that grows in Southern Africa. Although it is not a common plant in the area, it’s qualities have been passed down as folklore by many of the indigenous tribes of the region. It was primarily used by hunters who would cover great distances searching for food. They would often be forced to go without food if the hunting was bad and would consume hoodia gordonii to ward off hunger.
It provided to them an emergency source of food in harsh environmental conditions, where often the environment itself doesn’t provide any other forms of food. The cactus contains an all-natural appetite suppressant, making the body believe that it is full. It was shared with the rest of the world as a way to suppress hunger and is steadily gaining a following in many countries including the USA and many European countries. People now are becoming a bit more familiar with the name, but still, there are some who don’t know what is hoodia gordonii.
Many users of hoodia gordonii swear by it’s benefits. Compared to other forms of diet pills, it contains no stimulants, no addictives or fillers. The all-natural hoodia gordonii enables appetite control without nasty side effects on the body. It can be used alone as a diet aide, or combined with other supplements to enhance weight loss. Hoodia gordonii comes in both liquid and pill form. The cactus byproduct also contains fiber, antioxidants and calcium, all things to help keep the body healthy.
The only real downfall to the product is because it is so new and the cactus itself is fairly rare, prices for hoodia gordonii are relatively high and sometimes hard to get. However, studies online are reporting that the product helps increase weight loss in most cases by almost forty percent and fat loss by almost fifty percent. So, while it may be expensive, studies are showing it may be worth the price paid.
So in summary, what is hoodia gordonii? In most western countries, it is a form of diet supplement that takes the active ingredients of the hoodia gordonii cactus to suppress a persons appetite. It will change the way people diet and the way they lose weight. Hoodia gordonii for the first time in diet product history, provides consumers with a healthy weight loss supplement that actually benefits the body. It has no harmful chemicals or stimulants, increases energy and facilitates quicker weight loss.
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