Desert Plant – Hoodia Gordonii – Contends to be an Effective Weight Loss Aid

Hoodia Gordonii

Native to the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa, Hoodia Gordonii, the six foot tall cactus like plant, is said to contain an active ingredient which can reduce appetite by up to 2,000 calories a day. Hoodia Gordonii is a leafless spiny succulent plant with medicinal uses. It grows naturally in South Africa and Namibia.
The Hoodia Gordonii cactus has been used by the San, who are the indigenous people of South Africa, for hundreds of years. Its primary use was as an appetite suppressant and thirst quencher to stave off hunger on long hunting expeditions in the wilds of Africa. It was said that they cut off the stem and ate the bitter-tasting plant. A naturally occurring appetite suppressant, Hoodia Gordonii’s popularity stems from claims that it has been used effectively for generations with no side effects! In fact, in the last few years, Hoodia Gordonii has been heavily marketed as weight loss medication and has become immensely popular in the West.

Hoodia Gordonii grows in clumps of green upright stems. Although it is often called a cactus because it resembles one, Hoodia Gordonii is actually a succulent plant. It takes about five years before Hoodia Gordonii's pale purple flowers appear and the plant can be harvested. There are over 13 types of Hoodia but as researched only Hoodia Gordonii has the properties that aid in appetite suppression. The only active ingredient identified so far is a steroidal glycoside that has been called “p57”. Currently, only Hoodia Gordonii is thought to contain p57.

Slimming Pills

The only medicines in the UK specifically licensed for the treatment of obesity are Orlistat (Xenical) and Sibutramine (Reductil). Orlistat works in the intestines and reduces the absorption of the fat from the food that we eat. Sibutramine, on the other hand, works in the brain to increase the feeling of fullness when you eat by boosting our serotonin levels of the chemical, which is naturally made in our body.

Both these drugs have been clinically proven to help people lose weight. They are only prescribed if you are obese or your weight is causing health problems. In addition, you will also have to show that your attempted weight loss through diet and exercise has not been successful in the past.

However, there is little evidence that over-the-counter slimming pills bought at health food shops have the ability to help you lose weight. Occasionally, research evidence is quoted for over-the-counter slimming pills, but this is usually from a one-off small study that has not been repeated. Moreover, most of the over-the-counter slimming pills give you insufficient information about the ingredients and how they are supposed to work. Likewise, they can be expensive also.

Over-the-counter pills often come with recommendations that you follow a calorie-controlled diet and take more exercise, so a change in lifestyle and not the pills could be the reason for your weight loss.

Weight loss pills that claim quick weight loss even while eating normally, won’t ever work as this is not physically possible. If they recommend cutting out certain foods, this may help you lose weight but then are you following a safe balanced diet? The answer may be a big no.

Unknown to you, there already exists the possibility that some of these slimming pills could be harmful if you have a medical condition or you are on certain medication. For example, a slimming pill containing a thyroid-stimulating ingredient may interfere with the prescribed medication for an under-active thyroid. Therefore, to lose weight safely and sensibly, all you need to do is follow a strict diet and exercise regimenf.