Hoodia Diet Pills & Liquid Reviewed

When western drug companies learned the San people of South Africa have been using the Hoodia plant to successfully stave off the worst hunger pangs imaginable for days at a time without unwanted side effects, the push was on to sideline the indigenous people and turn this remarkable plant into a synthetic prescription drug.  In 1993 the BBC broadcast a program about a brand new discovery which promised to completely revolutionize weight loss.

They described a plant called Hoodia that grows only in the Kalahari desert and which has been used for generations to ease hunger pangs on long hunting trips. It had, they said, had no known side effects. The BBC report went on to say how this plant was going to revolutionize obesity treatments.  The license for its development was sold to a Cambridgeshire bio-pharmaceutical company, Phytopharm, who in turn sold the development and marketing rights to the giant Pfizer Corporation

Phytopharm's Dr Richard Dixey explained how hoodia actually works:

"There is a part of your brain, the hypothalamus. Within that mid-brain there are nerve cells that sense glucose sugar. When you eat, blood sugar goes up because of the food, these cells start firing and now you are full.

"What the Hoodia seems to contain is a molecule that is about 10,000 times as active as glucose. It goes to the mid-brain and actually makes those nerve cells fire as if you were full. But you have not eaten. Nor do you want to.

This was followed by the first human clinical trial conducted by Phytopharm in which morbidly obese men and women from Leicester, England were placed in a room as close to prison as it gets. All the volunteers could do was read, watch television -- and eat. Half the group were given Hoodia and half were given a placebo. At the end of 15 days, the group on Hoodia had reduced their food intake by a wopping 1000 calories a day. Given the average daily diet is around 2200 calories, this was a stunning success.

More recently, in two double-blind studies (the only proof accepted by the established scientific community) lean and obese laboratory rats were given Hoodia which strongly suppressed their appetites and caused major weight loss in the obese rats and moderate appetite suppression and weight loss in the lean rats. Hoodia also induced a modest drop in the rats’ blood sugar levels, and no adverse side effects were reported. 

Now if you are anything like me by the time you got to the end of this report all you want to know is where you can buy this beauty!. But- then came the cruellest body blow!   "Unfortunately for the overweight, Hoodia will not be around for several years, the clinical trials still have several years to run. Do not travel to the Kalahari to steal the cactus as it is hard to find and illegal to export. "   You can imagine how I felt!

Well that was back in June 2003. The good news is that this plant has now been turned into a diet pill that you can buy today. People who have used it are full of praise.

This supplement works by “tricking” your brain into thinking you've eaten, so you feel fuller. Researchers believe a molecule found in hoodia gordonii (known as P57) is responsible for its ability to promote appetite suppression and increased energy levels. And, it has no known side effects. Not only that but there is some real science behind this.

So of course I couldn't wait to try it- not just for losing body fat  but also I wanted to be able to relate my experience to you here. Only one person's experience but still you know I am real don't you? Not like some of the fake testimonials that we see on diet supplement pages. Well maybe some are real people.

My Results With Hoodia Gordonii Appetite Suppressor

I took  hoodia in capsule form and later, when I ran out I used the liquid. Neither of them had any noticeable effect on me.  Now I am wondering whether what is being marketed is the same hoodia as that found in the Kalahari Desert cactus.  They are not cultivating the exact same plant as the original hoodia cactus. Apparently it can't be grown commercially and so they are using a similar variety with the same molecule as that which is thought to be the active ingredient in the Kalahari cactus. It tastes very bitter and it is said that the original plant does not. 

It is said that hoodia bought online is often not the real thing at all but a fake. The I bought hoodia was said to be lab tested and  I was assured it was the real thing. I really doubt it though.  Some say you need to take it for a few weeks to notice anything. That's odd- the San people don't do that. They take it when hungry not in preparation for being hungry, and it works for them. The TV crew from 60 minutes found that it worked too. They all ate the real thing and couldn't eat their dinner the same day and were still not hungry at breakfast time. The version of hoodia that is being sold currently, if it is hoodia at all, is not anything like as effective as that.

 If you have had a good experience with Hoodia please let me know and I will add your assessment on my Blog.