My latest inquiry is from M.E. out in Southern California. Her question is in regards to appetite stimulants... are they effective? Are they safe? Specifically, are there any side effects or reasons not to use Hoodia, which she has used in the past and worked well for her. I should put here that M.E. only wants to lose 5-6 pounds; she is not obese. She already exercises regularly and eats an overall healthy diet; she is just struggling to lose that last little bit of weight.
First of all, what is Hoodia? Hoodia is a genus that contains many species, one of which is Hoodia gordonii, which is the species currently being investigated for use as an appetite suppressant. It grows naturally in South Africa and Namibia, but the supply is scarce due to the plant being difficult to grow and due to the fact that it takes 4-5 years to mature. As a result, there are many counterfeit products out there claiming to contain 100% pure hoodia, when in fact they do not. Some experts claim that as many as 80% of the Hoodia products on the market are counterfeit. This brings us to our next question.....
How do I know if I am getting a pure product? One way is to look under the "Other Ingredients" on the label. It should say "None" in this spot. Secondly, you can go to Alkemists Pharmaceuticals at http://www.alkemist.com/ to check for yourself. They do testing on many products, including many hoodia products. Desert Burn, Hoodoba and Hoodia Hoodia are three products that have been consistently verified.
Does it work? This is debatable. The only way to truly know is to try it for yourself and see. There is currently no published scientific evidence that supports that Hoodia gordonii works as an appetite suppressant. That may mean that it doesn't work or it may just mean that research hasn't yet proven it. Research has not disproven it either.
What makes it act as an appetite suppressant? If in fact Hoodia gordonii is an appetite suppressant, it is due to the active ingredient known as P57.
Are there any side effects or reasons not to use the product? There are not any known side effects to using the product. However, it is not recommended that diabetics, pregnant or nursing women, children or people with liver or kidney disease use the product. The warning for diabetics is due to the fact that there is a theory that the product may work due to the P57 tricking the brain into thinking it has enough blood sugar, when in fact it does not. This may cause diabetics to become hypoglycemic. The warning for the other groups of individuals is a general precaution due to lack of research showing the products safety. One final note on the safety is to make sure you drink enough liquids while taking Hoodia gordonii. If it suppresses your appetite, it may also suppress your thirst and dehydration could result.
So, to answer your question, M.E. from Southern California.... since you do not fit into any of the categories of people stated above and you have found Hoodia gordonii to work in the past, then there is no reason not to try it again! Just make sure you are using a pure product and check back to let us know the results!
First of all, what is Hoodia? Hoodia is a genus that contains many species, one of which is Hoodia gordonii, which is the species currently being investigated for use as an appetite suppressant. It grows naturally in South Africa and Namibia, but the supply is scarce due to the plant being difficult to grow and due to the fact that it takes 4-5 years to mature. As a result, there are many counterfeit products out there claiming to contain 100% pure hoodia, when in fact they do not. Some experts claim that as many as 80% of the Hoodia products on the market are counterfeit. This brings us to our next question.....
How do I know if I am getting a pure product? One way is to look under the "Other Ingredients" on the label. It should say "None" in this spot. Secondly, you can go to Alkemists Pharmaceuticals at http://www.alkemist.com/ to check for yourself. They do testing on many products, including many hoodia products. Desert Burn, Hoodoba and Hoodia Hoodia are three products that have been consistently verified.
Does it work? This is debatable. The only way to truly know is to try it for yourself and see. There is currently no published scientific evidence that supports that Hoodia gordonii works as an appetite suppressant. That may mean that it doesn't work or it may just mean that research hasn't yet proven it. Research has not disproven it either.
What makes it act as an appetite suppressant? If in fact Hoodia gordonii is an appetite suppressant, it is due to the active ingredient known as P57.
Are there any side effects or reasons not to use the product? There are not any known side effects to using the product. However, it is not recommended that diabetics, pregnant or nursing women, children or people with liver or kidney disease use the product. The warning for diabetics is due to the fact that there is a theory that the product may work due to the P57 tricking the brain into thinking it has enough blood sugar, when in fact it does not. This may cause diabetics to become hypoglycemic. The warning for the other groups of individuals is a general precaution due to lack of research showing the products safety. One final note on the safety is to make sure you drink enough liquids while taking Hoodia gordonii. If it suppresses your appetite, it may also suppress your thirst and dehydration could result.
So, to answer your question, M.E. from Southern California.... since you do not fit into any of the categories of people stated above and you have found Hoodia gordonii to work in the past, then there is no reason not to try it again! Just make sure you are using a pure product and check back to let us know the results!
3 comments:
Thanks for the information. That really helped. I want to make sure I am taking care of my body and not doing anything crazy. Hunger can be very difficult to deal with and it is nice to know that there is something that can help curtail it. You rock!
Thanks for the information. That really helped. I want to make sure I am taking care of my body and not doing anything crazy. Hunger can be very difficult to deal with and it is nice to know that there is something that can help curtail it. You rock!
Thanks, Kerry. I find that when I'm working out, I'm ravenously hungry, so I never lose weight. I will check out Hoodia. Would you mind making a post on Alli? I know it's not an appetite suppressant, but if it works and isn't dangerous, is it a good option for weight loss?
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