Is Hoodia the Wrong Choice for You?

Grown in South Africa, hoodia gordonii is a cactus that the tribesmen have been using for hundreds of years as a means to prevent hunger when out on long hunts. They chew on the stem while traveling large stretches of sparse lands. Eventually, the billion dollar a year weight loss industry caught on to this natural appetite suppressant and eventually developed various weight loss supplements containing hoodia.

Though this sounds like a great plan, can hoodia help you achieve your weight loss goals? Maybe and maybe not. First, you need to understand how hoodia works and then determine if it will benefit you. Will it help you bare your midriff on the beach or will you be stuck in the swimsuit that covers everything it can?

The component of hoodia that suppresses appetite is called p57. You feel hungry when your blood glucose levels drop, which indicates to your brain that you need some fuel. So the brain sends a signal to the hypothalamus to trigger hunger. p57 mimics glucose, so the brain believes you are not in need of fuel. The hunger signal is not triggered, allowing you to survive on less.

Right of the get go, this means that diabetics should not take hoodia because keeping steady blood glucose levels is crucial to the management of their disease. Who else should not take hoodia?

Emotional or compulsive eaters will not be harmed by hoodia, but they may be wasting their money on the supplement. When you eat to make yourself feel emotionally better, you are not eating because you felt hungry. Compulsive eaters often eat constantly, hungry or not. For these reasons, hoodia will not help you control your appetite as well if you do not gain control of your emotional reasons for eating.

Obviously, women who are pregnant or nursing and children should not take hoodia. Anyone who has been placed on special diet should talk to their health care provider about this or any weight loss supplement prior to using it. Is there anyone who will benefit from this appetite suppressant?

Well, the Western diet is loaded with sugar. Over years of consuming processed foods, high in sugar and low in other nutrients, your blood glucose levels and response levels may be all out of proportion. The body strives to adapt, so when you eat foods high in sugar often, eventually, your body will begin to signal hunger at higher than normal blood glucose levels. You may even crave sugar. Since p57 in hoodia mimics glucose, these weight loss supplements may give you the edge you need to control hunger and return your hunger system back to normal. This should help you lose weight.

Ultimately, the only way to lose weight is to eat whole, clean foods in the right portions and exercise. However, if hoodia helps you kick your sugar habit, you might stand a better chance of conquering temptation and re-training your body to respond to the right levels of blood glucose.

Tags: dieting, Health, health and fitness, Hoodia, Hoodia Gordonii, natural appetite suppressant, natural remedy for weight loss, weight loss

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