During the recent years, and due to a very sophisticated health research, we can see every year how a lot of new products are released to satisfy the market demand for all types of natural therapies, from insomnia to stop smoking, and of course for weight loss.
One of the natural herbs with more media coverage and publicity during the recent years is called hoodia gordonii, and surely you’ve had the opportunity to read about this on magazines or surfing the internet. Let’s look in this article what is exactly this product, its benefits, contraindications and how it is used in tablets to thin or to suppress the appetite.
Hoodia is a plant that grows naturally in South Africa and Namibia, which was long used by natives to treat gastric ailments and infections. Now, the fact that has attracted the media attention, and the reason for its popularity is that this plant was used by the aborigines during their hunting trips as the only food, due their properties to suppress the appetite. It was ranked first by the scientist Robert Jacob Gordon, but the diet applications of hoddia is a most recently research.
There is a lot written about the hoodia properties to suppress appetite, but there is still no scientific evidence to know if this plant is effective or not, because all herbal supplements are considered within the category of nutritional products and are not officially approved by the respective governments. All the potential benefits are based on the native traditions and customer testimonials. Nonetheless, the commercialization of hoodia is constant, and some multinationals are producing this cactus in an industrial scale. Not to mention the amount of advertising that this product has on television, magazines and newspapers.
One of the claims of the vendors is that hoodia sends signals of satiety to the human brain, and in this way the compulsive desire to eat is attenuated in people looking to lose weight. As mentioned previously, due the absence of formal studies there is no way to confirm these theories. In fact, what exists is a set of laboratory tests with animals, but as we all know this is a very preliminary stage of research.
Another issue that must be considered is the amount of counterfeit hoodia in the market. This is a low production product, and a plant to grow needs 4 or 5 years in an extremely hot environment with the same conditions than the desert where cactus grows naturally. The hoodia to be traded legally must have a certificate called CITIES, which is basically an agreement between governments to ensure the survival of wild plants and animals. Nonetheless there are very few laboratories that analyze this plant and it is suspected that many pills contain a counterfeit.
As with any supplement, you should always consult your physician before use, and especially you should not buy on the internet if you are taking some prescription medication. The most innocent herbs can interfere with medicines, reducing the effects or causing side effects.
The author is the owner of an herbal supplements website
and a contributor for online pharmacies themes
Article Source: A Basic Guide About Hoodia Gordonii
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