Hoodia gordonii.
Hoodia gordonii is an extract from a cactus called Hoodia that can be found in Kalahari Desert in Africa. The plant thrives in extremely high temperatures and takes years to mature.
In a part of the mid-brain, the hypothalamus, there are nerve cells that sense blood sugar. After a meal, blood glucose level increases and triggers the sense of fullness through these nerve cells making the individual to stop eating.
The P57 molecule, the hoodia gordonii ingredient, seems to be about ten thousand times as active as glucose. The significant action of this P57 molecule is that it has similar effects on nerve cells as glucose and makes the brain to receive the false message of full stomach. Therefore, it can suppress hunger and control appetite. This seems to be the reason why the San Bushmen of Kalahari, one of the world's most primitive tribes with thousands of years of history and culture, have been eating hoodia for centuries, in order to tolerate pain, hunger and thirst during long hunting trips in the desert.
Hoodia gordonii is an entirely natural extract. It is not a drug and has no stimulant properties or known side-effects. Because of its characteristics hoodia gordonii is contained in weight loss products. Despite the absence of side-effects, safety in pregnancy has not been established yet.
Clinical trials in Britain have shown that morbidly obese people, while taking hoodia gordonii on a regular basis, within two weeks, can reduce their caloric intake by 1,000 per day. Although some people claim that they can feel the effects within the first hour, after taking hoodia gordonii, this herbal remedy needs one or two weeks to work. During the course, the individual presents a reduction of interest in food and a prolonged interval of time between meals is needed, before hunger sets in again. The person, while eating, feels full sooner and he/she develops a feeling of well-being.
Although it depends on the individual and the dose taken, in general, the action of hoodia gordonii lasts from six to eighteen hours.
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