Hoodia Safety
Amazing pill that kills the cravings! Go all day without being hungry! Lose weight by losing the urge to snack!
A "Genie in a bottle." A magic pill that will make you lose weight and lose it fast! Your cravings for food are vanished, and you will never look better in your swimsuit! Smokers have the patch to kill their nicotine cravings; you have a pill to kill your food cravings. Hmmm?
The answer could be in a South African plant. Sound crazy? It could be the dieter's dream come true. Or could it?
Hoodia was a word that came into pop culture a little over a year ago. CBS sent a correspondent to Kalahari so that she could try Hoodia herself. She did just that, and she claimed that she had no desire to eat for nearly 24 hours. Very soon after this report many other reporters flocked to the scene to try for themselves. They all claimed the same result.
The interest in the plant in America soon began to raise sky high as a group of famous "Desperate" actresses tried the drug and claimed that it was their drug of choice for dieting. Many experts are still subjective in the safety of the drug, as no research has been done to thoroughly examine the side effects. People purchasing this amazing pill over the internet are unaware of the dangers (if any) that taking the pill could have. Many nutritionists mention that even if the product works, it would be better if it didn't.
The reason why it might be a good idea that it didn't work is because starving yourself is not the healthiest way of losing weight. The reason is due to the fact that when the body is starved the metabolism slows down and any calories that are received are then stored as fat. The use of Hoodia can lower the metabolism by at least thirty percent, and that is not a good idea when trying to lose weight.
Another great concern is that the only known study that has been conducted has been done on lab rats. Hoodia is an appetite suppressant, and it affects the body centrally. Because of this there can be many unknowns. There are many risks to organs and to the nervous and circulatory systems. Hoodia could be in fact safe, but with a lack of research there are so many unknowns.
Unknowns in herbs can pose a problem. The reason for this is that herbs and supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way that prescription drugs are. This can pose a problem because the types of products can be on the market for a long period of time before any affects are noticed. Keep in mind the fallout from fen-phen and ephedra. Hoodia could very well be another disaster.
P57, the active ingredient in Hoodia was patented by Phytopharm. Around 10 years ago in 1997 Phytopharm and Pfizer made an agreement to produce Hoodia. Pfizer then deserted the project after the costs became too high to extract the ingredient. Once the deal with Pfizer was killed Phytopharm then began yet another deal with Unilever.
Hoodia Ingredients and Safety Questioned
It has been questioned by the masses rather or not products that claim to contain Hoodia actually hold the supplement. It has been argued by researchers and experts that there is not enough supply of Hoodia for all of the products to actually contain it. Although many plantations have begun to pop up in South Africa it is said that there is still not enough of the plant available for mass production.
The American Herbal Products Association president Michael McGuffin says that any products that are purchased form companies that are members of the AHPA should contain Hoodia if that is their claim. He also said that the APHA requires all of its members to comply with federal laws as well as the guidelines set forth by the APHA.
It has also been claimed that many companies do import Hoodia. Many of the companies sell there products over the internet and at trade shows.
The APHA has not yet concentrated on the safety of Hoodia, but it is interesting to note that they have established a committee to promote and protect the commerce of products that contain the plant. Because the FDA does not actually regulate the herb industry it does not require testing and clinical studies before the product is sold and marketed to the masses.
The APHA has also created a botanical safety handbook. Ironically, this handbook was created and distributed in 1997 the same time that Hoodia was patented. The handbook lists over 500 herbs that should or should not be used, but Hoodia was not used at the time therefore it does not appear in the book.
As of yet, there have been no reports of any health problems or fatalities from users of Hoodia. It is also good to note that the product has been used by the Bushmen of South Africa for hundreds of years without any reports of fatal effects.
But Does Hoodia Work?
It seems that by reading many blogs on the internet that the supplement has promising results. Through reading these web logs there were a few users that saw no difference from the use of Hoodia, but a large majority of users have seen a great difference from the use of the product.
As with any supplement or drug the user should not expect for any reason that it alone will solve all of their problems. It should only be treated as an aid in dieting and not as a quick cure for weight loss. A good healthy diet and regular exercise should still play into any diet or healthy lifestyle.
This is not a cure all. One cannot expect to sit in their La-Z-Boy recliner all day and eat terrible food, take a pill and stay thin. Once again this should be used as a supplement if one decides to use it. As stated earlier a healthy diet and exercise are very important and healthy factors when wanting to lose weight effectively.
This is not just something that is made up. Check the bottle of diet pills and you will see that it also instructs you to reduce the calorie intake, consume a healthy amount of water, and exercise regularly in order to lose weight. Once again Hoodia is not a cure all to an obesity problem.
Simply stated, if you want to lose weight make sure that your diet plan consists of a healthy intake of foods and regular exercise. There is no cure all, you want to be healthy, live healthy.