Hoodia How it Works

On this page we will be discussing Hoodia, how it works, as well as some of the science that is behind Hoodia Gordonii. The same science that invented the cellulite remedy. Understanding Hoodia how it works is critical to seeing how this new phenomenon can assist you in your weight loss goals.

Although discovered only recently in the west, Hoodia Gordonii has been used for countless generations among the San of the Kalahari desert, better known as the Bushmen. Among these people who have for thousands of years been using Hoodia as an appetite suppressant there is absolutely no question about how well it works. Life in the desert can be very harsh, especially when it is difficult to find food: using Hoodia allows them to keep their appetite under control when out hunting for food that can often be hard to come by.

Although of course the San have done no official clinical trials and studies on Hoodia how it works, or even if it does work, their experience provides us with a wealth of information showing that Hoodia gordonii does and has worked for thousands of years. To a San eating Hoodia Gordonii to suppress the appetite comes just as naturally as drinking water to quench the thirst.

Several journalists have also done their own investigations into Hoodia how it works. For example, this is from a transcript of an episode of 60 Minutes which featured Hoodia Gordonii in November of 2004:


So how did it work? Stahl says she had no after effects - no funny taste in her mouth, no queasy stomach, and no racing heart. She also wasn't hungry all day, even when she would normally have a pang around mealtime. And, she also had no desire to eat or drink the entire day. "I'd have to say it did work," says Stahl.
- Leslie Stahl reporting on CBS News 60 Minutes

The following comes from Tom Mangold, who works as a correspondent with the well-respected BBC News:

At about 1800hrs I ate about half a banana size (piece of hoodia gordonii) - and later so did my cameraman. Soon after, we began the four hour drive back to Capetown.
The plant is said to have a feel-good almost aphrodisiac quality, and I have to say, we felt good. But more significantly, we did not even think about food. Our brains really were telling us we were full. It was a magnificent deception.

Dinner time came and went. We reached our hotel at about midnight and went to bed without food. And the next day, neither of us wanted nor ate breakfast.

I ate lunch but without appetite and very little pleasure. Partial then full appetite returned slowly after 24 hours.

- Tom Mangold, BBC News reporting on 5/30/03

This is of course a very rare thing in the world of journalism. Usually when something new is discovered which might assist with weight loss, journalists are quick to find fault and report on its potential problems and negative side effects. This has not been the case, however, when they have investigated Hoodia how it works. Not only has Hoodia been positively tested by journalists, but clinical studies are also showing positive results.

Clinical Studies on P-57

One of the first clinical studies on p-57 was done by Phytopharm in 2001. A double-blind placebo control study was performed on 18 volunteers. All of these volunteers were overweight but otherwise healthy. The results of were:

Comparing P57 Group With Placebo Group:

* Significant caloric intake reduction in P57 users.
* Significant body fat intake reduction in P57 group
* No adverse side effects in P57 group.

* Users in the p-57 group took in roughly 1,000 calories a day less than those in the control group.

To really understand what that means, take this into consideration: the average American male eats about 2,600 calories a day. For a woman it is about 1,900. 1,000 calories a day is a significant reduction!

What Side Effects Were Found?

When studying Hoodia how it works, no side effects of any kind have been reported. This includes both those who have taken Hoodia Gordonii and those who have taken the P-57 ingredient on its own.

Hoodia - How Does it Work, Really?

From current investigations into Hoodia how it works, it appears that the active P-57 ingredient imitates the same effect that glucose has on the brain.

What this is really saying i that Hoodia, when taken into the body, tells the brain that it is full. This means the brain does not send out signals telling you to eat more in order to take in more energy. Dr. Richard Dixey of Phytopharm explained its working in this way:


"There is a part of your brain, the hypothalamus. Within that mid-brain there are nerve cells that sense glucose sugar.
When you eat, blood sugar goes up because of the food, these cells start firing and now you are full. What the Hoodia seems to contain is a molecule that is about 10,000 times as active as glucose. It goes to the mid-brain and actually makes those nerve cells fire as if you were full. But you have not eaten. Nor do you want to."

-As reported by BBC News Correspondent - Tom Mangold - 5/30/2003

Does That Mean I Will Never Feel Hungry Again if I Take Hoodia?

It might seem this way, but no. Food is a necessity in life, we cannot live without eating. No matter how much Hoodia you take, your body is going to recognize when it is not getting certain nutrients that it needs. However, part of hunger also comes from varying insulin levels in the blood. Oftentimes your body can tell you it is hungry when it is not really hungry. Hoodia helps to regulate this sort of hunger.

Hunger based on insulin levels is known as hormonal hunger. Basically, the insulin levels in your body can rise and fall, causing you to crave high-carb foods, often times at very strange periods of the day. Usually, however, when you feel this sort of hunger you do not really need to eat, it is just something your body is telling you to do. When you take Hoodia, however, it counteracts these cravings and keeps these sort of appetite cravings from forming.

The purpose of Hoodia Gordonii is not to stop you from eating at all, but rather to cut down on cravings for snacks and high calorie junk foods that our bodies often tell us it is craving but we don't really need. Skipping meals is unhealthy, but cutting down on junk food and snacks can assist you in feeling better and in losing weight.

What Makes Hoodia Different From Other Diet Pills?

Diet pills are all different. Hoodia works as an appetite suppressant, this is different from the way that most diet pills work. What diet pills usually do is act as stimulants to promote metabolism in the body, thus burning more calories. Hoodia how it works is that, instead of burning off calories once inside your body (which in some cases can be dangerous, as was shown with Ephedra), it suppresses your appetite so you don't feel as hungry and thus cut out caloric intake totally. Unlike products such as Ephedra Hoodia is not a stimulant and thus is not dangerously boosting the metabolism in your body that can lead to serious heart problems as well as other ill health effects. The idea is simple: to lose weight all you have to do is take in less calories than you are expending in a day. By suppressing your appetite, Hoodia is reducing your caloric intake and thus helping you to shed off those unwanted pounds.