Can Supplementing Your Diet With Hoodia Help You Succeed?

Obesity is at epidemic proportions in this country and around the world. It is estimated that it is responsible for 300K deaths per year in the United States alone. It also can cause other serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke and osteoarthritis. In order to loose weight and keep it off you need to make a commitment of eating a healthy diet, exercising on a regular basis and supplementation. Hoodia has sparked a lot of interest in recent years for its ability to act as an appetite suppressant. Hoodia is a natural supplement that can aid us in our goal to shed those unwanted pounds.

Hoodia only grows in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. The Bushmen of the region have been using it for thousands of years to suppress appetite and hunger. It is used on hunting trips that take them away from home for weeks at a time.

This phenomenon attracted the interest of scientists who wanted to identify the active ingredient in Hoodia. Most of their studies focused on an active ingredient in Hoodia called P57. They noticed that when this was given to animals the affect was a dramatic reduction in food intake.

The hypothalamus is an area of the brain which controls drives such as appetite, sex, mood and sleep in our bodies. Research done at Brown University concluded that P57 is an active substance in the hypothalamus. It is believed that P57 has the ability to increase ATP, the compound responsible for increasing energy levels in our bodies. Increased levels of ATP cause the hypothalamus to send a signal to the brain to stop eating. P57 seems to work a lot like glucose which raises ATP levels and suppresses appetite. The big difference being that P57 contains no calories.

Studies have shown Hoodia to be safe and effective. Future more, they show Hoodia to be a valuable tool as an appetite suppressant.

Now that Hoodia has been on the market for several years it has shown itself to be effective in helping people achieve their weight loss goals when compared to people that do not supplement with hoodia. Hoodia is also a natural product and does not have the side affects associated with some commonly used diet pills.

If you have done your research and have decided to complement your diet program with a Hoodia supplement there are a few things that you want to know to make sure you are getting the most from it.

1. P57 is the active ingredient in Hoodia. You want to make sure the label contains this.

2. For people that have problems swallowing capsules or pills you may want to choose a powdered or chewable product.

3. Look for the words "Fast Absorption" or "Slow Release" on the label. This gives you faster results and longer lasting affects.

4. You do not want a product that contains caffeine or any other stimulants.

5. Experts suggest that you do not combine Hoodia with any other dietary supplements. This will allow you to get the full effectiveness.

People that have had successes supplementing their diet plan with Hoodia have pointed out several benefits. I have listed a few below for you.

1. Hoodia eliminates the feeling of hunger. Many other diet aids do not do this. If you are always feeling hungry this will undermine your efforts.

2. Exercise should always be an integral part of your weight loss program. Physical exercise benefits you in many ways in addition to weight loss. But at for those times that you can not exercise Hoodia will reduce your caloric intake.

3. Hoodia works by sending messages to your brain that stimulate the feeling of fullness. It comes from a plant and therefore is more natural than other diet aids and easier for your body to accept.

To conclude you have to have four components to any weight loss program you choose for it to be successful. These are nutrition, exercise, supplementation and commitment to achieve your goals. Take a few days and decide what type of program best suited for you. And best of luck on finding the new you...

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