Hoodia Gordoni and Dieting

Pure hoodia gordonii supplements are being marketed all over the internet. Millions of Americans are overweight; it has been called a national health problem. So, the internet companies are aware of the sales potential for any supplement that suppresses the appetite. Hoodia gordoni is no exception. Weight loss products are big sellers. Everyone is looking for a miracle; some product that magically allows overnight weight loss. Pure hoodia gordonii supplements are not magic pills. They will only help suppress the appetite. Dieters should consider hoodia gordoni as part of a healthy weight loss program and not the weight loss program.

It is commonly accepted that anyone can lose weight if they reduce their caloric intake. Phytopharm, a British pharmaceutical company, studied the effects of the active molecule in pure hoodia gordonii in 2001. This was a double-blind study of overweight, but otherwise healthy individuals. Participants were placed on a reduced calorie diet for two weeks. Those participants who received the hoodia gordoni extract reported feeling less hungry than those participants who were given a placebo. Both groups lost some weight, but the group that received the hoodia gordoni lost a significant amount of body fat. It is believed that the active molecule in pure hoodia gordonii improves metabolism. This may explain the loss of extra body fat or it could have been caused by other factors.

Many supplement companies are marketing hoodia gordoni, but Phytopharm (the first pharmaceutical company to do any research on the appetite suppressant qualities of the plant) is not yet ready to market their patented form of pure hoodia gordonii. Phytopharm says that clinical trials are not complete, long-term effects are unknown and necessary quantities are not yet available. Pharmaceutical companies have to be careful when entering a new market. Recalls are far too common and can prove disastrous for the companies. Supplement companies are apparently more willing to take the risk.