The Hoodia Gordonii herbal diet is one of the newest diets that will be sure to give remarkable results. Imagine a diet that will allow you to lose weight without any negative side-effects; what else could any dieter want more?

What is Hoodia Gordonii?

Hoodia Gordonii is an herb which looks like a cactus. It grows only in the harsh environment of the Kalahari Desert in Africa. This herb takes many years to mature before one will be able to harvest it.

Hoodia Gordonii as a Weight Loss Remedy

Hoodia Gordonii was used thousands of years ago by the San Bushmen to fight hunger pangs. The San Bushmen, one of the oldest tribes in the world, would eat this herb on long hunting trips to easily get rid of hunger.

Hoodia Gordonii was not originally studied as a weight loss remedy; rather it was part of a study about indigenous food in Africa. South African Scientists found out about its weight loss ability when they noticed that the animals they fed the herb to started losing weight. After about thirty years of further study, scientists were able to find out what it is in Hoodia Gordonii that causes weight loss. The molecule that they were able to isolate is now called P57.

They sold the license to a Cambridgeshire bio-pharmaceutical company named Phytopharm. The company has spent millions of dollars to perform extensive research on Hoodia Gordonii. Phytopharm then sold the rights to the development and marketing to Pfizer, one of the giant drug manufacturers in the world.

How Does Hoodia Gordonii Work?

We feel hunger because our brains tell us that we are hungry. The part of the brain that is responsible for this is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus contains nerve cells that can sense glucose sugar levels. If it is low, the hypothalamus will tell the brain that you are hungry. When you eat, glucose sugar levels go up and the nerve cells in the hypothalamus start firing thus telling you that you are full.

The P57 molecule in Hoodia Gordonii, works by making the nerve cells detect very high sugar levels. Research has shown that this molecule is about 10,000 times more active than glucose. This means that even small amount of it will immediately make the nerve cells send messages to the brain that the body is already full. This will cause a person to eat very minimal amounts of food.

Side-Effects of Hoodia Gordonii

One of the most amazing things about Hoodia Gordonii is that it has no known side-effects. Other weight loss remedies have a long list of side-effects that may be just minor things or can be very serious matters. Below is a list of common side-effects that many weight loss products will give you but you will not get from following the Hoodia Gordonii herbal diet:

Nervousness Insomnia Palpitations Hyperactivity Constipation Tightness in the chest Dizziness Blurred vision High blood pressure Confusion Dry mouth Tingling in extremities Fatigue Headaches Insomnia Vomiting Changes in menstrual cycle Hair loss Diarrhea Intestinal disturbances Excessive perspiration Restlessness Changes in libido

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hoodia Gordonii

The primary advantage of Hoodia Gordonii is weight loss. Weight loss in turn has many aesthetic and even more important medical advantages. Along with weight loss, there have been reports of a feeling of mood elevation after taking Hoodia Gordonii.

One disadvantage of Hoodia Gordonii is that it is quite expensive. Before getting discouraged, one must remember that it is more effective than most weight loss remedies out there (without side-effects) and that the herb takes years before maturing for harvest.

With the arrival of the Hoodia Gordonii herbal diet, people can actually win the "battle of the bulge".