Natural Weight Loss

What Are The Hoodia Gordonii Side Effects?

There have been limited studies carried out as to Hoodia gordonii side effects. This is what the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa wanted to know once they learned that comsumption of the plant was used to fend off hunger and thirst by the local San tribesmen.

This plant has been used for centuries by the bushmen of this region not only as a natural product for fighting infections but also as a way to suppress their appetite whilst away on long hunting trips. During the course of the study they also took a look to see what Hoodia Gordonii side effects there were if any.

The is one side effect which really is beneficial to the person using a supplement made from this plant is that it helps to suppress the appetite. In fact the CSIR have been able to isolate a molecule known as P57 contained within plant which helps to create a feeling that the person is full after taking it.

It produces chemicals which in turn tells the nerve cells in the hypothalamus that your blood glucose levels have risen such as happens after you have eaten. In fact it has been found that the molecule P57 is 10,000 times as effective as glucose in causing this effect on a person. Then the CISR made an agreement with the British pharmaceutical company Phytopharm, who begun to test and develop it, as well as market a product made using this molecule.

In a set of double blind clinical studies carried out by Phytopharm on obese people, the results of which were published, they found that a person taking P57 reduced their intake of calories by 1,000. It was during these studies that no side effects relating to the use of it were reported. Unfortunately the studies that were carried out by Phytopharm in relation to Hoodia gordonii and its benefits as an appetite suppressant were not long term.

One potential, and we stress potential, side effect of Hoodia was found during a test at Brown University where some P57 was injected into the brains of rats. The researchers found that the P57 was broken down by the liver. One weight loss specialist was concerned by this because he says that obese people have liver abnormalities which might compound any side effects.

However, what is most worrisome, is that the San tribesmen use this plant sparingly. There have been no long term studies done to learn the long term effects of using this product every day. There could be side effects that have not yet been discovered that arise from daily use.

One other side effect beyond appetite suppressing, which is why people want to use it, is suppression of thirst. As we mentioned in the first paragraph above, the San tribesmen use the plant to ward off hunger and thirst. If you take this as a supplement to suppress your appetite, be very wary to drink the correct amount of fluids.

One more point to consider when taking Hoodia is that since this plant only grows in one region and is on the red list, meaning it may very likely soon go extinct, you will have a hard time finding an actual 100% Hoodia product on the market. Due to its scarcity and the need for a special license to procure it, the product will be very expensive. Many products on the market will have additional substances added, such as caffiene or ephedra, which could cause side effects or may not even include Hoodia. These points will cause a side effect in your wallet, if not also your body.

So until some more long term studies are carried out, we will not really know if there are any Hoodia Gordonii side effects.

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