Who wants to eat a cactus? Apparently just about everyone in the world wants this particular cactus. You may not have heard about the Cactus diet but most people have heard about Hoodia.
The basis of the Cactus diet is a substance called Hoodia. Several diet pills on the market claim to contain the substance.
Hoodia is the name of a rather ugly cactus that grows in the Kalahari region of Africa. The Bushmen that live there use the Hoodia cactus, specifically Hoodia Gordonii, to keep them from getting hungry on long hunting trips.
The native tribes eat the plant and can survive for days on little or nothing to eat while they search for food.
The Hoodia cactus suppresses their desire to eat. It fools the brain into thinking that they are already full.
The discovery of this plant sent pharmaceutical companies into a tizzy, advertising it as the secret to stopping the obesity epidemic.
Taking Hoodia is supposed to suppress the appetite and therefore lead to weight loss. When hunger does start to kick in, Hoodia users can eat healthier foods to fuel the body.
Hoodia is now being put into everything in sight, from supplements to snack bars.
Taking Hoodia and following an exercise plan leads to weight loss according to those who swear by the substance.
Natural Hoodia has no serious side effects compared with diet pills which can affect the heart in many cases, and hoodia can affect the appetite after the first pieces are eaten.
