Hoodia capsules are not appetite suppression bushmen style

You need to lose weight, but you feel you need a little pharmacological help to keep your gargantuan appetite in check. You reason something “natural” must be more healthy. You can’t get more natural than the appetite suppressant of the bushmen – Hoodia gordonii.

Bushmen style appetite suppression

The Khoi-san people of the Khalahari desert, have ALWAYS known about the appetite suppressing powers of this rather non-descript cactus, Hoodia gordonni.

Finding things to eat in a hot dry expansive stretch of barren desert, is not particularly easy. To survive in such an inhospitable environment, requires the ability to traverse huge expanses of land – quickly. Mobility is key to a hunter-gatherer existence.

The Khoi-san people turned to Mother Nature’s pharmacopedia, to avoid having to carry cumbersome food and water supplies, as they tracked across the desert in search of food. Prior to a hunt, they popped a piece of cactus onto their tongue, the cactus subdued ALL tummy rumbles. Appetite suppression bushmen style.

Hoodia leaves the Khalahari

South African scientists confirmed the appetite suppressive powers of this spiny Kalahari resident. They successfully identified the chemical family responsible for the appetite suppressive powers – the Hoodia steroid glycosides.

So how does this complex chemical work ?

Hoodia glycosides poke bitter receptors

Scientists are still working out the details, but a mouthful of cactus is not a pleasant culinary experience. The cactus is very very bitter, worse than broccoli. The reason, it triggers bitter taste receptors especially the receptors known as TASR7 and TASR14. For the record, scientists reckon we have 25 different types.

When these receptors are poked by Hoodia, the gut starts to secrete lots and lots of the gut hormone known as cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is one of numerous gut substances, which send messages to the appetite control centre of the brain, notifying it that “You are FULL”.

When your brain receives this message that you are as FULL AS A TICK, it turns off hunger signals and you sit back and relax because your appetite has been satisfied.

NOTE : Often times, people with obesity seem to have trouble getting the message through to the brain, which is one of the reasons for the weight problem, they end up eating TOO MUCH.

Missing the receptors ?

Bitter receptors are mainly located in your tongue, but they are also found along the rest of the gut, especially along the small intestine.

Popping a hunk of cactus in your mouth, pretty much guarantees that it will hit the bitter receptors in your mouth. Triggering that CCK storm, which puts the brakes on appetite.

But WAIT, you’re not sticking a lump of cactus in your mouth, your ALL NATURAL appetite suppressant is packaged as a pill or capsule. The ingredients in the pill never even see the taste receptors in your mouth, as you swig it down with a gulp of water. OOPS !

How is it going to suppress your appetite ?

There are a few bitter receptors lining the rest of your gut, but the operative word is A FEW. The tiny amount of Hoodia in the pill, is unlikely to have much of an impact, as it races down your gut.

If you want to do appetite suppression the bushmen way – you need to dangle your tongue in the the stuff. And be warned, it is not going to taste too good !

**Science does not support the Hoodia pill**

Based on how Hoodia performs it’s legendary appetite suppression – Hoodia pills are not going to cut it. This is why there is very little scientific evidence backing the effectiveness of these supplements in weight loss.

If you want to cook the books using Hoodia, make sure your tongue gets a good poke with the real deal.

NOTE : Eating a dollop of fat also triggers the release of CCK. This is one of the reasons high fat, low carbohydrate diets work faster than the traditional high carbohydrate diet. The same number of calories eaten as a fat, leaves you feeling a whole lot fuller. When you feel full, you end up eating less. Less calories in, means less calories being stored on your hips.

The steroid glycoside H.g.-12 from Hoodia gordonii activates the human bitter receptor TAS2R14 and induces CCK release from HuTu-80 cells. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol (2010) 299: G1368–G1375. Boris Le Nevé,Martin Foltz, Hannelore Daniel, and Robin Gouka.

Interested in learning more about the chemistry behind those extra fat layers ?

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