Cactus Diet Plan  

Who wants to eat a cactus?  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 after 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.   

Taking Hoodia and following an exercise plan leads to weight loss according to those who swear by the substance.  Natural Hoodia has no side effects and can affect the appetite after the first pieces are eaten.  Pharmaceutical companies are trying to synthesize Hoodia for market to the rest of the world. 

The cactus diet plan is still not perfected.  The Cactus diet involves taking supplements that contain Hoodia.  There are many types of Hoodia and you may be buying a pill that claims to suppress the appetite but may not.  The amount of Hoodia may not be enough to cause the same effects that the Bushmen experience from eating the actual plant.  Since this plant has not been found outside of this desert-like region of Africa, to follow the Cactus diet plan, people have to rely on commercial pills that make boastful claims about their product having the same effects as the original Hoodia plant. 

According to the Hoodia tale, the substance is hard to reproduce with the same efficiency.  Those who buy products that contain Hoodia should beware.  We all know what they say about something that seems too good to be true.  Until further notice, watch what you eat and exercise regularly to lose weight.  Set aside the gimmicks.