Hoodia w/Green Tea

FORM: 60 Veggie Capsules

Weight loss is a major issue in our society, not only because of the societal pressures to be thin, but because it is common knowledge that carrying around more weight than your frame and internal organs can handle… just isn’t healthy! So, you have gained a few pounds, if it isn’t because of the holidays it is always something else. It’s just a fact that we all form bad habits over time, they really just sort of sneak up on us don’t they? Then, before you know it, they are part of our daily routine. The marketing companies just love this; they know that you are self conscious, and that you are going to be trying to find a way to get that quick fix weight loss result, pretty much at any cost. Well if you look around you, you will begin to see what remains of the fad dieters, and their many attempts to get rid of that ‘unsightly poundage’. Ninety percent of these poor souls fail at their attempt to become what magazines have classified as the only way to be, thin as a rail. Why is this? And is there any hope? Those poor folks that cycle up and down in weight, end up doing more damage to themselves over time than you can imagine. And typically, if they do lose any weight, they end up gaining it all back in a relatively short period of time.

The reason why people fail is two-fold; first off, weight gain is caused by two things, category one is psychological and the other is physiological. We will only deal with the latter here, but if the second issue is brought under control, then in many cases the first is much easier to deal with. The physiological reasons for weight gain are many, but if you narrow this category down to just one cause that stands out, it would be that the body isn’t getting what it needs to make you feel full, there is a deficit. Hunger cycles are a complicated series of chemical events that begins with the diet, and in some cases, genetics. But for simplicity’s sake, we will just say that if the body doesn’t get what it needs from the diet, then it can’t produce the systemic chemicals that it needs to for you to function the way you were meant to.

So, where does this process start, and how do we get it back under control? Well, to begin with, when you eat a meal your body begins to change. Heart rate goes up and so does your metabolism (depending on what you eat). And if you are eating ‘nourishing’ foods, those foods that the body needs to make hormones and to maintain overall health, you are well on your way to shedding that weight you so badly want to get rid of. There is one chemical process that is instrumental in helping you to lose weight, just because it controls the area where it all begins. Read on…we’re getting close to the answer!

Most people eat because they don’t feel full, they are hungry, and the opposite of this are the folks that eat way too much, too fast! The first issue is one that occurs because they have eaten so much (volume and empty calories) in the past that their stomachs are stretched out of shape, in some cases permanently. Please keep in mind, these empty calories provide absolutely no appreciable nutrient content to support the body. And the hormones that are typically released due to the physical stretching of the stomach, and are made from the nutrients we ingest, are not released. The second, is that some people eat so fast that their bodies don’t have time to react to the onslaught of food. And by the time it does, and they start to feel full, they have already eaten way more than they should have.

What controls this whole process? One of the answers, among other things, is a chemical that the body makes that affects the central nervous system (CNS) called Cholecystokynin (CCK). It has a direct effect on appetite, but may also be active peripherally on appetite regulation by way of the vagal afferent nerves. CCK is a peptide hormone, well known for its strong appetite regulatory properties. It controls bile secretion, stomach and intestinal movements, as well as many more functions. Recent research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, indicates that it is not only the physical aspect or volume of food that causes this hormone to be released; but now it appears that increased fiber and fat content in a meal boosts feelings of fullness and increases CCK levels, leading to satiety. Previous research has shown that the hormone cholecystokynin is released from the small intestine when just a fat-containing food is eaten. It’s thought that this hormone may be the chemical messenger that acts in response to fat, to notify the brain that the body is getting full. Now it appears there are several triggers for the release of this wonderful hormone!

This may be one of the keys to the kingdom! And now it has been shown that we can control how and when the body will release CCK. Now there is a product called Hoodia Plus, this wondrous new product contains an ingredient that helps the body to release CCK and promote the feelings of being full, or even better…not being hungry! Hoodia Plus contains an herb, or to be more accurate, a combination of herbs. One is called Hoodia Gordonii (Hoodia), which is a plant that is native to the semi-desert areas of South Africa and Namibia. The most recent research on the herb shows that it also has a direct effect in suppressing hunger and thirst by mimicking the effect that glucose has on nerve cells in the brain, curbing the appetite.

Hoodia is a steroidal trisaccharide called 3-O-[-beta-D-thevetopyranosyl-(1—>4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1—>4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl]-12beta-O-tigloyloxy-14-hydroxy-14beta-pregn-5-en-20-one. That’s quite a mouthful, but it is really Mother Nature at her best. It isn’t as important that you know this, so long as you know how it will make you feel!

The U.S., and for that matter, many other countries around the world, are experiencing an epidemic in weight gain. Something has to be done right now! This is why Nutri-Force has gone the extra mile and added Green Tea to the mix. Recent research has shown that Green Tea has many powerful benefits, including the ability to increase metabolism. This benefit is theorized to be caused by two plant chemicals, one is well known ‘caffeine’, which increases the body’s ability to utilize fatty acids; and the other is a polyphenol called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The weight loss effect of EGCG contained in Green Tea, is due solely to its ability to increase fat oxidation. And since Green Tea contains caffeine and prolongs the action of noradrenalin, you would think that it would have a stimulatory effect. However, Dulloo et al. noted that Green Tea caused no significant differences in heart rate, nor did it have a stimulatory effect. The most logical explanation for this, is that the stimulatory effect of increased noradrenalin action is being countered by other mechanisms. For example, Green Tea contains the amino acid, L- Theanine, which has a vaso-relaxing effect as a calming agent. And anything that assists the body in its ability to relax, also has a direct effect on its ability to lose weight, if for no other reason than to prevent nervous eating habits!

Hoodia Plus is a powerful combination product that works with the body to allow it to do what nature intended it to do in maintaining an ideal body profile. It is a non-stimulant product so it does not make you jittery. If you use Hoodia Plus as part of an overall weight loss program, you have just gained a powerful ally in the fight against your worst nightmare! †

REFERENCES:

1. Rats genetically lacking CCK develop obesity, hyperglycemia, and diabetes. (1998). American Journal of Physiology. 274(3 Pt 2):R618-25.
2. Evidence that CCK participates in the control of meal size (even in very hungry subjects) is compelling and participation of brain CCK in control of food intake is acknowledged. (1999). Neuropeptides. 33(5):387-99.
3. One of mechanisms of CCK action is thought to be through slowing the gastric emptying (1999) American Journal of Physiology. 276(2 Pt 1):G550-5.
4. Tulp OL, Harbi NA, Mihalov J, DerMarderosian A. Effect of Hoodia plant on food intake and body weight in lean and obese rats. (2001 Mar 7). FASEB J. 15(4):A404.
5. Tulp OL, Harbi NA, DerMarderosian A. Effect of Hoodia plant on weight loss in congenic obese rats. (2002 Mar 20). FASEB J. 16(4):A648.
6. Moran N. Phytopharm gets obesity drug back from Pfizer, seeks partner. (Aug. 6, 2003). BioWorld International.