Caralluma - The New Hoodia On The Block?
Obesity has reached such staggering poportions that everyday there are numerous weightloss supplements and diets making a dash to the sales counters. They claim every means of action from burning fat away to blocking carbohydrates to boosting metabolism to suppressing appetite. Some of them have fallen by the wayside due to non-performance or dangerous side effects while some have shown some promise. Natural weightloss supplements have gained popularity recently by virtue of their being safe and effective.
Hoodia arrived on the scene some months ago with a bang and claimed to suppress appetite and promote weightloss. Hoodia is a succulent cactus plant that grows in the Kalahari desert of South Africa and is used by the San bushmen to ward off hunger and thirst during long hunts. Much in the same mould arrives a new weightloss supplement that has the potential to become the blockbuster of the century.
Caralluma is a succulent plant that belongs to the cactus family and has been used for centuries by tribal Indians to suppress appetite and thirst and to improve endurance while on long hunts. It has been classified as a medicinal plant by the Ministry of Health in India and is listed as a "famine food". Unlike Hoodia, Caralluma is patent-protected. Caralluma also reduces elevated blood sugar levels. Caralluma is used as a vegetable and is either eaten raw, cooked with spices and salt or pickled. It is in fact a staple diet of many people in India and this speaks volumes about its safety.
How Does Caralluma Work And How Is It Better Than Hoodia?
Both Hoodia and Caralluma are weightloss supplements but work differingly. Hoodia reduces appetite by increasing the levels of Serotonin and Catecholamines at the level of the Hypothalamus in the brain. Caralluma has a more peripheral action. Its main mode of action is to inhibit the enzymes involved in fat metabolism. One of the major enzymes is Citrate Lyase and inhibition of key enzymes leads to prevention of accumulation of fat. The body is forced to use its fat reserves and thus the patient loses weight. Caralluma also exerts a minor activity in the Hypothalamus like Hoodia.
What is more striking is the finding that unlike Hoodia which only reduces weight, Caralluma use is associated with a definite reduction in inches in the abdominal and waist areas. This is great motivation for people attempting weightloss. Losing weight in pounds or Kilograms associated with a reduction in inches is far more significant than weightloss alone. Hoodia is prone to be contaminated with impurities during the isolation of its active ingredient and genuine Hoodia is rare to get hold of. Caralluma is active in Pregnane Glycosides and this is isolated with relative ease and thus the quality of the product is more assured.
Caralluma is safe for human consumption as shown by numerous trials. The very fact that Caralluma is a staple diet in India is proof for its safety and lack of adverse effects.
Carraluma is thus looking like the best natural weightloss supplement till the next big discovery.