A new study of the weight loss drug Meridia is in the hands of FDA regulators, who’ve released an early communication based on preliminary data: certain patients taking the drug may have a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious cardiovascular problems.

The recent study tested Meridia ( sibutramine) in overweight or obese people with an increased risk for heart problems. The agency warned that doctors and their patients should follow the current guidelines, which recommend against using Meridia in people with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, heart rhythms disorders called arrhythmias, or stroke.

The FDA will continue to review findings from the SCOUT study, which was designed to test whether Meridia could help prevent heart problems by helping overweight and obese people lose weight. The FDA isn’t making any conclusions about the early findings at this time. Analysis of the study’s findings is ongoing.

European investigators followed about 10,000 people, age 55 or older, who had a history of heart disease or type 2 diabetes and one additional risk factor for heart disease. Half got sibutramine along with standard medical care for five years, while the other half took a sugar pill (a placebo) and got standard medical care. Serious cardiovascular events occurred in:

• 11.4% of people taking Meridia
• 10% of patients taking a sugar pill

A spokesman for Abbott Laboratories, the maker of sibutramine, says Meridia is safe when used in the appropriate group of people, as prescribed. According to Kurt Ebenhoch, the SCOUT study looked at high-risk patients who took the drug much longer than the one-year maximum use recommended in the U.S. “Sibutramine is not recommended or approved for use in more than 90% of the patients in the SCOUT study,” Ebenhoch says.

Meridia works in the brain to help people feel full with less food. It’s approved for use by obese people with a BMI ( body mass index) of 30 or higher along with a weight loss diet and regular exercise. It’s sometimes prescribed for people with BMIs as low as 27 when they have a weight-related condition like diabetes or sleep apnea.

Hoodia Gordonii has gradually become the most popular natural diet pill on the market. This plant has caught the industry by storn with its promise of healthy weight loss. This herb has been used for decades in the African desert. Currently, the plant is marketed as a weight loss supplement and appetite suppressant.

HISTORY

In 1937, Dutch anthropologists of that time studied San Bushmen and found out that the tribe men used Hoodia as an appetite suppressant. Hoodia enabled them to survive long journeys without food and water especially during peak hunting seasons. Studies and testing followed; animals injected by the p57 component of the gordonii variant of the plant are found to be less inclined to eat and therefore lost weight. Ultimately, pharmaceutical companies became aware of this wondrous plant and began manufacturing diet pill forms. Today, every drug store or pharmacy carries hoodia gordonii product.

FUNCTION

Basically, Hoodia is as an appetite suppressant. Its function is to decrease desire in food consumption. P57, the main component for suppressing appetites, was found to alter ATP levels in rats. ATP is the molecule that has the ability to affect hunger. In contrast to rats injected with placebo injections, those that are treated with p57 in their brain are less likely to eat.

HOODIA’S CATCH

The popularity of Hoodia stems from the fact that Hoodia is unlike other herbal supplements; it carries little to no side effects and it is all-natural.

BUYING HOODIA

Watch out for fake Hoodia in the market as there are several fake Hoodia supplements. Thankfully, there are also several ways to separate the really good ones from the fly-by-nighters. First, confirm that the diet pill has undergone independent laboratory tests. There several ways to know this and one is to check for the company’s website. Also, determine if the laboratory is indeed existent. Another way to confirm the authenticity of the hoodia gordonii is the location where the plant was obtained. Apart from certain and approved areas in the U.S., genuine hoodia gordonii always comes from South Africa. So you must check if the product indeed came from the continent otherwise don’t buy it.

One new treatment for obesity was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2007, but a second, more promising treatment has been withdrawn — at least for the time being — out of concern over side-effects.

A low-dose version of the anti-obesity drug Xenical (orlistat), marketed as Alli (pronounced AL-EYE), went on sale over-the-counter in mid-June amid a flurry of excitement. But the U.S. application for prescription diet drug Zimulti (rimonabant), already on sale in Europe as Acomplia, was withdrawn after an FDA advisory panel unanimously urged more testing.

Americans spend $23 billion dollars annually on diet pills.   More than $22 billion of this goes for “natural” and herbal diet supplements — many promising unbelievable results — that are subject to virtually no regulatory review.

Lipo-6 is a liquid capsule design assists in rapid weight loss, and managed to get ranked on #50 in out top diet pills review.

Designed by Nutrex, this pill is a powerful and extremely popular fat-burner that utilizes maximum strength liquid capsules for superior absorption and rapid results.  Lipo-6 delivers fast-acting fat-burning compounds and is a great choice when it comes to weight-loss products.

Lipo-6 Liquid Capsules will help you achieve rapid fat-burning results so you can have the body you always wanted.

Note:  following a strict diet and excercise program is required to get the best results from Lipo-6.

Lipo-6 Liquid Capsule is scientifically engineered to be successfully used by women. Besides igniting a strong thermogenic effect that leads to a rapid loss of overall body fat, Lipo-6 also assists in controlling your appetite.  During a diet Lipo-6 gives women the extra energy they need to stay highly active and productive.

The formula of Lipo-6 causes a strong overall fat-burning effect in men. When men begin to lose body fat they rapidly notice enhanced muscle definition. Men will find in Lipo-6 a reliable ally in their quest of getting a lean and muscular body.

Lipo-6 creates an excessively small group of people who they expect to use their product. They block some, because not everybody wants to be a body builder, there for we don’t see any reason for a normal person to waste time and money with this diet pill, because at this price 49.95/120 pills you can get a far more better deal from the competitors.

Starting a diet is tough enough without worrying about being ripped-off by companies looking to make a quick buck.  Knowing what to look for beforehand can save you money and time.

Below is  listed what to look for when choosing diet pills.

• Realistic- Are the claims made realistic. Losing 20 pounds in 1 week is not only unrealistic, but very unhealthy.  Nobody can guarantee weight loss, mainly because nobody knows what you situation is.  How overweight you are or how much you exercise are key elements that go along with diet pills.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Anyone can lose weight quickly by doing eating cabbage soup or fasting, but those same people will struggle with keeping that weight off.

• Cost- Is this plan expensive?   Before you shell out the money for an expensive diet plan, do some research to find out how much it would cost you to have a consultation with a dietitian. If you can get personalized nutrition advice from an expert for less money than an internet e-book, go with the expert.

• Decision Time- After determining the cost, health risks, realistic goals, it’s time to decide.  Do you still feel good about this diet.  Then go for it.  Commit yourself and go for it.  Good Luck and much success.

Many weight-loss supplements claim to be fat blockers or fat burners.

Fat blockers is a supplement that actually prevents saturated fats from being absorbed by the digestive system.

Fat burner boosts the metabolism and focuses the body’s energy burners on fat rather than other sources of fuel.

To determine what you need, evaluate and compare fat burners and fat blockers to select the supplement that is best for you.

• To boost metabolism, do not skip any meals. Eat 5-6 small meals during the day. Starving will slow down your metabolism.
• Exercise daily
• Build your muscles. Do you Know: 1 pound of fat burns only 2 calories a day while 1 pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day !!! The more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism will be, and the more calories you will burn while at rest. When muscle mass decreases, the metabolic rate also drops.
• Avoid alcohol, sugar, and fastings
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.
• Eat foods with high nutrition values
• Take apple cider vinegar+honey+garlic. It is good for increasing metabolism.

Dietrine is an all natural carb blocker that is completely free of stimulants. Dietrine is a phase 2 supplement made from the white kidney bean. It allows simple sugars and starches to pass through the digestive track without turning into glucose or fat causes weight gain. I’m sure you’ve heard the hype about cutting carbs to lose weight. With Dietrine, you don’t have to cut anything out of your diet.  You can eat the carbs and still lose weight fast. One of the most positive things about Dietrine is that you don’t have to worry about side effects or interactions with other drugs.

Dietrine has been proven in numerous tests to be a good addition to any diet plan. One great aspect of the Dietrine weight loss plan is that you don’t need a prescription to try it out for yourself. In recent studies, one in two people have seen significant weight loss without any diet changes or even adding any exercise to their daily lifestyle. You simply take one pill before each meal.

If you are tired of being embarrassed by the way you look when you are at the gym or starving yourself hoping to lose a pound, it’s time to make a change.  Enjoy your life and eat the foods you enjoy; you can have all the pasta and breads you like and still see a reduction in your weight. Dietrine is an affordable, easy-to-use weight loss supplement that can have you back in your skinny jeans in a very short amount of time.

APPLES
An apple a day keeps cravings at bay. High-fiber foods like apples generally require more chewing time, giving your body extra time to register the fact that you’re no longer hungry.  Therefore, you’re less likely to overeat.

PINE NUTS
Pine nuts contain the highest amount of protein of any nut or seed. In Siberia, a handful of pine nuts are traditionally taken with a meal to create a feeling of fullness.

The secret ingredient is pinolenic acid, a naturally occurring polyunsaturated fat that actually stimulates two powerful hunger suppressing hormones.  Both hormones play a major role in signaling to the brain that you’re no longer hungry.  In one study, participants consuming an extract of pinoleic acid reduced their food intake by 36 percent.

FLAXSEEDS
Flaxseed oil is the best known plant source of omega-3 fats but raw flaxseeds are even better, especially for appetite control. In addition to the omega-3, one ounce of flaxseeds provides the added benefit of  8 grams of fiber. The more fiber you eat at any meal or snack, the slower the rise in your blood sugar, helping to keep the hunger hormones at bay.

Flaxseeds can be tossed onto salads, thrown into smoothies or sprinkled over vegetables. Studies at the National Cancer Institute show  that flaxseeds have cancer preventive properties and lowers cholesterol.

OATMEAL
Real oatmeal — not instant — is one of the healthiest carbohydrates.  It’s low on the glycemic load scale and has a high fiber content, so it enters your bloodstream slowly and keeps you full for a long time.

One bowl of oatmeal consumed daily can reduce cholesterol 8 to 23 percent.

For breakfast or as a snack, a small bowl makes an excellent hunger reducer.

Adding a little butter or a handful of pine nuts further prolongs the fullness. Or sprinkle ground flaxseed or cinnamon?

SALAD
The most popular food to avoid overeating is a small salad before a meal.  The fiber helps slow the entrance of glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream, making you less likely to be hungry.

According to one study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Assocation, when 42 women ate a simple 100-calorie salad before dinner, they consumed 12 percent less calories during the meal, even without trying to diet or limit their intake.

Try varying your salad choices with spinach, mesculin, endives and cabbages — all types of greens will help curb your cravings.

SOUP
Soup is one of the best kept secrets to appetite control and weight loss. Research at Pennsylvania State University shows that men and women consuming two servings of low-calorie soup daily lost a whopping 50 percent more weight than those consuming the exact same number of calories with snack foods.

The secret is soup’s combination of high water and low calories. Make sure to choose broths or vegetable soups, not their creamy-rich cousins.

THINK AND DRINK GREEN
Green drinks are becoming more popular and are now available premade in many grocery stores. The best ones are made with a mix of high-cholorophyll, detoxifying organic grasses like wheatgrass and vegetables (like spinach).

You can make your own from powders sold at health food stores or buy ready-made drinks (but read the label and watch out for added sugar and calories).

These drinks are low in calories, very low in sugar and loaded with enzymes and phytonutrients. They have the ability to take the edge off your appetite very effectively.

WHEY PROTEIN POWDER
Whey protein powder can help you lose weight and build muscle. New studies suggest that whey may have an impact on food intake through its effect on hormones that influence a feeling of fullness. In one study, participants consumed a liquid meal consisting of either whey or casein and 90 minutes later were allowed to eat freely at a buffet table. The whey group consumed significantly less calories.

Whey also supports the immune system and can lower your blood pressure.

As part of an ongoing investigation into Hoodia Gordonii supplements sold around the world, Truth Publishing has now learned that eleven out of seventeen brand-name hoodia supplements have failed a laboratory analysis of authenticity. The laboratory tests, conducted by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals in Costa Mesa, CA, show that approximately two-thirds of the tested supplements contain no identifiable hoodia gordonii according to two plant authentication tests: High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Many samples were furthermore subjected to microscopy with digital photo documentation.

For each specimen, an unopened, sealed plastic bottle was delivered to Alkemist Pharmaceuticals. The batch number and expiration date, if printed on the bottle, was photo-documented. Each bottle was opened, and the chromatography and microscopic tests were then conducted on the supplements found inside. All test results were provided to Truth Publishing by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals and are published here with permission.

Truth Publishing, a consumer advocacy group, earns no revenues whatsoever from the sales of any hoodia products. Adsense ads appearing on this site are chosen by Google, not by Truth Publishing. We publish this information in the interests of public safety and health, with the hope that we can help educate consumers to choose authentic hoodia products. Truth Publishing is a 100% independent, neutral reviewer of these products.

Six Hoodia Products Pass the Test

Out of the Hoodia Gordonii products tested, only six passed the tests. These products, according to the lab test results, contain 100% genuine hoodia gordonii:

• Desert Burn
• Hoodoba Pure
• Dr. Wheeler’s Afrigetics
• King Hoodia
• Hoodia Max
• Ethno Africa

The other eleven hoodia products failed the authentication tests. For reasons that will be explained below, the brand names of those failing supplements are not being listed here, but Truth Publishing can confirm that those products are popular, brand-name products found on the internet and on health food store shelves everywhere.

Failure of this test does NOT necessarily indicate that the manufacturer is aware of the non-authentic nature of their hoodia gordonii raw materials (raw powder). Truth Publishing is aware of many cases where hoodia brokers are using dishonest tactics to fool U.S. manufacturers into buying bogus hoodia even as they believe they are purchasing the real thing. These tactics include:

1. Counterfeiting lab results. Truth Publishing has learned that at least one laboratory exists in the United States that will generate an authentic-looking certificate of analysis on practically any sample as long as the “testing” is paid for.
2. Bait-and-switch tactics. Many brokers will attain a genuine sample of hoodia gordonii, send that sample for testing, acquire a certificate of authenticity, and then fill their bulk orders with something entirely different.
3. Cutting the real product with fillers. Many dishonest hoodia gordonii brokers or wholesalers will buy genuine hoodia, then cut it with sawdust, leaves or the ground-up parts of various plants (often succulents). The resulting product may only have 10% of the original potency of genuine hoodia, yet it is sold as 100% South African hoodia gordonii powder to bulk buyers in the United States.

As a result — and this is critically important to understand — many U.S. supplement companies may be unknowingly selling counterfeit hoodia gordonii supplements while believing they are 100% genuine.

At the same time, other supplement companies may, in fact, not really care what they’re selling as long as customers keep buying it in the hopes of losing weight. In fact, there are really two camps of counterfeit hoodia sellers in the United States: 1) those who know they’re selling fake hoodia but don’t care, and 2) those who don’t want to know whether their hoodia is fake or genuine, so they don’t ask the tough questions of their suppliers.

Truth Publishing believes the counterfeit hoodia gordonii supplement market is made of both types of companies: there are several high-end companies whose hoodia products tested as unconfirmed even though the companies have a strong track record of quality control and honesty. On the other hand, there are definitely fly-by-night companies (one of which was already exposed in a previous Truth Publishing article on hoodia supplements) that will blatantly sell practically anything to anybody, as long as they don’t get caught. It’s a code of behavior similar to many pharmaceutical companies, but with weight loss pills instead of medications.

It is important to note that even counterfeit hoodia supplements have never been known to actually kill people (as many prescription drugs most certainly do). Yet that is no excuse for the dishonest practices by those hoodia supplements companies who knowingly sell counterfeit products to consumers.

What’s in the hoodia pills if not hoodia?

One obvious question from these results is: if it’s not hoodia in these supplements, then what’s in there? From a source that wishes to remain anonymous, Truth Publishing has learned that the most common “adulteration” found in non-genuine hoodia supplements is a succulent with a similar physical appearance as hoodia, but without the same chemical composition. In other words, it looks the same, but doesn’t have the same active ingredients as genuine hoodia gordonii.

This reveals and interesting point. When hoodia gordonii is harvested in the wild in South Africa, the economic incentive to find more hoodia gordonii results in people digging up practically any succulent that resembles hoodia in physical appearance. Ultimately, they get paid the same whether it’s hoodia or not, because as long as there are buyers willing to shell out US$225 / kg for adulterated or counterfeit hoodia powder, there will always be plenty of individuals or organizations in South Africa who are willing to provide it. After all, harvesting wild cactus for $225 / kg is a lucrative business in South Africa (or any country, for that matter).

At the same time, due to the massive harvesting effort of wild hoodia gordonii (the raping of the land, actually, for this lucrative herb), South Africa, Botswana and Namibia have classified hoodia gordonii as an endangered species. Its harvesting and exporting is now controlled and must be authorized by the government.

The real thing: a CITES certificate

In South Africa, this authorization is provided by a CITES certificate. C.I.T.E.S. stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Hoodia gordonii was added to the CITES schedule during a 2004 meeting in Bangkok. The official CITES listing for hoodia now reads:

Botswana , Namibia , and South Africa submitted a proposal to the 14th Conference of the Parties of CITES to list all species of Hoodia on Appendix II. This proposal was accepted in January 2005 and it is now prohibited to trade in any parts and derivatives of any Hoodia species without a permit. A permit can only be obtained from the relevant permitting authorities of each country and can only be issued for trade in cultivated plants or wild plants where the trade can be shown not to have a detrimental effect on wild populations (a CITES non-detriment finding). The listing of Hoodia makes provision for exemption from CITES permits where traders participate in controlled harvesting and production systems in collaboration with the CITES Management Authorities of Botswana/Namibia/South Africa, but no such agreements are yet in place. Importing countries must ensure that a valid CITES export permit has been issued by the country of origin for any trade.

Because all genuine hoodia gordonii exported from South Africa must have a CITES certificate, the display of such a certificate by hoodia resellers is one of the ways consumers can confirm the authenticity of the product. See a CITES certificate on the DesertBurn.com website. Desert Burn also displays the sellers license and growers license, providing the most documentation of all hoodia resellers in the United States.

Not surprisingly, some websites are counterfeiting the CITES certificates with help from Photoshop. By photo-editing the certificate found on DesertBurn.com or other websites, they can create their own genuine-looking CITES certificate, even though their hoodia remains counterfeit. A real CITES certificate will clearly show the name of the importer and exporter for the hoodia. A fake CITES certificate will usually have these whited out.

This is why laboratory testing of the hoodia sample is the only way to be 100% certain of its authenticity. And, again, only six products passed the laboratory testing conducted by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals:

• Hoodoba Pure (our #1 choice, 100% vegetarian with no fillers or additives)
• Desert Burn
• Dr. Wheeler’s Afrigetics
• King Hoodia
• Hoodia Max

If your hoodia diet pills aren’t working…

The high prevalence of counterfeit hoodia supplements sold in western countries may help explain why some hoodia users complain the herb isn’t working for them. The reason is simple, it seems: they’re not taking genuine hoodia gordonii

.

The solution is to switch to a brand of hoodia that has been 100% authenticated as genuine, such as Desert Burn, Hoodoba, King Hoodia or Hoodia Max.

The other reason your old hoodia supplement may not work is because of the digestibility factor: many people have such poor digestion that they never absorb all the active ingredients in genuine hoodia powder. So they may be taking genuine hoodia but still not getting the effect they were expecting. The solution to this? Hoodia gordonii tincture.

Hoodia gordonii tincture

One company currently sells hoodia gordonii tincture (hoodia herb soaked in alcohol to extract the herb’s active ingredients): Hoodoba (Hoodoba Hi-Potency Elixir).

For some people, tinctures work better than pills due to the digestibility factor. This benefit is especially prevalent in people over the age of 60 who typically suffer from low production of HCL stomach acid, but it can vary greatly from one individual to the next.

The bottom line on hoodia gordonii supplements

The good news on hoodia is that there are known sources for acquiring the real thing, and there are packaged supplements available right now that contain 100% genuine hoodia. The bad news is that if consumers aren’t educated about what’s genuine, perhaps two-thirds of them are buying products with no verifiable hoodia gordonii content.

And that’s bad for the entire supplements industry, because it creates a negative experience for those customers. They might take their counterfeit pills for a few weeks, then realize their appetite is exactly the same as before. So they blame the hoodia pills and declare that hoodia doesn’t work. But the reality, of course, is that they weren’t taking hoodia. They’ve been duped, just like many of the supplement manufacturers who think they’re selling genuine hoodia but who are actually shipping adulterated supplements that may contain no hoodia gordonii whatsoever.

Finally, it is important to realize that even when taking genuine hoodia gordonii supplements, no pill will cause you to lose weight, all by itself, unless you combine it with sensible changes in your lifestyle that include moderate exercise and avoidance of certain food ingredients such high glycemic ingredients (sugars, white flour, etc.) and artificial fats (hydrogenated oils and trans fats).

If you are depending on hoodia alone to make you lose weight, without engaging in some form of exercise, then it probably doesn’t matter whether you’re taking the real thing or not: you won’t lose body fat either way. In contrast, if you do take up a sensible exercise program, and you combine it with an effective appetite suppressant such as hoodia gordonii, your results are likely to be accelerated.

Healthy weight loss should never exceed two pounds of body fat per week. Any weight loss beyond that is likely to include loss of lean body mass (muscle) and skeletal mass (bone density). Most nutritionists recommend sustained weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds of body fat per week.

Full hydration (drinking lots of water) during any weight loss effort is very important. Don’t fall for the trap of trying to lose weight through dehydration and starvation, aided by an appetite suppressant herb. This can be medically dangerous. Drinking lots of water may make you feel bloated, but remember: water has no calories. Drink all you need. It won’t add an ounce of fat, ever.

As always, be sure to work with a qualified health practitioner before attempting any weight loss program, exercise program, or dietary supplement (including hoodia). If you choose to purchase and consume hoodia supplements, do NOT take the word of hoodia websites that display lab analysis documents. Such documents may be counterfeit or crafted as part of a bait-and-switch tactic. Only purchase the supplements that have been verified here as containing 100% genuine hoodia gordonii.

Again, that list of authenticated, genuine hoodia gordonii is:

• Hoodoba Pure (our #1 choice, 100% vegetarian with no fillers or additives)
• Desert Burn
• Dr. Wheeler’s Afrigetics
• King Hoodia
• Hoodia Max