Metabolism increasing drugs are medications that get the body to burn calories at a faster rate. Caffeine is a good example of a metabolism increasing drug. In provides a quick boost of energy and a raise in the metabolic rate. This is one way in which your weight can be checked.
Then there are appetite suppressing medications. The cactus like hoodia gordonii that comes out of Africa is the latest in the list of appetite suppressants. The question that comes up here is whether appetite suppressants are good for metabolism.
Till recently hoodia gordonii was used only by the African San Bushmen who wanted to keep down their appetite during long hunting trips. Food is short in any desert. Apart from that these Bushmen preferred to eat amidst their tribes. They also did not wish to use up what they had hunted. This is why they had to resort to an appetite suppressant. They have been having pure hoodia gordonii for centuries. By now they must have developed immunity for its side effects. They anyway used this appetite suppressant only when on their hunting trips.
There have been studies on hoodia gordonii which seem to bear out its appetite suppressing qualities. In one such study, obese individuals were given a measured quantity of hoodia gordonii every day whereas the control group got placebos. Over a period, the group taking pure hoodia consumed about 1000 calories less daily. It emerged that those individuals who are extremely overweight and find it difficult to control their eating benefited from hoodia.
That brings to the fore a basic problem. A body needs a certain amount of calories for its metabolism to work efficiently. Anything less and the metabolic rate actually falls. In the case of mildly overweight people who are trying to lose just a few kilos, taking hoodia may be detrimental. They eat too little and this slows the metabolic rate and the body begins storing fat. So merely cutting calories is not the answer to the problem. Too few calories could be as bad as too many.
The body’s metabolism responds positively when it gets healthy food that is packed with nutrients. So if you are on hoodia and don’t feel hungry, remember you still need to eat a sensible diet. What should be suppressed is the craving for sugary snacks. Healthy, balanced meals should replace them.
Hoodia can have a role to play if you are seeking to lose weight sensibly. What you need to do anyway is to follow a healthy diet and exercise well. Exercise boosts the metabolic rate and burns more calories. An appetite suppressant can come in handy to control unhealthy cravings for the wrong type of food. But carry this to an extreme and stop eating and you could do yourself terrible harm. Eat well and exercise to stay healthy.