In the world of weight-loss supplements, the successful discernment of any given product's efficacy remains the greatest challenge. Regarding hoodia, a South African cactus traditionally used by indigenous peoples to curb appetite, vociferous marketing over the past few years renders the truth hard to nail down. High-fiber hoodia typically refers to the practice of some supplement companies of adding fiber to their hoodia products to increase the sense of fullness and to improve digestion.The answer to the simple question--does hoodia work?--is "maybe," but only if you can get it. Regardless of whether or not hoodia actually works as a weight-loss aid, certain issues make it a very difficult product to get your hands on.
Features
Hoodia gordonii has been eaten by South African San Bushmen for millennia to reduce hunger and thirst during their long hunting trips. Traditionally, the tribesmen cut the spines off the hoodia plant, eat the inner meat and drink the plant's fluid. As a weight-loss supplement, hoodia typically comes in capsule form, in sizes that range from 400 mg to 750 mg, according to the Obesity News Web site.
Benefits
According to Medical News Today, high-fiber hoodia does work. A clinical trial in Leicester, England, included 19 overweight people. These subjects were given unlimited food during the study. The obese subjects who ingested hoodia supplements ate 1,000 fewer calories per day, compared to the other subjects. Similarly, the pharmaceutical company Phytopharm sponsored a two-week phase IIa clinical trial to test its hoodia extract, named P57, and found that it reduced eating in obese volunteers by 1,000 calories per day, and decreased body fat substantially.
Controversy
Hoodia products have entertained their share of controversy. According to the Oakland Tribune, prosecutors from 10 California counties won an injunction to stop a Florida-based distributor from selling a form of hoodia weight-loss supplement after authorities discovered that numerous products either did not include the amount listed on the product label or did not contain any hoodia at all.
Endangered Species Status
The Hoodia gordonii plant grows very slowly in a rather limited geographical area on Africa's southern tip--primarily in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species agreement--signed by 170 countries lists--hoodia as one of 25,000 plant species threatened with extinction, according to London's Daily Mail. Tough regulations block its export. These intense trade restrictions make hoodia difficult, not to mention expensive, to obtain.
Warning
According to the Obesity News Web site, only products that contain 100 percent high-fiber hoodia in 400 mg doses or greater are worth the investment. The site also recommends that you buy from a U.S. company with a certificate of analysis detailing the country of origin of the hoodia, as well as its potency. If a product label obfuscates what is in the bottle in any way, avoid the product.
References
- Obesity News: OTC medications and supplements
- Medical News Today: The Pill-Free, Diet-Free Fat-Busting Machine
- "Oakland Tribune"; Sales of Florida Firm's Weight-Loss Products Halted in California; Sarah Rohrs; February, 2010
- "Daily Mail"; Weight Loss Plant is an Endangered Species; Eva Marie Gibney; December, 2009
- Body Choice Nutrition: High Fiber Hoodia
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