Hoodia is an herbal remedy made from the cactus-like succulent plant known as Hoodia gordonii. The plant grows natively in the Kalahari Desert, mostly in Namibia and South Africa. Hoodia has become a popular natural weight-loss substance, but little scientific research has been performed on the plant's actions in the body. Before you begin taking hoodia juice for weight loss, consult your doctor to discuss the possible health dangers.
History
Also called the Kalahari cactus or Xhoba, hoodia has been consumed by Kalahari bushmen to suppress thirst and hunger. Tribesmen ate the stems to reduce their urge for food and water, as well as to increase their energy during long hunts or periods when resources were scarce. The San people of the Kalahari Desert would drink the white sap-like latex and eat the inner part of the plant.
Function
The latex and inner flesh of hoodia plants appear to contain the substance called steroidal glycoside, which has appetite-suppressing actions, explains the University of Michigan Health System. Hoodia also contains calogenin glycosides and steroidal derivates like gordonosides. But the steroidal glycosides known as P57 and P57AS3 are thought to provide hoodia's main actions of suppressing appetite and reducing food intake by increasing adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, levels in the hypothalamic neurons.
Effects
Hoodia's primary medicinal use is for promoting weight loss and preventing or treating obesity. Hoodia seems to reduce your appetite and food intake by affecting your brain's reaction to hunger. Although hoodia is widely marketed for enhancing weight loss, no scientific research supports this or any other health-related use of the herb.
Types
Hoodia is available in many different forms, including the crude plant and juice. Hoodia products are also sold in the form of liquid extracts and teas. Hoodia capsules, tablets and powders are available as well. Ask your doctor about the dosage of hoodia juice -- or any other form -- that's right for you before taking any type of hoodia supplement.
Warning
Perhaps the biggest health danger regarding hoodia juice or supplements is the fact that so little medical research has been performed on the herb's effects in humans, warns the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Therefore, the safety of ingesting hoodia remedies is unknown, along with its potential side effects and drug interactions. As of 2010, no clinical trials have been conducted in humans nor have any safety studies been performed on hoodia.
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