The Hoodia Gordonii plant is native to South Africa and has been used as an appetite suppressant by hunters from the Kalahari Desert for thousands of years. Pure hoodia, when consumed, is said to curb your appetite by tricking your brain into thinking you are full. However, Brent Bauer, M.D, director of the Department of Internal Medicine's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic, says on the Mayo website that no substantial scientific evidence exists to support claims of hoodia being a miracle obesity cure.
Origin
In a May 2003 BBC News segment, correspondent journalist Tom Mangold highlighted the San Bushmen of the Kalahari's use of hoodia for thousands of years. This succulent cactus plant, known to the San as xhoba, suppresses the appetite, helping the men complete hunting trips for extensive periods without experiencing hunger. Mangold reported losing his appetite for 24 hours upon sampling pure hoodia while in the Kalahari Desert.
P 57
Random tests conducted in the 1990s by South African scientists led to the discovery of an unknown molecule, which the scientists later named P 57. This active ingredient was later licensed to the British pharmaceutical company Phytopharm, which continued researching the molecule to determine if it had the potential to act as an anti-obesity drug.
How it Works
After you eat food, glucose sugar levels raise and react with nerve cells in the hypothalamus mid-brain, causing you to feel full. Hoodia's active ingredient P 57 mimics glucose and its action on the hypothalamus. In fact, Phytopharm chief Dr Richard Dixey explained that P 57 is 10,000 times more active than glucose.
Phytopharm Clinical Trials
Considerable results were produced in the initial animal trials for hoodia, according to Dr. Richard Dixey, who added that rats partaking in the trial stopped eating as soon as they were given hoodia. Morbidly obese volunteers participating in the first clinical human trial were placed in a unit and their activities were limited to watching television, reading and eating. After 15 days, the volunteers who had taken hoodia dropped 1,000 calories from their daily intake.
Authentic Hoodia Products
Karoo Hoodia, the extensive hoodia research database website, highlights the problem of inauthentic hoodia products flooding the market. Karoo Hoodia explained that hoodia caught the attention of opportunists seeking to make a fast profit, and randomly tested products marketed as hoodia were found to contain silica and delivered no weight-loss results. This, Karoo Hoodia explained, caused consumers to doubt the legitimacy of hoodia as an effective weight-loss supplement. Karoo Hoodia urges consumers to purchase hoodia from reliable sources to avoid falling victim to fake replicas. Additionally, legitimate organizations trading in hoodia should possess a Hoodia Sellers License to prove their products are 100 percent authentic pure hoodia.
Considerations
The drug information website Drugs.com recommends consulting your doctor before taking hoodia if you are a diabetic or on blood sugar-controlling medication, you have a clotting or bleeding disorder or on the medications warfarin, heparin or aspirin, have any heart disorders or take heart medication, or suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Drugs.com also added that Hoodia has not been evaluated by the FDA for effectiveness, purity or safety. Also, regulated manufacturing standards don't exist, which further emphasizes the importance of purchasing hoodia from reputable sources.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Weight Loss: Hoodia: Does This Dietary Supplement Help Weight Loss?; Brent Bauer
- BBC News; Sampling The Kalahari Hoodia Diet; Tom Mangold; May 2003
- Drugs.com: Hoodia
- Men's Total Fitness; The Real Truth About Hoodia and Weight Loss; Christian Finn
- Karoo Hoodia: Hoodia Scams: Real Hoodia VS Fake Hoodia
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