Hoodia gordonii
Hoodia is a relatively new weight loss supplement that has grabbed the attention of almost everyone who wants to shed pounds. Can it really control appetite and help with weight loss? Let’s look at the evidence.
Hoodia is a cactus plant grown in the Kalihari Desert in southern Africa.
The South African Bushmen (now called the San) have used the plant for thousands of years to ward off hunger and thirst while on long hunting expeditions.
In 2004, TV journalist Leslie Stahl ate some of the fresh cactus on 60 Minutes. Since then, thousands have been clamoring for Hoodia to help them lose weight. Leslie stated that after eating the Hoodia cactus, she wasn’t hungry all day and had no desire to eat or drink for many hours.
Many weight loss supplements now claim to contain Hoodia as their active ingredient. They suggest that Hoodia can decrease the appetite and cause weight loss, without the bad stimulating effects noticed with ephedra.
Research surrounding Hoodia began in the 1960’s but it took 30 years to isolate and identify the active ingredient. Lab animals lost weight when given this substance. It was patented under the name P57, now held by Phytopharm, a pharmaceutical research and development company.
Phytopharm is developing a Hoodia plantation in South Africa and conducting further studies on Hoodia. They hope to bring a number of weight loss products to market by 2008. Phytopharm is working with the global food giant Unilever develop these supplements.
For now, a number of weight loss pills claim to contain Hoodia gordonii. Often, Hoodia is combined with a variety of other weight loss supplements.
How does Hoodia work?
According to recent research, Hoodia’s active ingredient is a sterol glycoside which promotes increased ATP production in the hypothalamus. The appetite center in the brain senses the increased energy available and is fooled into thinking that the body is full. Many dieters claim that Hoodia works for them.
Unfortunately, very little research information is available. Most of the research already performed has been done by Phytopharm, who has not released these findings to the public. We are unable to find any reports of ill effects due to Hoodia. Again, research is scanty so far.
Recent concerns have been raised about whether many supplements currently being marketed actually contain true Hoodia gordonii. And if they do, is there enough Hoodia to do any good? It’s anybody’s guess.
We will venture to say that most products do contain Hoodia. It’s possible that the Hoodia contained in certain supplements is not Hoodia gordonii, the only species of Hoodia that is likely to be effective. True Hoodia is expensive and scarce. If you decide to try Hoodia, our advice is to pick a trustworthy source.