Important Facts to Know About Hoodia

Hoodia gordonii is a succulent plant that looks like a cactus. The plant is found in South Africa in the Kalahari Desert. The Bushmen of the Desert have used Hoodia for thousands of years. Recently Hoodia is receiving a lot of attention for being a natural appetite suppressant.

 In 1937 Dutch anthropologists studying the primitive tribes of the San Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert and they observed that Hoodia had appetite suppressant qualities. The Bushmen used Xhoba, their name for the Hoodia plant, by eating the stems to fight off hunger during extended hunting trips in sparsely vegetated areas.

 Phytopharm, a British pharmaceutical company was licensed to research Hoodia and its potential as a drug to fight obesity. They believe a molecule, named P57, is the active ingredient in the appetite suppressing qualities of Hoodia. The scientists from Phytopharm believe that P57 is similar to glucose in its effects on the brain but about one hundred times stronger. The molecule tricks your brain into believing you are full when you have not had anything to eat. It also helps to reduce your interest in food and will postpone the time before you get hungry. There have been limited studies but all have demonstrated that eating the Hoodia plant or extract is an effective appetite suppressant.

 Before you begin to consider taking Hoodia or a supplement containing Hoodia you should talk with your doctor. You especially need to consult with your physician if you are taking medicine to regulate your blood sugar levels or if you have diabetes, if you are taking any heart medicines or have any heart problems, have a clotting disorder or take medicine to increase or decrease your bloods clotting abilities, have any eating disorder including anorexia or bulimia. Consult with a physician if you are taking aspirin, coumadin, heparin or warfarin. If you have any of these conditions or are on any of these medications they you may not be a candidate to take Hoodia. Special monitoring while on Hoodia may be required if you have any of these conditions.  If you have an eating disorder or if you eat when you are not hungry you need to have those issues resolved before trying Hoodia in a diet program. Hoodia will not help you at all if you have one of these conditions.

 Remember that the FDA has not evaluated Hoodia for safety, purity or effectiveness. There have been no reported reactions by individuals taking Hoodia but Hoodia’s potential benefits and risks are not known. Also, there are no rules or standards in the manufacture of Hoodia or the P57 molecule. Some compounds and supplements have been found to contain toxic metals and other drugs.  Caution should be taken when you purchase Hoodia or any other herbal or health supplement. Determine if you are purchasing from a reputable dealer. Attempt to obtain lab results from tests of the products you are purchasing. Try to ensure that you are receiving what you are paying for.