Hoodia – The Thousand Year Old Diet Suppressant

Hoodia’s appetite suppressant qualities have been understood by the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert for thousands of years. The San Bushmen use Hoodia, when they track antelope through persistent hunting of the animal to exhaustion. They take advantage of its hunger and thirst suppressant qualities during these long hunting trips. A cactus-like plant grows in Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa’s semi-desert regions. Resembling a cactus, Hoodia is a succulent plant. Harvesting takes five years when its pale, purple flowers appear.

Of the thirteen varieties of Hoodia, only Hoodia gordonii contains p57, a steroidal glycoside, which is its active ingredient. In 1995 Phytopharm, a British company, who has spent over $20 million on research, patented p57. Pfizer, in 1998, negotiated with Phytopharm for $21 million to develop p57. Rights to Hoodia have been returned to Phytopharm and Unilever is now working on developing Hoodia.

Correspondent Leslie Stahl working with 60 Minutes traveled to Africa and went into the desert with Bushmen to find Hoodia. Ms. Stahl ate it and reported the loss of appetite and desire to drink for an entire day. She reported no side effects and said it did not taste bad and had the texture of a cucumber.

With the great demand for diet pills and after the ban of ephedra, the market is anticipating the next new miracle weight loss drug. Hoodia is becoming more and more popular and heavy marketing has begun. Trimspa is a popular diet pill that contains Hoodia. You can find it in capsule, liquid, powder or tea forms on the internet and in health food stores.

Studies have shown that p57 in rats may have an affect on hunger. No studies or trials have been published that have used human subjects to demonstrate hoodia’s effectiveness or safety. Phytopharm states than in a trial using 18 human volunteers, their caloric intake was reduced by 1000 calories a day compared to the placebo group. This study was never published nor was it reviewed by an objective source.

As with all diet pills, you should be aware that there is no miracle that will melt off your weight. Diet pills can help you loose weight if you use them correctly. Hoodia only suppresses your appetite. It does not address your overeating issues or correct your bad diet habits. If you are a person with bad diet habits and eats when you are not hungry, Hoodia will not help you at all.

Hoodia does not burn fat or build muscles. To burn fat you must raise your metabolism through exercise. When your metabolism gets into gear you will build muscles. To have success with Hoodia you need to incorporate it with a diet and exercise program. Many people have had great success with Hoodia and you can too, if you keep your expectations in perspective and realistic. Success has been achieved through the use of Hoodia, a healthy diet and regular exercise. A miracle pill will not loose your weight for you – you do have to work to lose it.