The History Of Hoodia In Weight Loss

Hoodia is a cactus-like plant that grows in Angola, Botswana, Namibia and the South African deserts. Hoodia is becoming popular as a weight loss aid. Demand for diet pills has always been strong and with the ban on ephedra the market was ripe for the next best diet pill. Hoodia has become popular from the claims that the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert has used Hoodia for thousands of years during hunting trips to ward off hunger and thirst. The Bushmen cut off the stems and ate the bitter-tasting plant. The steroidal glycoside named “P57” is the only active ingredient that has been identified to help in appetite suppression. There are over thirteen species of Hoodia but Hoodia gordonii is the only one thought to contain P57.

A Dutch anthropologist studying the San Bushmen in 1937 found that they used Hoodia gordonii to suppress their appetites. In 1963 South Africa’s national lab, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, began to study Hoodia. They found that after taking Hoodia gordonii lab animals lost weight. These scientists worked with Phytopharm, a British company, and isolated what they believed to be the active ingredient. They obtained a patent in 1995, which licensed P57 to Phytopharm. Over $20 million has been spent of research. Pfizer, a pharmaceutical giant, learned about Hoodia and wanted to develop a Hoodia drug. Eventually Pfizer returned the rights to Phytopharm who is now working with Unilever.

Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes traveled to Africa with a crew to try Hoodia. She hired local Bushmen and went with them into the desert to find the Hoodia plant. Ms. Stahl ate it and said it had a “cucumbery texture”. Ms. Stahl reported losing the desire to eat and drink for the entire day. She also did not report and side effects to include heart palpitations or indigestion. There have not been any controlled human trails to prove hoodia’s effects or to show that it is safe or effective in pill form. Phytopharm sites an unpublished study where 18 individual volunteers reduced their caloric intake by about 1000 calories while taking Hoodia.

You can find Hoodia Gordonii in capsule, liquid, powder or tea form in health food stores as well as on the internet. Trimspa also contains Hoodia. When purchasing Hoodia you will want to know if you are getting pure Hoodia. A product has to be tested by an independent lab in order know if it contains the active ingredient.

Remember Hoodia works on suppressing your apetite. It sends a signal to your brain that indicates you are full. If you have an overeating problem where you eat when you are not hungry Hoodia will not work for you. When beginning any weight loss program be sure to consult with your physician. She can determine if your over weight condition could be helped with a product like Hoodia. You don’t want to waste your time and money if you weight is due to a medical condition that needs treatment.