Does Hoodia Have Side Effects?

Hoodia gordonii, the much hyped drug against obesity often claimed as not having any side effect. Due to lack of documented evidence to prove this, it can not be said rightaway.

Hoodia producers usually declare that it has no side effect as the San Bushmen in the South Africa are using as a food supplement and appetite killer for centuries. Their priests are using Hoodia to treat some medical conditions as well. While crossing deceitful ‘Kalahari’ desert, they are using the plant as appetite lowering agent.

Hoodia gordonii is not there in the Western market for such time, that scientists can experiment on it to unearth some important ingredients, which may be much more helpful than it is doing at present. Due to same lack of time, Hoodia gordonii has not undergone for safety testing to enlighten us about its probable side effects and drug interactions. Mere claim from the manufacturers are not sufficient.

During his study of South African Bushmen, a Dutch anthropologist discovered that the Bushmen were eating some kind of plant to keep their appetite away. They were eating Hoodia as food surrogate, not as medicine. The CSIR concluded that Hoodia befits the criterion of being a natural suppressant of appetite, but not cure of it.

The researchers who volunteered by tasting Hoodia gordonii during the study, states that even pure Hoodia gordonii or its extracts does not leave any detrimental after effects for physical conditions. No bad taste in mouth, no abdominal cramp, no palpitation, no sweating and no vertigo either. There was no hunger and thirst as well.

But it must be remembered that Hoodia gordonii has not been studied in detail. The only active ingredient having some medicinal value has been separated, that is p57.

By taking Hoodia gordonii extract as appetite suppressant, you fix your hunger, lace the urge eating different high calorie meal; in turn lose your weight. But simultaneously, you are taking the risk of not having all the required nutrients and vitamins. That is the reason Hoodia gordonii products are not recommended to the children, pregnant and nursing mothers and the underweight people.

Diabetic patients should be cautious while using Hoodia. It is seen that the appetite killing medications often increase the blood sugar level, thus creating a false impression of taking enough food. Although there is not enough data to prove the fact, it is better to remain on the safer side. It may also occur that after taking Hoodis, the blood sugar level dropped rapidly below critical level. It may crate an emergency called ‘Hypoglycemic shock’. And with the regular hunger – satiety mechanism turned off, the usual warning sign of hypoglycemia may become suppressed.

Hoodia claims to reduce the thirst level too. It is seen that some of the Bushmen died because of dehydration while crossing the desert as they had taken Hoodia before starting out. Their sense of thirst had been deranged extensively. Dehydration was the cause of death.

Hoodia gordonii is a novel herbal preparation. The much of it are yet to be discovered. But before the extensive research, the safety level will always be under close supervision.