Why Hoodia is Extremely Popular

In this jet set life, weight loss program has become extremely essential. You can not afford to put on some extra weight; otherwise your ability to work to the best of your ability will be hampered.

Hoodia gordonii, the herbal preparation for suppressing the appetite is becoming popular gradually. It is a succulent cactus like plant found in the partly deserted area of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola. The San Bushmen were using the plant to kill their appetite while long hours of hunting or while they had to cross the great ‘Kalahari’ desert. Hoodia not only suppresses the appetite, but it crunches the thirst also. The native medical practitioners also were using this plant as to treat abdominal cramps, vomiting and to guard against small infections.

In 1937, a Dutch anthropologist while studying the Bushmen noticed that they were chewing some kind of plant to wane off their appetite. In 1963, South African Nationalized laboratory – Center for Scientific and Industrial Research, started studying the plant. In 1995, they have patented the active ingredient obtained from Hoodia gordonii – p57, and subsequently sold it to the British Pharmaceutical Company – Phytopharm. At present, Phytopharm is marketing the Hoodia gordonii worldwide in association with another pharmaceutical giant – Unilever.

Scientists have separated out the Hoodia’s active ingredient and the companies are selling it in the form of pills or simply Hoodia extract. They have injected the extract to the hypothalamus of laboratory animal after purification. The observation was outstanding. The food intake of the animals was reduced to 60%.

Hoodia is exceptionally active, especially in the extract form. After taking the dose, the subject will start feeling reduction in their appetite within minutes. The pills may take hours to do so. Anyway, the effect is same. The good thing about Hoodia gordonii extract is that the bioavailability is about 90-95%. Little amount has to be taken and it can be easily administered to older persons. The use in the pregnant and lactating mothers has not been established. Its use in the diabetic patients is also controversial.

There is virtually no side effect. Phytopharm had conducted the lone study involving 18 human volunteer. They did not complain any kind of bitterness in the mouth (although the plant is very much bitter in taste), no altered sensation, no abdominal cramps, palpitation or even slight headache. The studied volunteers were taking 1000 calories less than the placebo group. Within a week, the reduction in weight was visible.

No weight control pill can reduce your weight on his own. You have to include some amount of exercises besides lowering the intake of calorie. The good thing with Hoodia is you do not have to go for extensive workout program.

Hoodia gordonii has become extensively popular in recent times. So much Hoodia have been uprooted during the last couple of years that Namibian and some other government have stamped the plant as protected species.

The Hoodia gordonii product is freely available in the internet. Only you have to place an order, by any method you like, and you will get the medicine at your doorstep.

How Hoodia Works

Hoodia gordonii, a novel approach to lose weight is getting momentum in recent days. It is a cactus like succulent plant found extensively in semi desert area of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola. It is being used an appetite suppressor by the San speaking tribesmen for centuries. During 1937, a Dutch anthropologist, while studying the Bushmen found that they were eating a specific type of shrub to kill their appetite. In 1963, South African nationalized laboratory – Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) started studying the plant. In 1995, they patented an active ingredient – p57, for the appetite suppressing property of Hoodia gordonii. The patent was then sold to the British pharmaceutical company Phytopharm, who is at present marketing the product in association with Unilever.

It takes about 4-5 years to bloom for the plant Hoodia gordonii, when the light purple flowers come out. This is the time for the plant to farm again.

Few researchers consider that they have identified the active ingredient that is responsible for Hoodia’s feat as an appetite suppressing agent, with not much experiments into the Hoodia’s other possible mechanisms of biological action. Nevertheless, the active ingredient of Hoodia has been partially discovered. CSIR have pointed the active ingredient – p57, a sterol glycoside. It is a part of a cluster of naturally occurring substances called ‘Cardenolides’. Glycosides are well known to the scientists for its powerful action in cardiac functions, especially heart rate, for years. However, noticeable effects over the enzyme Sodium, Potassium ATPase (NA, K ATPase), the target of action for the cardiac glycosides, are not the basis of action in case of Hoodia administration.

The available hypothesis tells us that Glycoside sterols act straightway to the Hypothalamus (positioned in the Central nervous system and controller of secretion of various hormones) – releasing a message that the blood sugar level is high enough. This happens to a Glucostatic mechanism of weight reduction. In vitro studies involving laboratory animals suggests that intracerebroventricular injection of purified Hoodia derivative – p57AS3, resulted in higher concentration of ATP in the hypothalamus, that may be a cause of sensing of satiety. No such specific receptors for the p57 has been discovered in rat brain, but CSIR scientists have found that injection of this product in the brain has decreased the amount of food intake of these animals by 60% besides amplifying the numbers of ATP hypothalamic neurons by up to 150%. The tracking of calorie input by the hypothalamus may be triggered by rise in the intracellular neuronal energy – in the shape of ATP.

In spite of the fact that Hoodia has become immensely popular drug to combat obesity, there is no documented randomized controlled study organized in human subjects to show that Hoodia is safe in any of its form such as pill, extract or tea form.

The sole proprietor ‘Phytopharm’ conducted a stage III clinical trial involving 18 human volunteers. They concluded that after taking Hoodia, the intake of food of the subjects reduced by 1000calories a day in comparison to a placebo group. But this report was never published. So the quality of the trial can not be assessed.

Hoodia review

Hoodia gordonii is a leafless cactus like plant that has the power to hold water (it is a succulent plant). The natural habitat of this plant is partly desert areas of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola. It is a small plant like most other desert shrubs. The leaves are spiny and the flowers have the smell of rotten flesh. The migration of pollens occurs through flies. It takes almost four to five years for Hoodia gordonii to bloom to its pale purple flowers and the plant can be harvested again.

The use of Hoodia was known to native African Bushmen for a long time. The traditional native medical practitioners were using this plant as to treat indigestion and minor infections. The use of Hoodia to suppress the hunger while travelling through treacherous ‘Kalahari’ desert was the main reason for its publicity. They were known to cut the stem out and chew the bitter tasting plant.

For the last decade, Hoodia gordonii has been extensively marketed as appetite killer to be used in weight loss program and gained immense popularity.

There are more than 13 subspecies of Hoodia. The sole active ingredient ‘p57’ has been discovered from Hoodia till date. As per recent assertion, only Hoodia gordonii contains the active ingredient.

An anthropologist from Holland started studying the South African Bushmen in 1937. He noticed that they were using Hoodia gordoni to suppress their appetite.

Researchers at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa started studying Hoodia in 1963. During their study, it was observed that the test animals were losing weight after administration of Hoodia gordonii. Eventually CSIR isolated the active ingredient – p57 from the plant. In 1995, CSIR got the patent of Hoodia and sold it to the British Pharmaceutical Company Phytopharm who is at present marketing this product with Unilever.

There is no documented scientific evidence available regarding the use of Hoodia gordonii as appetite suppressant in humans. So, the safety profile and efficacy of Hoodia as a dietary supplement have got to be considered as uncorroborated.

Except for the study by the CSIR, one more animal research on Hoodia is available, which involved direct in injection of purified p57 agent to the brain of mice. The reason given by the researcher that p57 is easily broken down by the liver enzyme while given orally. Although it worked convincingly, the researcher’s view was somewhat unclear about the dose of Hoodia should take to work properly.

At present, there are hundreds of ‘Authentic Hoodia gordonii’ products available in the market. Most of them are fake and do not contain Hoodia or its active ingredient. During the past couple of years, so much Hoodia have been rooted out that country like Namibia and others have given the plant ‘protected status’.

Alkemists Pharmaceutical Company conducted a review of some of the Hoodia products available in the market. It showed that almost half of the products do not contain Hoodia at all.

There is much hype about Hoodia gordonii and the clear picture is yet to come. Till then buy Hoodia from a website that you can trust.

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.