The Hoodia Craze...Most Hoodia Supplements are Long on Promises and Short on the Truth

What is Hoodia?

Hoodia is simply the name of a family of plants. Hoodias are stem succulents described as “Cactiform” because of their similarity to the unrelated cactus family. Hoodias are typically found in the deserts of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. There are many different species or varieties of the hoodia plant family, but only the Hoodia gordonii variety is being investigated for use as an appetite suppressant.

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What does Hoodia do?

The use of Hoodia gordonii has long been known by the indigenous populations of South Africa as an appetite and thirst suppressant to help them during their nomadic hunting trips. They also have used Hoodia gordonii as a treatment for abdominal cramping, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes.

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How did Hoodia become so popular?

Hoodia became popular in 2003 and 2004 when several reporters from CBS and the BBC filed reports that Hoodia gordonii did in fact seem to help them in reducing their appetite. After those reports were filed, Hoodia became a household name with many other news reports and talk show hosts claiming that Hoodia was the next miracle weight loss pill.

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What research has been done on Hoodia gordonii?

The active ingredient in Hoodia gordonii was isolated in 1977 and patented as “P57” in 1995 by the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with help from a British company Phytopharm. The CSIR then granted Phytopharm a license to complete further testing.²

At this time Phytopharm has not published any of its findings and has only released some information on their small clinical trials completed on 18 and 24 obese young men. At the end of one study the men’s daily caloric intake was reduced by about 1000 calories per day.

Actual research studies completed on the effectiveness of Hoodia gordonii are few. Most studies are merely based on anecdotal evidence through “personal testimonies” or “doctors observations”.

There have been no published peer-reviewed double-blind clinical trials performed on humans to investigate the safety or effectiveness of Hoodia gordonii in the form of a nutritional supplement.

There has been one study completed where the Hoodia gordonii extract was injected directly into the brains of rats, which stimulated higher ATP levels, thus providing a mechanism of suppressing the appetite of the animals.¹

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What you need to know about Hoodia?

Hoodia gordonii extract does seem to be an effective appetite suppressant for some people. Although the research and clinical trials are slim, the plant has been used for many years by the indigenous people of Africa with no known side effects.

One of the largest issues facing Hoodia is that there is a limited supply and it takes 4-5 years for the plants to mature. Hoodia is also a protected plant which can only be harvested in the wild by individuals and a few companies who have been granted a license.⁴

Clearly the hundreds of Hoodia supplements available today can not all contain the patented and licensed form of Hoodia gordonii. We know that there is only one patented form of Hoodia for appetite suppression and we know that the supply is limited. So, how does a small limited supply of Hoodia make its way into hundreds of supplements that all claim to contain “Pure African Hoodia.” Our answer is buyer beware!

Buyer Beware

Much of the information, Hoodia buyer’s guides, Hoodia comparisons and Hoodia Rating websites are unreliable at best, and many are set up by the same companies trying to sell you their brand of Hoodia.

An ongoing review of Hoodia pills by Alkemists Pharmaceuticals found that 50% of the products advertised as containing Hoodia actually contained none of the active ingredients.³

The FDA has issued several warning letters to Hoodia companies making unfounded health claims and the FTC has logged at least 100 complaints of consumer fraud regarding some of these overzealous marketing and sales tactics of Hoodia companies.³

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The Bottom Line on Hoodia

Hoodia gordonii does seem to be a somewhat safe and effective appetite suppressant. The biggest concern is how to make sure you get what you pay for.

Here are a few tips:

• Make sure the brand you choose actually has all the company info on their website. Phone #, email, business address, etc.
• Beware of Free Samples that are not really free.
• Beware of recommendations by “so-called” experts or doctors.
• Do not be fooled by so-called “Hoodia Patches” that you place on your skin. They have no evidence of effectiveness
• Make sure the Product Guarantee is simple and straight forward.

Remember, there are good brands of Hoodia available. You are going to have to do your homework to make sure you buy a reliable brand.

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References:

¹Macbean DB, Luo LG, Division of Endocrinology, Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Brown medical School, Coro Building Providence, RI 02903

²Wikipedia.com, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodia

³Philadelphia Inquirer, Erika Engelhaupt July 9, 2006

⁴New York Times, Ginger Thompson April 2003