An Overview of Hoodia Gordonii
It has been described by the Kalahari bushmen themselves as natures hunger buster. Hoodia gordonii looks like a cucumber with spines but when it is cracked open and the succulent contents are foisted upon the taste buds, the milky white substance from within it is said to curb appetite dramatically, reduce thirst and provide renewed energy. Sounds like a miracle plant and if you live in the southern end of Africa in the Botswana, Namibia and South African regions you could find pure hoodia in the wild rather than purchasing it in supplement form directly off the shelves.
| number of bottles | price per bottle | |
| 6 | - | $26.66 |
| 3 | - | $34.98 |
| 1 | - | $39.95 |
Hoodia Gordonii
Hoodia makes your body not feel any hunger while it has no bad side effects whatsoever. It’s extracted from an African cactus.
Hoodia Gordonii 30 pills
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Over the last couple of years and since pharmaceutical giant Pfizer began researching hoodia and its unique elements for appetite suppression, the forms this miracle elixir have taken are numerous. Dried, liquified and powdered, hoodia seems to have much potential as an appetite control medicine that people have been searching for. There is a huge demand for hoodia gordonii now and the supply is really quite limited. This tight supply means there is a flurry of buying activity for the product.
With all the hype, marketing claims and promotions being paid for and plugged one would think someone would take the time and cover the expense to verify the wild claims of increased energy, improved mood and hunger control. One claim is that hoodia and its active element P57 will “fool your brain into believing you are full” hence your weight will simply drop off. Alright then but where is the scientific evidence to back this up.
Would these companies not make much more money if the FDA approved hoodia as a diet medicine to curb your hunger and decrease your weight? With no testing on humans in a controlled environment with the number of test subjects needed to warrant serious consideration by the FDA, hoodias potential may never actually be known. Physicians cannot in good conscious recommend hoodia to their patients without understanding potential health risks and the overall effectiveness of the drug.
Experts believe that it is not a myth that certain foods contain the ability to suppress appetite and control hunger. However, there is no guarantee that what works for the Kalahari tribesmen will act the same way with people who consume hoodia in supplement form. They will not be sucking on the actual root, it will have been refined and synthesized by the time it hits the shelves. One must consider the differences between the Sans People, the modern name for the Kalahari Bushmen, and the consumers of commercialized hoodia.
Westerners have far easier access to food and do not get nearly as much exercise as the San. There is also the proper dosage to consider. What amount of hoodia gordonii can be safely consumed to do the job and for what length of time will the hoodia elements for weight loss continue to be effective? These questions must be answered and this will only count as evidence when a worthy study is completed.
A small independent test group found that when ingesting undetermined amounts of P57, nine men who took the hoodia twice daily actually ate fewer calories and reduced body fat more than the placebo group of nine. The test was too small and too short to be of any more value than piquing the interest in hoodia. The results were not posted for any peer review to analyze how it was held and details of what the results were overall.
The study was completed by Phytopharm who had acquired the license for hoodia from the South African Government in 1997. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of South Africa did the initial research to determine that P57 was the active ingredient in hoodia gordonii and that it was specifically responsible for suppressing hunger. By 2003 a Pfizer – Phytopharm alliance had crumbled because Pfizer determined it would just be too difficult to isolate and extract the P57 from the hoodia in order to synthesize into a drug for oral use.
Phytopharm has tried numerous times to get the ball rolling on hoodia testing, also entering and abandoning an agreement with Unilever to study and market various hoodia products to no avail. The explosion of interest in hoodia has meant the inclusion of the plant on the endangered species list since it was originally grown in the wild. Now there are farming enterprises established to organize and regulate the export of hoodia gordonii from South Africa as a legal source of supply.
Some wonder if this government regulation isn’t responsible for western companies losing interest in the development of hoodia as a diet drug or supplement with federal approval. It has become quite expensive to import hoodia and combined with the cost of research and development, could the limited supply and uncertainty of price and product be at the “root” of the hoodia purgatory status?
Hoodia potentially works because the P57, the active ingredient in hoodia gordonii impacts on the hypothalamus portion of the brain, which is central to appetite, control. The hoodia seemed to affect the metabolic energy in this particular part of the brain. It should be noted that the P57 was easily metabolized by the liver so there is a chance that copious amounts of it could be necessary to have the desired effect on the appetite. The question remains is there enough active ingredient in the current supplements to do the job.
Another health concern is that because P57 is metabolized in the liver. Often obese people will have secondary conditions affecting the liver or existing liver anomalies that can become problematic for the hoodia user. If any previously unknown side effects begin to surface as a result of using hoodia, the use of the product should be stopped immediately and a doctor notified. If an overweight person decides to try hoodia it should be done under a physicians supervision.