Hoodia Gordonii Reviews

What Is Hoodia?

The Hoodia belongs to a family of cactus-like flowering plants known as Apocynaceae. They have succulent stems with uncanny similarity with cactus plants and are natively grown in the Kalahari deserts of Africa, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.

Most of the Hoodia specifies found in these parts, like are now considered as endangered and therefore protected from being harvested. But some can be grown in backyards as garden plants and only one species, the Hoodia Gordonii, figures in a number of weight loss diet supplements as a potent ingredient in suppressing hunger.

The nomadic San Bushmen living in the Kalahari desert consume the succulent stem of this plant for centuries to control hunger and thirst during long journey and hunting sojourns.

How Does Hoodia Work For Weight Loss?

The Hoodia Gordonii plant would mean nothing except for the fact that it is the only Hoodia species that contain steroidal glycoside which the early British company Phytopharm studying the plant named as p57 sometime in the early 60s.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer developed this discovery in 1998 and eventually found its way as a weight loss dietary supplement used to this day. It comes in capsule, liquid, powder or tea in many health food stores and online.

Much of the hype attending Hoodia spread when it was featured in “60 Minutes” where correspondent Leslie Stahl and crew investigated Hoodia consumption among African Bushmen. Leslie herself consumed the plant and reported losing interest in eating the whole day with no side effects.

But there are no human clinical trials that independently confirm its efficacy in reducing weight except lab studies conducted in mice injected with the p57 into their brains and ended up eating less than their control groups.

Phytopharm cites a lone clinical test on 18 humans who exhibited less interest in eating after consuming the plant but study was never published or independently confirmed in any peer-review process.

Is Hoodia Safe?

While Hoodia’s p57 efficacy has never been scientifically proven in humans, its effect on lab rats was sufficient to prompt pharmaceutical companies to make herbal-based diet supplements and pills using its active ingredient. And with the trend towards organically grown botanicals, it figures in 100% natural herbal supplements that promise weight loss.

How about side effects? Unfortunately, the lack of human tests could not confirm both its efficacy and its side effects. It is still best to consult with doctors before using one especially if you are pregnant or nursing, or suffer health problems like diabetes or heart disease or are receiving any medication that could cause complication.

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