Hoodia Gordonii

Hoodia is quite popular among people who are constantly on the lookout for an easy and reliable way to lose weight.

Hoodia is a plant that the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert chewed on to be able to suppress their hunger and thirst so that they could hunt for longer periods of time without feeling hungry.

What is Hoodia?

Hoodia is also called Xhoba, although it is not a cactus. There are various species in the genus Hoodia that grow in Africa. However, what we know as Hoodia is actually Hoodia Gordonii, a specific species that is known for its appetite suppressant properties.

Since the Hoodia plant has been discovered by Americans, large quantities of the plant are now being shipped to America to help the thousands of obese people in losing weight. The popularity of Hoodia has also grown immensely due to the fact that there have been no reported cases of side effects or issues that people have faced after using it.

As is the case with many natural products and herbs, Hoodia is completely safe to consume and does not cause any medical symptoms or complications. However, it is recommended that you consult a doctor for drug interactions if you are on medication.

How Does Hoodia Work?

Those who promote Hoodia mention that it contains some chemicals that communicate with the hypothalamus in the brain causing appetite suppression. The exact manner in which this occurs, or the specific chemical that causes the suppression, is not known. However, it is believed that a molecule in Hoodia called P57 is the active ingredient that is responsible for the results.

Dr. Richard M. Goldfarb, MD, who conducted a study on seven participants, observed that about half of those on Hoodia Gordonii capsules twice a day lost more than 10 pounds in 28 days, while the remaining 50% lost less than 10 pounds in about a month. Goldfarb believes that Hoodia Gordonii works in the satiety center of the brain by releasing something that is similar to glucose but 100 times stronger.

Is Hoodia Effective as a Weight Loss Ingredient?

There are no published studies yet that prove that Hoodia causes weight loss or is effective in suppressing appetite, mainly because no studies have yet been able to understand the exact manner in which Hoodia Gordonii or the P57 molecule in Hoodia Goronii works to kill appetite.

On the other hand, empirical evidences suggest that the plant is fairly effective in achieving weight loss. In addition to that, the absence of any side effect makes it a fairly popular and coveted weight loss product.

However, it should be noted that there are large shipments of Hoodia being imported to manage the huge American demand for this product. It takes an expert botanist or a local Bushman of Africa to differentiate between Hoodia Gordonii and other species of Hoodia.

Therefore in many cases, what is imported may actually be another variety of Hoodia that have no weight loss or appetite suppression properties. Therefore, buying Hoodia from a reputed source is extremely important.