Cactus-like hoodia (pronounced HOO-dee-ah) can be seen in the arid parts Botswana, South Africa, Angola and Namibia. From the time claims emerged about its ability to suppress appetite, there has been a marketing blitz centered on it. The market had been scouting around for a diet pill since the time that Ephedra was banned. The San Bushmen were the ones to break the news of hoodia’s effectiveness with claims that they have used it to reduce hunger and thirst for a long time. While on long hunting trips they chew on the stem to ward off hunger and thirst. Though mistaken for a cactus, hoodia is a succulent that grows in clumps. It flowers when it is five years old and these pale purple flowers indicate that it is ready for harvesting.
Hoodia appears in thirteen varieties. The magic ingredient in hoodia is a steroidal glycoside referred to as “p57″. No other plant is said to contain it. Where can hoodia gordonii be found? Hoodia gordonii is marketed as a capsule, in powder form, or a tea-like drink. You can buy it from health shops or order it online. The diet pill Trimspa contains hoodia.
Though hoodia is popular there have been no scientific trials to show that hoodia as a pill is safe or effective as claims make out. In September 2004, Brain Research published the results of a study which indicated that when p57 was injected into the appetite centers of rat’s brains the effect was altered levels of ATP, an energy molecule that could control hunger. The rats receiving the P57 injections ate less than those that got placebo injections. It has to be remembered that these studies relate to animals. Oral medication is different from injections to nerve centers in the brain. Hence results cannot be applied to humans in its entirety.
The manufacturer Phytopharm have put forth a claim that during a study 18 volunteers who took hoodia found themselves eating 1000 calories less than those in the placebo group. These results have not undergone scientific and hence cannot be evaluated. How does one know if contains pure hoodia? Often reports of fake hoodia products turn up. Mike Adams representing News Target is of the opinion that 80% of all hoodia products are fake or else contaminated. Unless guaranteed by a respected laboratory, no one can be sure about purity.
The web sites that quote studies which approve of hoodia have the secret hand of manufacturers behind them. Often there are claims that one product is more effective than another one. In realty none of them have ever been tested. Until that happens, one must be circumspect.