Hoodia: Lots of Promises, Little Scientific Evidence

For many years the South African bush people have eaten a native succulent plant called Hoodia gordonii and have stayed slim. It has taken years for the overweight Americans to get wind of this plant that the bush people have known about all of their lives. The bush people have never worried about their weight or compared themselves to the Hollywood crowd, but have stayed slim for decades.

This plant is native to the Kalahari Desert and is being imported by the truck loads to overweight people. Media and word of mouth reports that this is fueling one of the latest diet crazes.

Hoodia Gordonii is the herbal supplement taking the weight loss market by storm.. Some manufacturers are claiming that their sales have reached millions of dollars. The question we should all be asking is: "Does this stuff really work, and is it safe?"

Hoodia is sold on the internet, health food stores and discount stores such as Walmart. Hoodia is offered in capsules or tablets. A 30 day supply costs $35.00 and up.

Hoodia is not a cactus it is a succulent. Is it a lot of hype? There is very little published about it in the scientific community. Some experts that are familiar with hoodia say that it tricks the brain into thinking that you are full. They also acknowledge that published, scientific studies proving hoodia will work long term is inadequate. So you should be asking yourself if it is safe!

Hoodia is sold as a dietary supplement so it escapes the critical analysis that the FDA gives prescription drugs and other medications that are sold over the counter.

Science of Hoodia

There is only one decent study done on Hoodia and it was conducted on a small amount of people, all of whom were obese. Even if the results of that study hold out for larger numbers of obese people, it doesn't mean it will help everyone lose that last 10 pounds of fat.

Even though the science is inadequate on hoodia it doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't work. It only means that the research conducted on hoodia has not convinced the masses that it is useful in appetite control across an entire population. We need more research before safely arriving at that conclusion.

There have been no wide spread clinical trials examining the safety of hoodia as a nutritional supplement. As far as research as gone, they haven't found any problems that have been reported. The African bush people apparently chew hoodia without effects, but do they eat it as often as we take the pills to lose the weight? Hoodia may have side effects that we haven't discovered yet. There is nothing in the research that shows that people who want to take hoodia is dangerous for them but on the other hand there is nothing to show that it is 100% safe either.

No matter what you choose to do, if you take hoodia or not, you have to incorporate a healthy diet and exercise to lose your weight. Hoodia is just another tool in the weight loss world. Taking hoodia is not a license to eat. If you keep eating like you normally do, you will gain weight. Hoodia does not change the law of physics. What it does is suppress your appetite, allowing you to take control over your eating instead of leaving your subconscious mind in auto pilot.

You decide.

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