Does Hoodia Really Work For Weight Loss?

What Is Hoodia?

Hoodia gordonii (pronounced HOO-dee-ah) is also called hoodia. The South African desert cactus hoodia is a cactus like plant that's causing a stir for its ability to suppress appetite and promote weight loss. CBS 60 Minutes, NBC, ABC, BBC and numerous other broadcasters have done stories on hoodia. hoodia is sold in capsule, liquid extract, spray, patch or tea form in health food stores and on the Internet.

Hoodia gordonii can be found in the semi-deserts of South Africa . It grows in clumps of green upright stems and is actually a succulent, not a cactus. It takes about 5 years before hoodia's pale purple flowers appear and the cactus can be harvested. Although there are 20 types of hoodia, only the hoodia gordonii variety is believed to contain the natural appetite suppressant.

Although hoodia was "discovered" relatively recently, the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert have been eating it for hundreds of years. The Bushmen, who live off the land, would cut off part of the hoodia stem and eat it to ward off hunger and thirst during very long nomadic hunting trips. They also used hoodia for severe abdominal cramps, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes.

How Hoodia works

Much of the craze about hoodia started after a TV news correspondent and crew traveled to Africa to try hoodia. They hired a local Bushman to go with them into the desert and track down some hoodia. The reporter ate it and said she lost the desire to eat or drink the entire day. She also didn't experience any immediate side effects, such as indigestion or heart palpitations. The reporter concluded, "I'd have to say it did work."

The chemical makeup in hoodia works within the satisfaction center of the brain by releasing a chemical compound similar to glucose, but is up to 100,000 times more powerful. The hypothalamus receives this signal as an indication that enough food has been consumed and this in turn decreases the appetite. This pure organic hoodia gordinii contains a molecule that, in effect, fools the brain into believing you are full, and can even stop the brain from thinking about food.

Hoodia will have you feeling fuller faster and longer with no side effects making dieting a breeze. What an example? In a 15 day study, a group of people that took Hoodia reduce their food in take by 1,000 calories while not even feeling hungry. No wonder it was featured on Oprah, MSNBC, CBS the Today Show, 60 Minutes, and the BBC.

Hoodia is Expensive

There has always been a demand for quick-fix, no-pain weight loss pills. After the ban on the herb ephedra, the market was particularly ripe for the next new weight loss solution, preferably one that didn't have the same stimulating side effects as ephedra. The demand for real hoodia is great, but the supply isn't. Until very recently, hoodia gordonii was only found in the wild in South Africa . Hoodia is difficult to grow. It requires 4-5 years to mature and temperatures in the range of 122F. The supply is scarce, which keeps costs high.