There has been a lot of buzz lately about a new weight loss herb called Hoodia Gordonii. It has been featured in the news, in TV programs, and in the newspapers. There have also been many supplement companies who claim their product contains "Hoodia." Like any other new "herb" that comes out for weight loss you should caution yourself.
Hoodia Gordonii is a type of cactus that has been found in South Africa that suppresses appetites. It is not a stimulant like ephedra or caffeine. Also, the indigenous people of Namibia and South Africa have been using it for hundreds of years without any negative side effects. Therefore, it could be said that Hoodia may not possess potential health risks. However, there is not a lot of scientific evidence regarding Hoodia.
The active ingredient in Hoodia Gordonii is known as P57. It is the only compound in Hoodia Gordonii that actually works as an appetite suppressant. While occurring naturally P57 did not show immediate side effects, and when Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company tried to develop it they came into some trouble synthesizing it. There were some dangerous effects the supplement had on the liver. Even though it wasn't natural P57, some components in the synthesized version which caused these effects would be tough to remove.
With this appetite suppressant, certain types of people can be at risk for health conditions. Whilst it is not in the plant itself, the effects it has on how much and when you eat is great. In lab rats, Hoodia Gordonii proved to lower the intake of food by 40-60%. People at risk to serious healthy conditions would be diabetics. The way it tricks the brain into thinking it is full is by imitating glucose (C6H12O6), the simplest form of food. Diabetics need to maintain there blood sugar by eating because of the lack of insulin their body releases. If someone who is diabetic using hoodia forgets to eat because he or she feels full, he or she could go into a low blood sugar attack and potentially risk death. Also, Hoodia control the amount of water you drink. If someone takes Hoodia and does not drink enough/constantly that person could end up becoming dehydrated and suffer from brain damage or death. Of course those results would not happen over night.
The other risk it may possess may be due to the Western lifestyle. The natives in Africa who have been using Hoodia for hundreds of years have never really taken prescription and OTC drugs. We do not know how Hoodia Gordonii interacts with certain types of medications. The potential risk is that Hoodia while taken in conjunction with cholesterol medication (for example) could lead to cancer or heart disease.
With all that being said, the studies conducted on Hoodia proved to be successful. There was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study by Phytopharm pharmaceuticals using morbidly obese human participants to see if Hoodia had any negative effects. The results were that none of the participants experienced any negative side effects. However, the study was relatively short and did not include many participants. The overall safety profile of Hoodia Gordonii is unknown and that is why Phytopharm states:
"In the clinical study... the safety data is consistent with a satisfactory overall safety profile, however further scientific studies are required to establish the safety profile of Hoodia Gordonii extract."
It seems that Hoodia Gordonii is safe to take, but keep in mind what the lead researcher at Pfizer said if you intend on using it. "Clearly, Hoodia has a long way to go before it can earn approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Until safer formulations are developed, dieters should be wary of using it."
http://www.your-new-body.com/info-se
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