Hoodia Gordonii Health Risks

The San Bushman of Southern Africa use a succulent plant called Hoodia Gordonii as a means to control hunger during their hunting trips across the Kalahari Desert. Advertisements for Hoodia have touted their products as a natural appetite suppressant, with no side effects as seen by the tribesmen who have used it for centuries. Initial clinical studies showed positive results. Hoodia is now offered in everything from tablets to shakes to protein bars, but how safe is Hoodia Godonii?

History

• Pfizer, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies, bought the development and marketing rights from Phytopharm. Citing problems isolating and synthesizing P57, the appetite suppressant ingredient, Pfizer relinquished their rights. An ex-Pfizer's Hoodia researcher, Jasjit S. Bindra, sent a letter to The New York Times stating that "an early clinical trial indeed showed that Hoodia could be a potent appetite suppressant. But there were indications of unwanted effects on the liver caused by other components, which could not be easily removed from the supplement. Clearly, Hoodia has a long way to go before it can earn approval for the Food and Drug Administration. Until safer formulations are developed, dieters should be wary of using it."

  PhytoPharm collaborated with Unilever (SlimFast owner) to bring to market a P57 product. In 2008, Uniliver terminated the relationship and stopped their efforts to develop a Hoodia-based weight loss product.

Misconceptions

• Hoodia advertisements cite a "clinical study" with performed by Phytopharm on obese people who took Hoodia and reduced their caloric intake reduced by 1000 a day. While the results sound great, the sample size was small. The study was not published in peer-based medical journal, so no one can review the methodologies used and the results. Unpublished studies lack credibility.

Effects

• Hoodia gordonii grows wild in Southern Africa and takes years to mature. Authentic Hoodia Gordonii is exported from South Africa. Phytopharm is cultivating and establishing Hoodia plantations but the supply outweighs the demand. Analysis of some of the Hoodia supplements on the market showed the products contained little or no Hoodia.

Theories/Speculation

• P57 acts like glucose---triggering the brain to stop eating since the body feels full. Diabetics should exercise caution about taking Hoodia. The brain is being fooled into thinking that the glucose level is high. The normal feedback regulation has been changed. The blood glucose level drop could too low. If the appetite is suppressed, eating the proper foods at the proper times is also suppressed. It is unknown how Hoodia will affect people who are taking prescription drugs and whether this could affect liver function.

Considerations

• More clinical studies need to be performed before the safety and efficacy of Hoodia Gordonii can be established. San Bushman using the product for centuries does not justify that it is a safe product. While Hoodia appears to work as an appetite suppressant, both Pfizer and Unilever backed out of potential Hoodia weight control products.