Hoodia (Hoodia gordonii)

Hoodia Weight Loss Facts

Hoodia Gordonii or Xhoba is a bitter-tasting plant that grows in the deserts of South Africa ( Namibia , Angola and Botswana ). Similar to a cactus but called a succulent because it flowers, Hoodia takes approximately five years to mature and harvest, growing up to two-feet in height.

Traditionally, it is used by the Bushmen of the Kalahari for a number of ailments and as an appetite suppressant by eating the flesh of the stem. It has been shown to curb appetite by sending strong signals to nerve cells to trick the brain into thinking that the body has had enough to eat, even though it has not eaten. Although there are twenty different species within the family Asclepiadaceae, Hoodia Gordonii is the only succulent identified with appetite suppressing properties.

Due to its endangered status, harvesting of natural Hoodia Gordonii is prohibited by law and supply from select commercial Hoodia farms is strictly controlled by the South African government.

The history of Hoodia

Research & Clinical Trials

The first scientific investigation of the plant was conducted at South Africa 's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Because Bushmen were known to eat hoodia, it was included in a study of the toxic effects of indigenous foods. These scientists studied the properties of Hoodia and discovered that not only was it not toxic, but it caused weight loss in animals. They identified a molecule now classified as P57 that is reputed to be responsible for its appetite suppressing qualities. They discovered that steroidal glycosides from the P57 molecule has the ability to affect nerve cells in the hypothalamus that monitors blood glucose. The steroidal glycoside P57 is believed to be 10,000 times stronger than glucose, thus signaling to the central nervous system that the body has consumed enough even before a person has eaten. They obtained a patent for P57 in 1997.

Additional clinical studies have also shown Hoodia to be an effective aid in controlling appetite. Phytopharm, a pharmaceutical company in Leicester , England performed two clinical studies in 2001, one on animals and the other a human clinical trial. In one study, lab animals given Hoodia reduced caloric intake by 30% to 50%. In the human clinical trial healthy but overweight men were subjected to equal diets and an environment that only allowed sedentary activities such as television watching, sleeping, eating, and reading. Between the Hoodia and placebo group, the Hoodia group reduced caloric intake by approximately 50% or 1000 calories per day. Similarly, researchers at Brown University in 2004 also concluded that Hoodia has the potential to suppress appetite. All these studies reaffirm what the Bushmen have known for generations; Hoodia works.

Source: Phytopharm

Since then, Hoodia's popularity has soared and its use and effectiveness has been featured by both the acclaimed television news program 60 Minutes as well as the BBC. With concerns over the problem of obesity at an all time high, a natural botanical that produces no side effects and help control appetite is being hailed as a “miracle drug” and the “greatest appetite suppressant of all time”.

Interested in further developing and marketing Hoodia's unique qualities, the drug companies Phytopharm and Pfizer joined in 1998 to develop an appetite suppressant by commercially reproducing this molecule in drug form. Pfizer then sold the license back to Phytopharm.. In 2004 Unilever joined Phytopharm to continue to develop and eventually market this product.

As Phytopharm and Unilever have yet to come up with a viable formula to reproduce the molecule P57, natural Hoodia is still available for use as an appetite suppressant in its whole, traditional form. To preserve and to allow Hoodia for transport, the succulent is milled into concentrated powder, but continues to remain 100% pure.

Creating Hoodia Powder

Tips on buying Hoodia

What to look for

There are many companies selling Hoodia on the internet and many of them are dishonest. Not all the Hoodia promoted is high quality. It's a situation of Buyer Beware so if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Here are a few tips when buying Hoodia.

Make sure it's Hoodia Gordonii: Although there are many varieties of Hoodia grown in China , Mexico and even the US , only Hoodia Gordonii from the desert regions of South Africa ( Botswana , Namibia and Angola ) possess the active ingredient identified to aid in appetite suppression.

Look for certification : There are millions of overweight people in North America desperate to find a solution to their weight problem. The diet industry is famous for having unscrupulous products that promise the world but don't deliver. The same goes for Hoodia products. Not all Hoodia is high quality, some of it isn't even true Hoodia Gordonii which is the only identified Hoodia that effectively suppresses the appetite. To ensure that you are buying the real thing, look for a C.I.T.E.S. (Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species) license. This certifies that the seller has bought the highest quality raw Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa . High quality Hoodia is supplied by select commercial Hoodia farms in South Africa and export is strictly controlled by the South African government. Certifications are required for export and prove the origin of the Hoodia. Preferably the Hoodia website should mention their Hoodia supplier. Our supplier is Millenium Health Supplements Canada, one of five licensed suppliers worldwide, and the only North American supplier. Hoodia X1200 is certified 100% pure South African Hoodia Gordonii. View our certificate here.

Hoodia is not cheap : There is a limited supply of Hoodia and very high demand for the product, which makes it expensive. Hoodia takes 5 years to mature and there are only a handful of farmers in South Africa producing the product which keeps the supply limited. The raw material costs manufacturers on average $300 USD per kilogram. Unscrupulous companies may not be concerned with quality or purity and are not providing you with the real thing, or are bulking up the capsules with other cheaper ingredients which means you're not getting enough Hoodia to effectively suppress your appetite. In this case, cheaper is not better.

Dosage is key: The optimal daily dosage for high quality Hoodia is 1,200 mg of pure Hoodia. Anything less than this won't provide you with effective weight loss results.

Don't buy 20:1 extracts

Nobody has been able to develop effective extracts, not even the biggest drug companies like Pfizer and Phytopharm have managed to do this. Extracts created by Hoodia manufacturers are not effective as they do not contain enough pure Hoodia in their products to get the benefits of Hoodia. Some contain as little as 50 mg of Hoodia. Anything less than 1,200 mg is not going to give you any results. In this case you're just taking a placebo. Look for pure Hoodia powder. You will be consuming Hoodia in its pure form, as close to the way it is consumed by the San Bushmen.

Beware of rating sites : Many of these sites are created by the manufacturer to promote their own products.

Don't buy any brands that don't offer a money back guarantee

Be sure to look for a money back guarantee. Many companies offer a money back guarantee but be sure to read the fine print. Most only refund on unopened bottles so you won't get a refund on the bottle that you've tried. The manufacturer should be prepared to put their money where their mouths are. If it's not working for you, you should be able to get your money back on opened bottles.

Hoodia Diet Pill side effects

No clinical trials have been conducted regarding the side effects of Hoodia. It can be concluded based on the use of Hoodia by the San Bushmen for centuries that Hoodia can be taken safely. No negative side effects have been reported by the San people.

On the contrary, the San people have reported that Hoodia creates a feeling of well-being, and is a medicine for a variety of ailments.

Hoodia is a natural appetite suppressant and contains no stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra which tend to make you feel jittery and can cause insomnia.

Other

South African scientists working with a British company called Phytopharm, isolated the active ingredient in Hoodia, a steroidal glycoside, which they named P57. After getting a patent in 1995, they licensed P57 to Phytopharm, who spent more than $20 million on Hoodia research. In 1998 Phytopharm sub-licensed the rights to develop P57 to Pfizer for $21 million. Pfizer recently returned the license to Phytopharm, who is now working with Unilever.

In 2001 Phytopharm completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study in overweight, but otherwise healthy volunteers using an extract of Hoodia gordonii . The large doses of extract caused a statistically significant reduction in the average daily calorie intake. In addition, a statistically significant reduction in body fat content was also observed compared to the placebo group after two weeks.

Hoodia gordonii is very rare and is protected by national conservation laws in South Africa and Namibia . It can only be collected or grown with a permit.

Here are some useful links so you can get more information on Hoodia.

•  About Hoodia
•  What is Hoodia?
•  How does Hoodia work?
•  Hoodia does it work?
•  Hoodia in the news
•  Is Hoodia the magic bullet?
•  Hoodia safety
•  Diet Canada
•  FAQs