Weight Loss Fads - Part 4 - What is Hoodia?

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I’m sure, if you’ve looked into weight loss supplements at any point recently, that you’ve come across some hoodia supplements.

You might have even thought of taking a hoodia supplement yourself.

It has an interesting name and the supplemental claims do seem really appealing, but do you know what you’d be putting in your body if you took it?

Personally, I had no clue what hoodia was when I had first heard about it, so I decided to do some research and find out.

What is Hoodia?

Hoodia is a flowering plant that can grow to a little over 3 feet high. It looks a lot like a cactus butit’s NOT; it’s what they call a “succulent” plant. These plants are usually grown in Namibia and South Africa.

Their stems will grow in clumps that look like a tight collection of cacti. After about 5 years, they’ll produce flowers and then they can be harvested. The flowers are usually a light purple to tan color and have a strong scent.

Before you decide to bring your significant other a bouquet of hoodia flowers, you might want to know that they smell like rotten meat. So unless you’re dating a fly, I’d opt for another flower.

There are actually 13 different species of hoodia, but there’s only one type of hoodia that is being used in these supplements. Hoodia gordonii is the only species that has been found to have the desired active ingredient in it.

Besides the claims of appetite suppression, what does hoodia do?

Some have used it for indigestion and treating infections.

There have also been studies that have shown that the active ingredient only found in hoodia gordonii, P57, can reduce the production of gastric acid in your stomach. This could be beneficial for those with ulcers, acid reflux or heartburn.

You want to be sure the supplements you’re looking at actually contain this exact species in its pure form.

It’s been found that a lot of the hoodia supplements out there are fakes or are contaminated. The reason for that is because you need a special certificate to export from Africa and you need a permit to be able to import hoodia into the US. That’s a lot of red tape that some seem to try to step around. You’d think that, while they’re waiting 5 years for the hoodia to flower, they’d be able to get the proper paperwork.

Another reason that your hoodia supplement might not be pure is because hoodia gordonii is an endangered species, hence the need for special permits and certificates. They have to regulate it in some way or the plant might not be around to use. It seems like the popularity of supplements can ruin the availability of plants the same way the radio can ruin good music. Too much of a good thing almost always turns bad.

I’m not quite sold on hoodia being that beneficial to me just yet, but I’ll continue researching before I pass judgment. Let’s move on.

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