Weight Loss Fads - Part 8 - Hoodia Weight Loss Benefits

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Alright, so we’ve gone over the basics of Hoodia.

We’ve figured out what Hoodia is and the specific kind of Hoodia you want in your supplements (Hoodia gordonii).

We also found out about the beneficial active ingredient in Hoodia: P57.

That’s great background information but you’re reading this because you’re interested in its weight loss qualities, right?

So let’s get right into it.

History of Hoodia

The San tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa know all about Hoodia. They go on hunts in the desert, which can be pretty long because of the low populations of huntable food. They’re out there all day hunting for something to eat, but they like to carry Hoodia gordonii with them. Why? Because, when they chew on it, they’re not as hungry.

A Dutch anthropologist was studying the San tribes in 1937 and noticed that they used Hoodia in this way. In the early 1960s, the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) in South Africa began studying Hoodia gordonii.

Then in the mid to late 1990s the scientists, working with a British company called Phytopharm, isolated the active ingredient (P57) and patented it. The CSIR then licensed P57 to Phytopharm so that they could do more research on Hoodia.

Millions have been spent on research and it’s attracted some big companies. Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company, became interested in developing a product and partnered up with Phytopharm. It wasn’t long before they backed out and said that another company would be a better fit for the research and product development of Hoodia.

Then Unilever jumped in and wanted to partner up with Phytopharm. They seemed to be making good progress together but mutually agreed to restore all the rights to Phytopharm in late 2008.

Hoodia sounds promising, but has had a rollercoaster-like history. Let’s dive a little deeper into the weight loss benefits of Hoodia.

It appears that the “magic” behind Hoodia and its active ingredient (P57) is its appetite suppressing qualities.

There is a portion of our brain called the hypothalamus, which controls things like fatigue, temperature, hunger and thirst. When we eat food that contains glucose, the hypothalamus’ nerves are alerted, which sends a signal to your body. This signal is what makes you feel full.

The scientists from Phytopharm believe that P57 is WAY more active than glucose. They believe that the hypothalamus reacts to P57 in the same way as it does to glucose but, because of the higher activity level, it alerts your body that it’s full even when you haven’t eaten! If this is true then Hoodia could be very beneficial for curbing your hunger, which would help you drop weight.

There was a study done on rats, where they injected P57 into their brains, which seemed to support this theory. The rats that were injected with P57 ate less than the rats in the placebo group. But how many of you would line up to get an injection straight into your brain? Not me! So given that this was an animal study and they used injections, you can’t really expect the same effects for humans who are taking Hoodia orally.

So why all the hype? Why are we seeing so many Hoodia products whenever we’re not even sure if it works yet and is safe? Well, you can thank TV for that. It seems that, in 2004, 60 Minutes covered Hoodia in one of their shows. Their correspondent actually went over to Africa and tried some pure Hoodia. Their thoughts? They weren’t hungry or thirsty all day. All you need is a popular TV show to say that it works and the people are going to demand that someone hands them a product!

It seems to me that Phytopharm is the only licensed company actually researching Hoodia right now. So until they conclude that it’s safe, truly works and puts out their own product, I’d be a little cautious with what’s already out there.

Sure, it seems like it will suppress your appetite, but that doesn’t mean you’ll lose weight if you have a bad diet to begin with. You can’t pop a pill and go on eating like you normally do while you laze around the house. Hoodia may spark a change in you, by making you a little less hungry, but it’s up to you to ensure that you’re eating healthy foods and being active. If you eat healthy and exercise while you take Hoodia, then you might reach your weight loss goals at ease, but I don’t think Hoodia will cause you to lose a lot of weight on its own.

A magical pill is what people want, but what our bodies NEED to drop weight requires a little work and discipline. Sorry, I know that’s not what you want to hear! But from what I know at this moment, I’d be careful with Hoodia supplements. The Hoodia pills you’re popping and the frequency you’re taking them may not be even close to Hoodia habits of the San tribesmen.

I’ll continue to research Hoodia, but let’s move on for now.

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