What is Hoodia?

Hoodia Gordonii is a succulent cactus-like plant grown only in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. The San Bushman have been eating this plant for thousands of years to stave off hunger and thirst on their long journeys.

Where Have I Heard of Hoodia?

Hoodia has been gaining widespread media attention over the past 18 months, beginning with a now-famous feature story on CBS' 60 minutes. Reporter Lesley Stahl traveled to the Kalahari Desert to try Hoodia for herself.
"Stahl says she had no after effects - no funny taste in her mouth, no queasy stomach, and no racing heart. She also wasn't hungry all day, even when she would normally have a pang around mealtime. And, she also had no desire to eat or drink the entire day. "I'd have to say it did work," says Stahl." (see full report).

How Does it Work?

In short, Hoodia works by telling your brain that you're full and triggering feelings of satiety. Whole Hoodia powder contains varying amounts of fiber, organic material, antioxidants and biologically active substances - including steroidal glycosides - which appear to fool the brain into thinking the stomach is full*. Although studies are currently being done to try and isolate this 'miracle molecule', many believe that it is the combination of the whole Hoodia plant that creates the appetite suppressing qualities.

As with any weight loss program, diet and exercise are crucial components and cannot be forgotten. The basic rule for losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume, and Hoodia helps you consume fewer calories by:

Reducing interest in food.
Delaying the time after eating before hunger sets in again.
Feeling full more quickly.

Scientific Studies

Although Hoodia has been consumed by the San Bushmen for thousands of years, it’s still relatively new to North America and there have only been a handful of controlled tests done. In one such study using rats, they found the rats that were given Hoodia reduced their caloric intake by 30-50%.

In a clinical human trial done in England in 2001, a group of morbidly obese men and women were split into 2 groups – one group were given continuous doses of Hoodia and the other, a placebo. The groups were only allowed to read, watch TV and eat. At the end of 15 days, the Hoodia group had reduced their caloric intake by about 1000 calories a day.

Although there haven’t been an overwhelming number of official studies done on the effectiveness of Hoodia, the results of these tests have been very encouraging - and coupled with the long-term traditional use of the San Bushmen - there is enough evidence to suggest that authentic Hoodia Gordonii is truly effective as an appetite suppressant.

Authentic vs. Fake Hoodia

A Hoodia plant takes between 5-7 years to mature and provide appetite suppressing properties, and can only be grown in specific regions, making authentic Hoodia extremely rare. In fact, over two-thirds of Hoodia products available on the market today are not made with real Hoodia Gordonii, the only variety of the Hoodia plant to have shown these unique properties. There are a few ways that companies get around the truth and market their product as authentic:

Hoodia Extracts (typically 20:1). If you see a product that uses Hoodia extract, it is neither genuine nor effective, simply due to the cost involved. For example, in order for a company to produce 20:1 extract, they would need 20kg of Hoodia to make 1kg of the extract. Given the high price and limited supply of authentic Hoodia, it is not cost effective to waste 19kg of this precious resource to produce only 1kg, and if they did - they would need to charge at least $200 for a bottle of 60 capsules!

Other Hoodia Plant Varieties/Parts. There are over 20 species of the Hoodia plant, but only Hoodia Gordonii has shown the appetite suppressing properties. As well, while the plant itself is effective, even the San Bushmen don’t eat the leaf pulp and flora, knowing that these parts are ineffective. To reduce the costs and ensure they never have supply problems, many companies use other Hoodia species or the ineffective leaf pulp or flora to make their products. They can claim their product contains only 100% pure Hoodia, but consumers will be very disappointed in the results.

Weight Loss Blends. Many companies are making weight loss pills with Hoodia and other weight loss ingredients. By using other fillers, they don’t have to put in very much Hoodia, but still claim their product will have the same effect as with pure Hoodia. One concern with this approach is that the amount of Hoodia in the product will not be enough to give the customer any appetite suppressing effects. And of course, there’s nothing to say that the little Hoodia they do use, is actually real. Generally, if a company has gone through the trouble of ensuring they have authentic Hoodia, they’ll want their Hoodia to stand alone.

Aside from buying the product yourself to test in an independent lab, there is one way to know if a product is made with Authentic Hoodia, and that is a C.I.T.E.S certificate from South Africa. C.I.T.E.S stands for the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and they monitor the amount of Hoodia be exported, in order to make sure the plant species isn't harvested into extinction. This document is the only way to truly know if the product is made with genuine Hoodia.