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Hoodia
Botanical names:
Hoodia gordonii
Parts used and where
grown
Hoodia is a succulent plant that looks
like a cactus. A member of the milkweed family, hoodia
is native to the Kalahari desert in the southern tip of
Africa, principally in the nations of South Africa and
Namibia. The plant's latex and inner parts are used,
with the spines removed.
Hoodia has been used in
connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health concern
for complete information):
Historical
or traditional use (may or may not
be supported by scientific
studies)
The
San people, native to the Kalahari desert, have used
hoodia for millennia to suppress appetite for food and
water and to increase energy. They cut the spines off
the plant and eat the inner portion and drink the white
latex.
Active constituents
A
South African government agency, the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), found that a
compound found only in hoodia’s latex and inner flesh,
steroidal glycoside (called P57), was able to suppress
appetite in animals. This effect was clearly related to
effects in the brain as opposed to the stomach. One
small clinical study has been completed by Phytopharm, a
company that bought the exclusive licenses to develop
and market P57 from CSIR. This study involved 19
overweight men using P57 and found that P57 did reduce
their food intake significantly compared with a placebo.
The details of this study have not yet been published in
any medical journal, so its conclusions cannot yet be
evaluated for accuracy.
How much is usually
taken?
There
is no clear information on how much hoodia is necessary
to reduce appetite. Anecdotal reports suggest that 2
ounces (60 grams) or more per day of the crude plant may
be necessary.
Hoodia is a slow-growing plant that
thrives in a relatively limited geographical area. Given
the potential for becoming endangered due to high
demand, there are strong regulations in place (based on
the international treaty called the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species) blocking its
export. It is presently unclear if any supplements
available in the US reliably contain Hoodia
gordonii and how much would have to be taken of
them to be useful. The Phytopharm company says they have
a plantation to sustainably grow hoodia for the product
they intend to release someday, but this product is not
yet
available. | |
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