Reprinted Articles

As Hoodia becomes more popular, people are starting to ask questions about it: “Are there any side-effects of Hoodia?” or “Is it safe to take Hoodia for weight loss?”

Hoodia is a fairly new addition in the area of slimming. It’s been sold commercially since 1997, but it gained popularity after it appeared on the BBC and was discussed on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2004.

There have been no serious side-effects reported during all this time. The San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert have been using the Hoodia Gordonii plant for centuries to help keep their hunger at bay while on long hunting and gathering trips in the Kalahari Desert. And they used to rely on Hoodia as a regular part of their diet in times of famine.

This would indicate that it’s a safe plant to take for slimming - if we take it the same way they’ve done for thousands of years

They’ve used it as a whole plant, fresh or dried - without flowers or roots. We need to do the same. Pure Hoodia is what you need to look for. Adding anything to the Hoodia plant may disturb its natural balance, and therefore reduce its effectiveness as an appetite suppressant.

Equally, just because the whole plant is safe, (with all its ingredients intact) does not mean a drug derived from the Hoodia plant is necessarily safe. ‘P57′ is the active ingredient in Hoodia; but to isolate that one molecule and use it alone is probably not such a good idea.

Regarding whether Hoodia is safe to take - we found 3 areas we want to highlight. These should be seen as general precautions, not necessarily side-effects:

1. In some people, Hoodia may reduce thirst signals as well as hunger signals. Clearly, if Hoodia had ‘turned off’ the thirst mechanism, you wouldn’t recognise you were thirsty. So make sure you’re drinking enough fluids at all times.

Adults should drink 2 litres of water each day. When you’re dieting, you need to drink more than that, to help detox your body. So it might be a good idea to pour yourself a 2 liter bottle of water each morning, and make sure you sip it throughout the day.

2. Point number 2 is still being debated. Dr. Steelman - a weight loss specialist, said he was concerned that the P57 molecule in Hoodia was processed by the liver, since obese people often have liver problems that could exacerbate any potential side-effects. Yet Dr. MacLean - a leading endocrinologist at Brown Medical School, found that P57 was easily broken down by the liver.

Two experts with differences of opinion. (Nothing new there, then!) Dr. Steelman says many obese people suffer with liver problems. MacLean says P57 is ‘easily’ broken down by the liver. It seems to make perfect sense then, if you’re suffering with obesity and/or have liver problems, it would be good to consult with your physician or healthcare provider before taking Hoodia to lose weight.

3. People with diabetes should be careful when using Hoodia. Diabetics need help with regulating their blood sugar levels. If Hoodia ‘tricks’ their brain into thinking their blood sugar levels are higher than they actually are, it could cause a problem if they don’t eat when they’re supposed to, and their blood sugar level drops too low.

Let’s place these precautions into some sort of context:

Being overweight is directly linked with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and resistance to insulin (a precursor to Diabetes). This set of risk factors has been termed Metabolic Syndrome X. It is thought to affect over 70 million Americans and is now a common cause of premature death and/or disability.

With this in mind, Hoodia Gordonii could be an important factor in the quest to reduce the incidence of Metabolic Syndrome, and its associated risk factors. As with any weight loss regimen, aerobic exercise and other simple dietary changes will enhance the overall effectiveness of Hoodia.

As a general precaution, pregnant or nursing women, children, and people with liver disease should avoid Hoodia. And anyone taking Hoodia needs to ensure they are drinking enough water, and eating enough food for their needs.

In summary, “Is Hoodia safe to take?” Yes, it does seem safe to take Hoodia - if it’s pure Hoodia that hasn’t been changed or adulterated in any way

Last 5 posts by Jo Johansson

• Joint Freedom - March 20th, 2008

Tags: Weight Loss