Hoodia gordonii by Ecological formulas, Cardiovasular research

July 2004 -- If you haven't heard about the supplement hoodia gordonii, there's no doubt you will very soon. Hoodia, a natural appetite suppressant, is earning attention as a potentially powerful weapon in the war against obesity and the American focus on losing weight. Hoodia supplements were just introduced to the U.S. market in early 2004.

What is Hoodia Gordonii?
Hoodia gordonii, a plant that, while it looks like a cactus, is actually a "succulent" that grows in the high deserts of the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa. The San people of the Kalahari -- a tribe of hunter-gatherers with a 27,000-year-old culture and history in using native plants for medicinal purposes -- have been using the hoodia plant for centuries to help ward off pain, hunger and thirst when the Bushmen made long trips in the desert.

In an interview with ABC News, Andries Steenkamp, a spokesman for the San people, said: "I learned how to eat it from my forefathers. It is my food, my water and also a medicine for me. Said Steenkamp: "We San use the plant during hunting to fight off the pain of hunger and thirst."

Hoodia gordonii is entirely natural -- it is not a drug, and has no stimulant properties. There is interest, however, from various pharmaceutical companies, including the company Phytopharm, who are trying to synthesize the appetite-suppressing component, P57, in order to create a patentable drug in the future.

How Does Hoodia Work?
There are various species of hoodia, but the Gordonii variation is the only one that contains the all-natural appetite suppressant. This type of hoodia contains a molecule that has similar effects on nerve cells as glucose, and tricks the brain into the sensation of fullness. Results of human clinical trials in Britain suggest that hoodia may reduce the appetite by hundreds of calories a day or more.

In a BBC interview, Phytopharm's Dr. Richard Dixey explained how P57 works:

There is a part of your brain, the hypothalamus. Within that mid-brain there are nerve cells that sense glucose sugar. When you eat, blood sugar goes up because of the food, these cells start firing and now you are full. What the Hoodia seems to contain is a molecule that is about 10,000 times as active as glucose. It goes to the mid-brain and actually makes those nerve cells fire as if you were full. But you have not eaten. Nor do you want to.

How Quickly Will Hoodia Work?
Some people report that hoodia works for them immediately, suppressing appetite within 20 to 30 minutes after taking the capsules. Generally, though, people typically need up to two weeks of regularly taking hoodia before they begin to notice the effects of hoodia, which include:

• A reduced interest in food
• A delay in the time after eating before hunger sets in again
• Feeling full more quickly
• General feeling of well-being