GENERAL HOODIA QUESTIONS

What is Hoodia?

Hoodia Gordonii is a plant which is found in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa and has traditionally been used by the native Bushmen as a natural appetite suppressant.

What does Hoodia do?

Hoodia contains a chemical compound which when introduced into the body appears to have the same effect on the brain as glucose does, giving the brain the impression that the body is full of food which leads to the appetite being suppressed.

How does it work?

It is believed that Hoodia works because a chemical compound it contains increases a level of a chemical known as ATP in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus and that this induces the feeling of being satiated.

What is this chemical compound that Hoodia contains?

The chemical compound which gives Hoodia its appetite suppressing effect is a steroidal glycoside by the name of 3-O-[-beta-D-theveto
pyranosyl-(1—>4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1—>4)-beta-D-cymaro
pyranosyl]-12beta-O-tigloyloxy-14-hydroxy-14beta-pregn-5-en-20-one.

Is a steroidal glycoside a drug?

No, the Hoodia steroidal glycoside is a phytochemical, a chemical substance which occurs naturally in the Hoodia plant, in the same way that other chemical substances such as vitamins occur in plants.

Is taking Hoodia safe?

Hoodia has been the subject of a great deal of study and in fact in the last 20 years it has been one of the most studied plants in the world. The research on the plant is therefore extensive and it has not found anything to suggest that Hoodia has any dangers. It has of course been eaten by the natives of the Kalahari for thousands of years.

Does it have any side effects?

No adverse side effects have ever been observed or reported. On the other hand, some people taking Hoodia have reported that it had a mood elevating effect on them and some have even claimed an aphrodisiac-like effect. The Kalahari Bushmen have long maintained that Hoodia has medicinal properties and benefits their health.

Are there any known interactions?

There are no known interactions with any drugs, medications, contraceptive pills or anything else prescribed by a doctor.

What if you have diabetes?

There is no evidence to suggest that the constituents of Hoodia gordonii have any direct effect on blood insulin concentrations, but an indirect effect can of course be expected when the plant reduces appetite, as that will reduce consumption of calories, and that will in turn reduce sugar intake, and that will in turn reduce blood glucose concentrations and blood insulin levels.