Hoodia

Hoodia gordonii was discovered and used by the San tribe, one of South Africa s oldest native peoples, since prehistoric... 

Scientists found that the Hoodia cactus contained a previously unknown molecule, P57, that may produce weight loss. P57 is... 

As with medicines, different supplements may aim to address the same problem from various angles. For example, acetaminophen and ibuprofen both work on pain, but they target different brain and body functions to do so. In the same way, not all supplements claim to lead to weight loss in the same way. Supplements designed mainly to lessen appetite usually contain an herbal ingredient called hoodia. 

Hoodia is the active ingredient in most of the popular appetite suppressants available today, including Hoodia 750, Ethno Africa, Miracle Bum, and Hoodia 911. Many products from TrimSpa also contain hoodia. (TrimSpa once featured Anna Nicole Smith in its ads, boasting that... 

The FDA does not approve dietary supplements. Many supplements designed to reduce appetite contain hoodia. The hoodia plant has large, fleshy colored flowers that smell like rotten meat. The stinky flowers attract flies to pollinate them. Once the spines have been removed, the stems of the plant are eaten raw or manufactured to be used as appetite suppressants. 

Makers and fans of hoodia supplements will often point out that hoodia is not a stimulant. In this way, it... 

What is Hoodia " Hoodia Consumer Review. Available online. URL www.hoodiaconsumerreview.org. Accessed September 30, 2007. 

The commodification of traditional knowledge poses problems that also transcend intellectual property considerations since, in indigenous communities, medicinal plants can have cultural, symbolic and ritual values that go beyond a simple medicinal or economic use. Thus, the cultivation of a plant outside its natural habitat and the capture of its medicinal properties into a commercial product can generate mistrust, inequality and betrayal because the loss of the cultural value is not addressed by any monetary compensation. These problems have been exemplified by the development of Hoodia gordo-nii,46 a sacred life force of the South African San, which was turned into a commercial slimming aid .47... 

Psychoactive plants have been used by humans for recreational, spiritual, and therapeutic purposes for millennia (6). It is evident from the African plants that have received the most attention, such as T. iboga and Catha edulis that research has been focused on those plants most commonly used for spiritual or recreational purposes. This is understandable as these plants are often more obvious because of their cultural importance and consequently more noticeable, in particular hallucinogens. The more subtle, often more therapeutically important plants, such as mild stimulants, sedatives, those used to treat convulsions and epilepsy have been sadly overlooked. The CNS-related mode of action of many plants may not immediately be obvious, for example nausea and vomiting are associated with the gastrointestinal system but is often treated via the CNS with scopolamine. The hunger-suppressant (anorectic) activities of South African succulent plants of the species Hoodia (7) are another example. 

The hoodie skin patch is a cactus-like plant that grows exclusively in South Africa. Several compounds in hoodia suppress appetite. It contains a molecule called P57 that is 10,000 times as active as glucose. It makes one feel full and stunts the appetite. Can-nabinoid CBl receptor blockade is also effective in reducing nicotine-seeking behavior, supporting the fact that tobacco and marijuana addiction are linked. 

Numerous cases of adulteration of Hoodia gordonii with Opuntia species and Caralluma fimbriata have been reported (Avula et al. 2007 Rumalla et al. 2008). 

An in vitro study indicated that Hoodia gordonii inhibited the drug-metabolizing isoenzyme CYP3A4 but had no effects on other CYP450 isoenzymes (Madgula et al. 2008). The relevance of those data to human use is not known. 

No information on the safety of Hoodia gordonii in pregnancy or lactation was identified in the scientific or traditional literature. Although this review did not identify any concerns for use while pregnant or nursing, safety has not been conclusively established. 

Madgula, V.L., B. Avula, R.S. Pawar, et al. 2008. In vitro metabolic stability and intestinal transport of P57AS3 (P57) from Hoodia gordonii and its interaction with drug metabolizing enzymes. PlantaMed. 74(10) 1269-1275. 

No information on the safety of Hoodia gordonii in pregnancy or lactation was identified. 

No adverse effects were observed in rats fed a diet containing 2% of an aqueous homogenate of dried Hoodia gordonii daily for 3 weeks (Tulp et al. 2001). 

---