Hoodia -- a safe diet supplement?

After discussing how dangerous (and sometimes deadly) diet pills can be, I wanted to share a little bit of information I’ve found on one possibly successful weight-loss supplement. One diet pill ingredient that has received the least amount of negative attention is Hoodia Gordonii, which has no known dangers to the body.

After eating, the associated rise in blood sugar is sensed by the brain. The active ingredient in Hoodia causes the brain to sense this rise in blood sugar even when the body has not eaten, thus tricking the brain into thinking that the body is full even when it is not. Some articles I have read on Hoodia point out the dangers of the ingredient for those with diabetes, because the brain will think that there is enough blood sugar even when there is a dangerous drop in blood sugar.

Hoodia is a cactus-like vegetable (so it is not a drug) that has been used for over a thousand years by Sans Bushmen in South Africa to suppress the appetite. The few scientific studies that have been done on Hoodia so far have shown no negative side effects. But, that doesn’t mean that there no bad side effects. The FDA has not approved this ingredient for diet pills, and will not do so until more, longer term studies are done to see if there really are no dangers associated with Hoodia.

Hoodia is not a stimulant so it does not have direct effects on heart rate or metabolism. But, just because a diet pill bottle says it contains Hoodia does not mean there are no effects on the heart. A pill can contain both Hoodia and a metabolism-altering ingredient, and therefore can be just as dangerous. The ingredients will be listed on the label so be sure to read them. Also keep in mind that there are over 21 types of hoodia, but only the one from South Africa has been shown in studies to suppress the appetite.