The only place in the world where Hoodia grows in the wild is the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. The plant has been eaten for centuries by the Bushmen of the Kalahari live in the area, apparently to avoid hunger during long trips. A South African laboratory that has been studying native plants for many years identified a molecule in the Hoodia plant, called P57, which appears to suppress appetite. South African researchers sought a patent for use of this compound as a diet aid and the license to a British pharmaceutical company, Phytopharm.

Phytopharm scientists say that the active ingredient of Hoodia, P57, acts on the brain in a manner similar to glucose and sends the message that it is complete, even if you have not eaten, thus decreasing their desire to eat. Ingestion of the Hoodia plant has no reported side effects, although its flavor is considered bitter and unpleasant.

According to CBS and BBC news, Phytopharm has spent millions of dollars in research on Hoodia and conducted a study of its effects on human volunteers. In their study, to report that the obese volunteers who took Hoodia ended up eating about 1,000 calories per day less than those who did not take the supplement. However, the pharmaceutical company Phizer, who had worked with Phytopharm, and funded much research on Hoodia, abandoned the project because of a belief that it would be unrealistic to make pills of active ingredient in the Hoodia plant. Hoodia grown in extremely hot conditions, and the plant takes years to reach maturity. So far, the plant has never been cultivated and are found only in the wild. In order to increase their own limited supply, Hoodia Phytopharm has established plantations in South Africa, who are trying to establish crops and farming methods for cultivating wild plants.

The BBC also reported in 2003 that tested the “mark of Hoodia pills” sold in the U.S. and found no discernible evidence that any of the active pills containing Hoodia. Due to the relative scarcity of Hoodia, the ingredient is difficult for manufacturers to acquire, making it difficult to understand how dozens of companies that now seek to sell weight loss supplements containing Hoodia. Phytopharm scientists argue that many companies are fraudulently using their data and claims about Hoodia to market their own products. Phytopharm says that the tests of “Hoodia” supplements from different companies show that they contain between 0.1 and 0.01 percent of the active ingredient claimed, according to a report by CBS in 2004.

The study cited by the manufacturers of Hoodia certainly sounds intriguing. However, the study has not appeared in a medical examination every day, making it impossible to assess the quality of education or its methodology. The FDA has warned manufacturers of products claiming to contain Hoodia that its efficacy and safety have not been determined in humans. Similarly, both the Mayo Clinic and Dr. Andrew Weil have commented that there is still no conclusive evidence that Hoodia is a safe and effective appetite suppressant.

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