Hoodia gordonii

This fact sheet provides basic information about the hoodia plant, including uses and potential side effects.

What Is Hoodia Used For?

• Historically, hoodia has been used by African Kalahari bushmen as a food source during long hunting trips.
• Currently, hoodia is being marketed as a diet pill -- it's appetite suppressing qualities mean that you feel less hungry, so you eat less -- weight loss is achieved by the subsequent reduction in calorific intake.

How Does Hoodia Work?

Hoodia is a succulent plant found in the Kalahari desert of South Africa. Parts of the hoodia cactus are used to prepare extracts available in tablets and capsules.

Hoodia gordonii extract has been proven to decrease calorie intake in human volunteers. It works by fooling your brain into believing you are full.

A steroidal glycoside with anorectic activity in animals, termed P57, has been isolated from Hoodia gordonii and found to have an anorectic (appetite suppressing) effect.

Hoodia Side Effects

Pure Hoodia currently has no known side-effects. Further studies are required to establish the safety profile of Hoodia gordonii extract.

Medic8® Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Page last modified: May 2007