Cactus, Cactus Hoodia, Cactus du Kalahari, Extrait de Hoodia, Hoodia Cactus, Hoodia Extract, Hoodia Gordonii, Hoodia Gordonii Cactus, Hoodia P57, Kalahari Cactus, Kalahari Diet, P57, Xhoba.
Hoodia is a cactus-type plant from the Kalahari desert in Africa.
People use hoodia to curb their appetite so they are able to lose weight. According to some claims, San bushmen in Africa eat hoodia to fight off hunger during long hunts.
Be careful when buying hoodia products. According to news reports, some samples of hoodia sold on the Internet do not contain any hoodia at all. You might not get what's listed on the label.
How does it work?
A chemical in hoodia called P57 is thought to decrease feelings of hunger. But it is not known if hoodia has this effect when used in people.
QUESTION
Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See AnswerInsufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...
- Suppressing appetite or weight loss.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).
SLIDESHOW
Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? See SlideshowThe appropriate dose of hoodia depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for hoodia. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
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MacLean, D. B. and Luo, L. G. Increased ATP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety: studies of the anorectic mechanism of a plant steroidal glycoside. Brain Res 9-10-2004;1020(1-2):1-11. View abstract.
Anon. Protecting traditional knowledge: the San and hoodia. Bull World Health Organ 2006;84:345. View abstract.
Mangold T. Sampling the Kalahari cactus diet. BBC News; May 30, 2003. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/2947810.stm.
Pfizer returns rights of P57. Phytopharm Press Release; July 30, 2003.
Phytopharm plc successful completion of proof of principle clinical study of P57 for Obesity. Phytopharm Press Release; December 5, 2001.