Natural Weight Loss with Hoodia

The Hoodia is a stem succulent, similar, although unrelated to the cactus family. The plant can grow up to a meter high, and has a fresh color and strong smell. The Hoodia species is common to Namibia and Angola. As well as being both a native and garden plant, the Hoodia species is becoming better known as a natural weight loss remedy through it's appetite suppressant properties. The Hoodia gordonii is the species of Hoodia which has become popularized recently because of it's appetite suppressant quality, however, Hoodia has been used for many years in Southern Africa as a natural remedy for stomach upsets.

Hoodia gordonii is a protected plant that has been subject to testing since the 1970's in search of synthesizing the appetite suppressant qualities of the plant. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer concluded that the active ingredient of Hoodia known as P57 is too difficult to extract from the plant without removing more dangerous components, despite having the rights to the drug, they released to the public in 2002. As of yet there has been no scientific studies that have tested the effectiveness of Hoodia, although some studies have concluded that since the liver breaks the product down, there may not be enough of the active ingredient in Hoodia supplements to be effective.

Despite there being little evidence suggesting effectiveness of Hoodia supplements, more recent years have seen a surge in companies promoting Hoodia as a dietary supplement. The infamous TrimSpa, a product marketed by Anna Nicole Smith began advertising the Hoodia supplement, packaged into a weightloss formula called X32. There have since been many complaints of companies marketing Hoodia products, including numerous complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission and a lawsuit in California against TrimSpa claiming that the product doesn't contain any of Hoodia's active ingredient.