Popular for Weight Loss; Hoodia Gordonii is a Leafless Spiny and Succulent Plant

Leafless, spiny and succulent, Hoodia Gordonii is a plant that is extensively used for medicinal purposes; especially in weight loss products. Grown widely around South Africa and Namibia, flowers of the plant have smell of rotten meat. Usually they are pollinated by flies. Since its discovery close to the Orange River areas by Robert Jacob Gordon, it has remained in use for helping out in weight loss and fat burning.

Hoodia Gordonii Features

Widely used for medicinal purposes, Hoodia Gordonii has the following features:

  • Native people of South Africa used the plant for treatment of infections as well as indigestion.
  • But the most extensive use of the plant is for weight loss and appetite suppression.
  • An ingredient called p57 is the appetite suppressant in the product and it was separated in 1077 by the CSIR or the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa.
  • Developments on p57 were stopped due to difficulties experienced in synthesizing the element.
  • Safer formulation that can be approved by the FDA is still to hit the market.
  • Hoodia Gordonii is a protected plant and only few companies have been granted the license for it.

Clinical Test Results

Some of the major factors relating to clinical tests carried out on Hoodia Gordonii are –

  • No clinical test on the appetite suppressing attributes of Hoodia Gordonii is available.
  • It has only been tested with animals by injecting the ingredient into their brains.
  • Effects of its main ingredient p57 for weight loss are yet to be established.
  • Liver easily breaks the Hoodia Gordonii ingredients and it becomes difficult to take sufficient amount of it to have some tangible effects for weight loss.

Plus Points

Review of Hoodia Gordonii revealed that P57AS3 is not usually inhibited metabolically in the human liver enzymes. In addition it has a relatively high secretion rate as well. Using the standardization techniques one can consider that the active ingredients of Hoodia will pass into the blood stream and reach the brain. It will trigger the response of fullness and suppress appetite in the process because it can regulate the ATP availability in the Hypothalamus that is the element regulating appetite. However, studies have conclusively established the p57 is a component that positively helps in reduction of gastric acid and it was also found that standardized P57SD results in reduction of gastric acid output in the stomach by around 40-60%.

Downsides

Till date there are no clinically approved reports about the usefulness of Hoodia Gordonii in respect to weight loss and fat burning. While many experts feel that it is one of the harmless elements without side affects, they also feel that the claim of the manufacturers regarding Hoodia’s influence on weight loss is a bit exaggerated.

Despite the fact that the experts have mixed feelings about the usefulness of Hoodia Gordonii, it cannot be denied that it is extensively used for manufacturing the weight loss pills and other products. Moreover, the component is also available in form of herbal tea used for the same purpose. At least there have not been many adverse feedbacks on the component till date.