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The controversy surrounding Hoodia as an appetite suppressant can be summed up in one far-reaching question: Are all Hoodia products created equal?
The question of Hoodia’s efficacy as an appetite suppressant without a sufficient quantity of the p57 molecule, the molecule credited with providing Hoodia’s appetite suppressing effects remains largely unanswered.
In 1997, British pharmaceutical company, Phytopharm, signed a licensing agreement with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa. The CSIR did the original research on Hoodia gordonii and discovered its appetite suppressing properties. Phytopharm continued CSIR’s research and isolated the active ingredient in the core extract p57.
In 1998, Phytopharm teamed with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and began research to develop and market Hoodia extract as an anti-obesity drug, investing close to $400 million in extensive research on a 20-to-1 extract, which proved to be highly promising in clinical trials. This combined effort has provided the only clinical data thus far on the effects of Hoodia on obese and overweight people. Their findings concluded that the inner core of the Hoodia plant provides the most potent appetitesuppressing effects in human subjects.
In 2001, Phytopharm announced the successful completion and final stage of its proof of principle clinical study on Hoodia extract. The double blind, placebo-controlled study tested the extract on 18 overweight but otherwise healthy male volunteers for 15 days to determine safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic profile, and effect on caloric intake. Data indicated a statistically significant reduction of 1,000 calories per day in the Hoodia group, along with a significant reduction in body fat in comparison to the placebo group. The pharmacokinetic data confirmed that the biologically active components found in Hoodia extract were consistent with the observed clinical effects.
Although Phytopharm has been a pioneer in Hoodia research, other manufacturers have developed their own proprietary extraction methods that isolate the active compounds and produce a concentrated extract. This extraction process is thought by many to yield the most effective appetite-suppressing Hoodia supplements on the market. Products advertised as 20-to-1 “aerial”, indicate that 1 g of extract was manufactured from 20 g of the whole plant, making it more concentrated and powerful compared to dried, ground whole plant in a powder form.
The cheapest and least effective Hoodia supplements are formulated from dried, powdered whole plant, will cost less and deliver inferior weight-loss results. There are no available studies that provide data on the efficacy of Hoodia powder. There seems little doubt however, that the individual seeking the most potent Hoodia supplement, would be wise to spend money on a product guaranteeing the highest quality Hoodia extract from South Africa’s Kalahari Desert.
Source: hoodia-diet-meds.info |
