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It’s an appetite suppressant that has been touted in diet commercials, featured in Oprah’s O magazine and can be found on the shelves at local health-food stores, but hoodia isn’t anything new.
A flowering plant that resembles a cactus plant, hoodia has been used by South African bushmen for thousands of years.
“African bushmen used it when they traveled across the desert to help suppress their appetite and thirst,” said Suzanne Nelson, owner of Suzanne’s Natural Foods, which carries a variety of hoodia products. “It was used by them and as people in our culture found out about it, they thought it would work as an appetite suppressant and it does.”
According to www.florahealth.com, recent studies have shown that hoodia’s appetite-suppressing properties are estimated to be up to 100,000 times as potent as glucose, sending a signal to the brain that the body is in a state of fullness.
Hoodia varieties
Shannon Linder, a nutritionist with Freeman Health Systems, said that her research shows that there are more than 20 different types of hoodia.
But only one kind, hoodia gordonii, has been found to actually suppress your appetite, she said.
“It is very rare and very controlled in South Africa so it will be very expensive,” Linder said. “Fifty percent or more of what you find on the market will be a different variety of hoodia plant. The actual hoodia product should have an independent lab report to show its quality and will be pretty high in cost.”
Always use caution
Those considering using hoodia, or any other diet product, should take caution and be sure to research it first.
“People need to be aware with weight-loss (products) what they are getting. Any reputable company selling a weight-loss product will have a caution on the bottle,” said Nelson.
“It is up to the consumer to check to see if it says ‘Do not take this if you have a heart condition.’ Also, certain weight-loss products may have ingredients that have other things that may not be good for people on anti-depressants or who are suffering from depression. It will say on the bottle. It is good that they look at the labels and know what they are getting or talk to someone here.”
Suzanne’s offers online assistance at the store for customers to see if a product is safe to take with any medications they might be on.
Hoodia hoodoo
Linder recommends checking with a physician before taking any supplement, and said to watch for claims made by makers of some hoodia products.
“Be careful with some claims that hoodia can help with diabetes and high blood pressure,” she said. “In general, for people with type 2 diabetes, losing weight will help control blood sugars and lower your blood pressure. It’s not from hoodia.”
Source: By Rachel Kubicek, from pryordailytimes.com |
