Hoodia has become quite popular due to the fact that several journalists have broadcast reports of its powers. During a "60 Minutes" segment, Leslie Stahl reported that she had used Hoodia and had not experienced any adverse side effects. Tom Mangold, a BBC News correspondent, reported that in addition to a noticeable decrease in his appetite, he found that Hoodia produced a "feel-good, almost aphrodisiac" effect.



But is there any actual proof that Hoodia suppresses the appetite? Clinical studies have been performed on Hoodia, but perhaps the Bushmen of South Africa present some of the most compelling non-clinical proof. For centuries they have eaten Hoodia Gordonii to suppress their appetites while on extended hunting expeditions. As far as anyone can tell, they have not experienced any ill effects; Hoodia is just an accepted, normal part of their lives.

In 2001, Phytopharm completed a double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study in healthy, but overweight volunteers using the P57 extract from Hoodia Gordonii. When compared, the P57 group had a significant reduction in caloric intake with no adverse side effects. On average, the P57 group ate about 1,000 calories less in a day than those in the control group.

If this is the case, what's the science behind P57 (and Hoodia Gordonii) that makes it suppress the appetite? Researchers who have been studying Hoodia, and especially P57, have found that it acts the same way that glucose works on nerve cells in your brain. What it's doing is tricking your brain into thinking that you've eaten, which will reduce your urges to grab for that afternoon candy bar. Data suggests that Hoodia even works better than glucose in letting your brain know that you have eaten quite enough.

Actually, Hoodia seems to have a more powerful effect on limiting the appetite than glucose. According to Dr. Richard Dixey of Phytopharm, the hypothalamus is the area of the brain that senses glucose sugar. Blood sugar rises when you eat, causing the cells to activate and send the message that you are full. It appears that Hoodia contains a molecule that is approximately 10,000 times more potent than glucose. It causes the hypothalamus to send a signal to the cells to make you feel as though you are full, even if you have not yet eaten. In addition, you do not have any desire to eat.

Keep in mind that even though Hoodia affects your appetite, you still must eat. We cannot survive without eating. You must learn to differentiate between "real hunger" and "hormonal hunger". "Real hunger" occurs when the body does not have enough food to operate properly, while "hormonal hunger" is the result of a fluctuation in insulin levels. It is "hormonal hunger" that makes us crave sweets and other non-nutritious food and that is the enemy of all dieters. When you experience "real hunger," you should eat nutritious meals, but you should avoid the urge to snack when "hormonal hunger" strikes.

You do need to continue to eat meals when you experience "real hunger", but you will be eliminating all this snacking due to "hormonal hunger". While hoodia can help eliminate both types of hunger, we feel it is unhealthy to skip meals. The real advantage we see to hoodia is that it suppresses cravings for snacks when you are not experiencing "real hunger", but "hormonal hunger".

Hoodia is not like many other diet pills or supplements, because it doesn't increase the rate your body burns fat, which can pose some serious health risks. Instead, Hoodia prevents weight gain by decreasing your appetite. Though the arguments continue regarding how best to lose weight, there's no denying the simple math of decreasing your caloric intake. Eat less, consume fewer calories than you burn, and you will lose weight. Because Hoodia can help you eat less, it's just as powerful a tool to the dieter as it is to the Bushmen in South Africa.