Hoodia

Hoodia is a non-prescription weight-loss product. It is an herbal supplement that is believed to work by suppressing the appetite. While some testimonials show the drug to be effective, no research has actually been published on the safety and effectiveness of hoodia. Since hoodia hasn't been studied extensively, dosing information and potential side effects of the drug are also not known at this time.

 

What Is Hoodia?

Hoodia is an herbal supplement usually marketed as a weight-loss product. It is a cactus-like plant that grows in South Africa. There are actually several different varieties of hoodia plants, although only one particular one (Hoodia gordonii) has shown promise as a weight-loss aid.
 
(Click Hoodia Uses for more information on what hoodia is used for.)
 

Which Products Contain Hoodia?

Currently, there are a large number of products that claim to contain hoodia. However, hoodia is not grown easily or quickly, and it is protected under an international agreement that regulates how certain native plants can be used (in order to protect them from over-harvesting, which could threaten their survival). Therefore, there is a limited supply of hoodia available, and there have been several reports that many marketed hoodia supplements contain very little or no hoodia at all.
 
Currently, Phytopharm (a well-respected supplement manufacturer) holds the patent for p57 (a compound that is thought to be the active ingredient of hoodia). At one time, Phytopharm licensed the patent to Pfizer, although Pfizer has since returned the rights back to Phytopharm. At this time, Phytopharm has licensed the patent to another company (Unliever). Also, a certain group of native people in South Africa have the intellectual property rights for the use of hoodia to control appetite.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;