Hoodia
Background
Hoodia
is a flowering, cactus-like plant that grows in the Kalahari Desert in
Africa. Historically, the San Bushmen used hoodia to
suppress appetite.
Today, hoodia dietary supplements are used as an appetite suppressant
for weight loss.
Hoodia
is available as liquids, powders, tablets, and capsules. Some hoodia
products also contain other herbs or minerals, such as green tea
or chromium.
How Much Do We Know?
We know very little about hoodia because only one study of this herb
has been done in people.
What Have We Learned?
In
the one small study of hoodia in people, overweight women who took
hoodia for 15 days didn’t lose more weight than those who took
a placebo.
What Do We Know About Safety?
Little is
known about the safety of hoodia. However, the one completed study in
people raises concerns. In that study, participants taking hoodia had
more side effects than those taking placebos, including nausea,
vomiting, dizziness, and odd skin sensations; they also had increases
in blood pressure and undesirable changes in some blood tests.
Whether hoodia interacts with medicines or other supplements is
not known.
Keep in Mind
Tell
all your health care providers about any complementary or integrative
health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to
manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and
safe care.
Key References
- Blom
WAM, Abrahamse SL, Bradford R, et al. Effects
of 15-d repeated consumption of Hoodia gordonii purified
extract on safety, ad libitum energy intake, and body weight in
healthy, overweight women: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition. 2011;94(5):1171-1181.
- Hoodia.
Natural Medicines Web site. Accessed at
naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/ on April 20, 2015.
[Database subscription].
-NIH
