Hoodia

Hoodia (pronounced /ˈhʊdiːə/) is a genus of 13 species in the flowering plant family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae.^[1] They are stem succulents, described as "cactiform" because of their remarkable similarity to the unrelated cactus family. They can reach up to 1m high and have large flowers, often with tan colour and strong smell. It takes about five years before hoodia gordonii's pale purple flowers appear and the plant can be harvested. 

Many Hoodia species are protected plants, typical of the Namib Desert, ranging from Central Namibia to southern Angola, especially in plains and rocky areas. Common names include "Bushman's Hat" and "Queen of the Namib".

Several species are grown as garden plants, and one species, Hoodia gordonii, is being investigated for use as an appetite suppressant.   "In the last few years, hoodia has been heavily marketed for weight loss and has become immensely popular."

On January 18, 2008, the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (representing botanic gardens in 120 countries) stated that "400 medicinal plants are at risk of extinction, from over-collection and deforestation, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease." These included Yew trees (the bark was used for cancer drugs, paclitaxel, although current licensed syntheses do not); Hoodia (from Namibia, source of weight loss drugs); half of Magnolias (used as Chinese medicine for 5,000 years to fight cancer, dementia and heart disease); and Autumn crocus (for gout). The group was said to have found that five billion people rely upon traditional plant-based medicine for health care. 

Hoodia is currently listed in Appendix II to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which includes species not currently considered endangered but are at risk if trade is not controlled. 

Species

Hoodia alstonii 

Hoodia cactus 

Hoodia currorii (syn. H. lugardii, H. macrantha) 

Hoodia dregei 

Hoodia flava 

Hoodia gordonii (syn. Stapelia gordonii, H. barklyi, H. burkei, H. longispina) 

Hoodia juttae 

Hoodia mossamedensis 

Hoodia officinalis (syn. H. delaetiana) 

Hoodia parviflora 

Hoodia pedicellata 

Hoodia pilifera (syn. H. annulata, H. grandis, H. pillansii) 

Hoodia ruschii (Queen of the Namib) 

Hoodia triebneri (syn. H. foetida

Hoodia Gordonii is a succulent plant that grows in South Africa. The SAN Bushmen have chewed on Hoodia for close to 1,000 years to reduce their appetite while on long hunting trips. Hoodia is now a highly sought after plant for its ability to suppress appetite.  In fact, Hoodia Gordonii is in such high demand it is considered a protected plant and can only be exported with a special permit from the government of South Africa (a CITES permit). 

Authenticity

Amazingly, more Hoodia has been sold in supplement form than has ever been grown and exported from South Africa.  Every company claims to have authentic pure Hoodia from South Africa, so the only possible answer is if you want to determine what is in a capsule of a supplement marketed as Hoodia Gordonii, you need to have the supplement lab tested.  

There are three lab tests that can help determine the authenticity of a supplement. 

1) Microscopy 

In this test the sample of Hoodia is examined under a microscope (usually at 400x magnification).  A well trained technician examines the cellular structure of the sample and looks for patterns that match the known cellular structure of Hoodia Gordonii.  For example, it is known that pure Hoodia Gordonii has long fibers with whirled striations so this something a technician would try to find when examining a sample. 

It is important to note that even if the Hoodia Gordonii plant has been dried, crushed, powdered and processed, the cellular structure should still be intact.  So, an authentic finished Hoodia Gordonii supplement should still show the cellular structure of Hoodia when examined in a Microscopy test. 

2) High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) 

The American Heritage Dictionary defines Chromatography as: 

"Any of various techniques for the separation of complex mixtures that rely on the differential affinities of substances for a gas or liquid mobile medium and for a stationary adsorbing medium through which they pass, such as paper, gelatin, or magnesia."  In layman's terms - chromatography is a process used to separate samples by the levels of absorbency of the sample. 

High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) is the specific type of Chromatography used to test for Hoodia Gordonii in a sample. With HPTLC first a know reference sample of Hoodia Gordonii is tested. This produces a plate with varying colors for separation over time. 

The idea is that the HPTLC provides a fingerprint of what authentic Hoodia Gordonii looks like when separated under HPTLC. To confirm that a Hoodia supplement is really Hoodia, an HPTLC test is done to see if the Hoodia in question matches the fingerprint of the known Hoodia Gordonii. 

3) High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) 

HPLC is another form of Chromatography that is often used in analytical chemistry to identify analytes in a sample. In HPLC the sample is injected through a liquid and the response time of certain components of the sample are measured. 

HPLC tests are used to detect the presence of it in a sample.  So if a test shows that a sample has analytes you can be confident that the sample is Hoodia Gordonii. 

It is important to note that the current state of Hoodia testing using HPLC is qualitative NOT quantitative. This means that the HPLC is useful in determining if is present in a sample, but it is not accurate enough to determine the quantity of in a sample. 

Why do you need to do 3 tests for Hoodia Gordonii?

The reason is no one test is 100% accurate - there is always the chance for false positives and false negatives. However, when you apply 3 different tests to a sample and they all come back positive for Hoodia Gordonii, it greatly reduces the odds of a test error. 

Buy from a supplier that gives you verifiable independent lab analysis with a Certificate of Analysis showing on the site. Why would you buy from a company that cannot find a reputable scientific lab to vouch for their Hoodia product?  That would be a waste of time, money and could be dangerous

Too good to be true

If the company is offering more than 90 capsules or large oversize capsules (more than 400mg) for less than $25 - BEWARE. Real Hoodia is not cheap to obtain or process correctly. But dollar for dollar, Hoodia gets you the greatest diet help and results for the least money.

Imitations and Dilutions

do not buy 20:1 extracts as they are extremely difficult to analyze and determine if they really contain real Hoodia in the amount that will actually work.  Extraction is the ONLY way to deliver liquid hoodia; because extraction is liquid.  Do not buy dilutions, special mixtures, etc. as they may contain no Hoodia Gordonii at all. Purchase product containing 100% Hoodia Gordonii Powder and no other herbs. 

Ingredients

ONLY the core from the aerial stems of the plant have been identified as having the active ingredient necessary to eliminate hunger. Products containing ANY kind of filler, pulp, skins, flowers, roots or other parts of the Hoodia Gordonii variety of plant are inferior and are diluted and will probably not work.  Products claiming to use 100% of the Hoodia Gordonii plant are either misinformed or giving you useless bulk. There is no benefit in the outer skin which makes up a good percentage of the weight of the plant.

Origin

Insist on original South African source material. Do not accept cheap substitutes from China, Mexico or other countries. ONLY use hoodia from approved South African sources operating as government-approved cultivators. Recent directives from South Africa warn that the supply of hoodia has been outstripped by the demand. The response from the South African government has been to limit export permits to control and conserve hoodia resources. 

False Claims

Stay away from a company that tells you it can suppress your appetite with one capsule only. You will need at least one day’s worth of dosage to begin the effects. Companies like this typically sell fake product or product containing so little of the hoodia that it is worthless. 

The History of Hoodia Gordonii

In 1937, a Dutch anthropologist studying the San Bushmen noted that they used hoodia gordonii to suppress appetite. 

In 1963, scientists at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa's national laboratory, began studying hoodia. They claimed that lab animals lost weight after they were given hoodia gordonii. The South African scientists, working with a British company named Phytopharm, isolated what they believed to be an active ingredient in hoodia gordonii, a steroidal glycoside, which they named P57.  After obtaining a patent in 1995, they licensed to Phytopharm.  Phytopharm has spent more than $20 million on hoodia research. 

Eventually pharmaceutical giant Pfizer learned about hoodia and expressed interest in developing a hoodia drug. 

In 1998, Phytopharm sub-licensed the rights to develop to Pfizer for $21 million.  Pfizer returned the rights to hoodia to Phytopharm, who is now working with Unilever.

Much of the hype about hoodia started after 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl and crew traveled to Africa to try hoodia. They hired a local Bushman to go with them into the desert and track down some hoodia. Stahl ate it, describing it as "cucumbery in texture, but not bad."  She reported that she lost the desire to eat or drink the entire day.  She also said she didn't experience any immediate side effects, such as indigestion or heart palpitations. 

How Does Hoodia Gordonii Work?

Despite its popularity, there are no published randomized controlled trials in humans to show hoodia is safe or effective in pill form.  One study published in the September 2004 issue of Brain Research found that injections of into the appetite center of rat brains resulted in altered levels of ATP, an energy molecule that may affect hunger. The animals receiving the injections also ate less than rats that received placebo injections.  However, this was an animal study and injections in the brain are different from oral consumption, so it cannot be used to show that oral hoodia can suppress appetite in humans.

The manufacturer Phytopharm cites a clinical trial involving 18 human volunteers that found hoodia consumption reduced food intake by about 1000 calories per day compared to a placebo group. Although intriguing, the study wasn't published or subjected to a peer-review process, so the quality of the study cannot be evaluated.

How do I Know if it's Pure Hoodia?
There are widespread reports of counterfeit hoodia products. Mike Adams of News Target, estimates that 80% of hoodia products are contaminated or counterfeit. It's impossible to know if a hoodia product contains pure hoodia and the active ingredient, unless it has been tested by an independent laboratory.

Most of these sites have been secretly created by companies selling hoodia. They explain why the hoodia in other products is inferior, even though there are no published reports showing that one is more effective.