Have you ever been frustrated about your eating habits? Have you tried several workout routines and diets without any luck? It’s not just you though; it’s the majority of us. In fact, more and more are becoming prone to severe obesity. For this reason, some people consider using the best appetite suppressants to help them achieve their weight-loss goals.
Hoodia Gordonii
The San people of Southern Africa, often known as the Bushmen, have been using an appetite suppressant for a thousand years. They consumed a plant that could reduce their feelings of hunger and thirst while on their hunting expeditions or in times of famine. Hoodia Gordonii is a leafless, spiny species of succulent plant that grows in the Kalahari Desert. It is also known as the “Bushman’s Hat,” the “Queen of the Namib,” or the “Kalahari Cactus.”
Since 1991, American television journalist, Lesley Rene Stahl, has been a CBS 60 Minutes correspondent. She tried to consume Hoodia Gordonii in her 2004 program, and based on her experience, she proved that it inhibits your senses of hunger and thirst. She adds that it has a cactus-like taste and a bitter flavor.
Popularity in the Market
Even before this television program appeared, Pfizer had already started researching and testing the plant as an appetite suppressant in 1998. Indeed, in 2003, Phytopharm, a British company, got the license for the marker compound P57 and its improved version with the patent code P57AS3, which was then sublicensed to Pfizer but later transferred to Unilever, though there are no commercial products that have been developed and released. It was known that there was a profit-sharing agreement about selling the product that they developed through this plant, also signed by South African Hoodia Growers (Pty) Ltd. The selling of Hoodia products beyond the restrictions of their agreement with Germany and Switzerland, however, raised questions.
Facts about the Appetite Suppressant
The scientist has led us to understand that the Hoodia Gordonii plant and the chemical glycoside, commonly known as P57, are linked by a specific mechanism. The central nervous system is thought to be affected, which is thought to result in a decrease in appetite. Despite this, there is no clinical evidence that P57 contributes to this impact.
Side Effects of the Hoodia Gordonii
It is still generally known to be a component of many dietary supplements. However, the said plant is currently categorized as an endangered species due to demand. In certain studies, people taking this appetite suppressant showed some side effects like dizziness, vomiting, nausea, and an off-kilter sensation. Despite the side effects that some studies have shown, the composition in question has not yet been fully mapped, and it is possible that additional ingredients are causing people to have such negative effects.
So, Is Hoodia Gordonii a Safe Appetite Suppressant?
Is it safe to consume the plant as an appetite suppressant? The answer, for the time being, is that we only know that it reduces our hunger and thirst. There is only limited knowledge about its safety, and further studies still should be made about this plant.