In trying to determine the possible hazards of hoodia, it is good to use as a reference the San Bushmen of South Africa who, for centuries, have been using this plant as a means of suppressing appetite and warding off hunger on hunting trips. While there have been no side effects observed on the Bushmen, the fact remains that their use of hoodia is so much different than how hoodia is being utilized today.
The Bushmen use hoodia in its raw, natural form. They literally cut a piece of the plant, peel it, and then eat it. This is a lot different than popping hoodia supplements, where the hoodia has been processed and is in powder form. That being said, there are no known dangers of hoodia supplements to date.
Hoodia supplements haven’t been around that long so the jury is still out on the side effects of hoodia supplements over the long term. Anyone considering taking them should keep a careful eye out for any new studies and research for any potential dangers of hoodia that might arise down the road.
Hoodia was initially introduced to the market amidst concerns that these diet pills would have potential risks as Ephedra. Ephedra is a weight loss supplement released earlier which was revealed to have grave side effects. A simple fact belies this supposition though – Ephedra is a stimulant, while hoodia is not.
There are no dangers of hoodia because of the simplicity of how it works. Hoodia works as a weight loss supplement by suppressing your appetite. The active ingredient in Hoodia, P57, essentially tricks the hypothalamus-the part of the brain responsible for telling you that you’re hungry or full.
When you take in food, this is broken down into sugar inside the body. As soon as this occurs, there are tiny detectors in the hypothalamus that can make out the presence of sugar and slowly remove your craving to eat. Hoodia’s P57, acts like sugar on the hypothalamus, only 10,000 times more convincing! Even without eating anything, hoodia is therefore able to craftily persuade your brain into thinking that you have ingested lots of food, and stop you from wanting any.
Even though hoodia seems harmless and there are no known dangers of hoodia supplements, their safety has not been determined when it comes to women who are pregnant or nursing. As with all supplements and medications, it is essential that pregnant and nursing women discuss the potential side effects of hoodia with their doctors before considering using them.
The amount of hoodia that one should take in is also an essential factor to think about. Even if no hazards have been observed with hoodia, as with anything else, moderation should be observed. Because of its appetite-suppressing capabilities, there is always the possibility that when too much hoodia is taken, you could miss out on eating so often and end up being under-nourished!
In closing, let me remind you that hoodia could pose a certain danger if you use it in place of healthy, balanced meals. Do not depend on hoodia pills alone for losing weight. Hoodia should only serve primarily as an appetite-suppressant to stop you from overeating and not to let your body waste away from lack of nutrition. When you take hoodia supplements while having a healthy, balanced diet and a regular fitness program, you are well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals.