Is Hoodia Safe for Slimming?

As Hoodia grows in popularity, more and more people are asking, “What are the side-effects of Hoodia?” or “Is it safe to take Hoodia for slimming?”

Hoodia is a fairly new addition in the area of slimming. It’s been sold commercially since 1997, but it gained popularity after it appeared on the BBC and was discussed on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2004.

In all that time, there have been no widely-reported negative side-effects. The San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert have used the Hoodia plant for thousands of years to ward off hunger pangs during long hunting treks in the desert. And even relied on Hoodia as a staple part of their diet in times of famine.

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This would indicate that it’s a safe plant to take for slimming - if we take it the same way they’ve done for thousands of years…

They’ve used it as a whole plant, fresh or dried - without flowers or roots. We need to do the same. Pure Hoodia is what you need to look for. Adding anything to the Hoodia plant may disturb its natural balance, and therefore reduce its effectiveness as an appetite suppressant.

Equally, just because the whole plant is safe, (with all its ingredients intact) does not mean a drug derived from the Hoodia plant is necessarily safe. ‘P57′ is the active ingredient in Hoodia; but to isolate that one molecule and use it alone is probably not such a good idea.

In our research, we uncovered 3 points of note; which are precautions rather than side-effects:

1. In some people, Hoodia may reduce thirst signals as well as hunger signals. Clearly, if Hoodia had ‘turned off’ the thirst mechanism, you wouldn’t recognise you were thirsty. So make sure you’re drinking enough fluids at all times.

The accepted wisdom is that adults should be drinking 2 litres of water every day. When you’re dieting, you should be drinking at least 2 litres a day. So pour yourself a 2-litre bottle of water every morning, and make sure you drink it throughout the day.

2. The second point is still a little unclear. Dr. MacLean, a leading endocrinologist at Brown Medical School, found that P57 was easily broken down by the liver. (He was injecting P57 into the brains of rats - very nice!). Yet Dr. Steelman - a slimming specialist, said he was concerned that P57 was processed by the liver, since obese people often have liver abnormalities that could compound any possible side-effects.

Two seeming differences of opinion. MacLean saying P57 was ‘easily’ broken down by the liver; Dr. Steelman saying that many obese people suffer from liver problems. It therefore makes perfect sense, that if you are significantly overweight and/or have liver problems, to seek medical advice before taking Hoodia.

3. People with diabetes should be careful when using Hoodia. Diabetics need help with regulating their blood sugar levels. If Hoodia ‘tricks’ their brain into thinking their blood sugar levels are higher than they actually are, it could cause a problem if they don’t eat when they’re supposed to, and their blood sugar level drops too low.

To put these points into perspective:

Being overweight is associated with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and insulin resistance. This combination of risk factors has been called Metabolic Syndrome X, which affects 70 million Americans and is a common cause of premature death and/or disability.

In this light, Hoodia could be an important factor, along with exercise and lifestyle changes, to combat metabolic syndrome, and reduce the risk factors associated with any or all of the above conditions.

As a general precaution, pregnant or nursing women, children, and people with liver disease should avoid Hoodia. And anyone taking Hoodia needs to ensure they are drinking enough water, and eating enough food for their needs.

In summary, “Is Hoodia safe to take?” Yes, it does seem safe to take Hoodia - if it’s pure Hoodia that hasn’t been changed or adulterated in any way…

Pure Hoodia Slimming Pills from a respected UK source can be found here.