Pure Hoodia

A Research Institute, CSIR, started a study on Pure Hoodia Gordonii, a succulent growing wild in the ‘Kalahari Desert’. This plant has a status amongst the ‘San tribe’ as a ‘hunger suppressant’. They use to chew up this plant during their long hunting- expeditions to prevent appetite. CSIR isolated the active molecule, named it ‘P57’ and patented it in 1997. They sold the rights to a British company, ‘Phytopharm’, in 1998 to market the product.

In a blend test, performed by ‘Phytopharm’, “400 mg per day” of Hoodia Gordonii powder, for 15 days, reduced the calorie intake by 1,000 calorie compared to the control group. Pills, Capsules, diet gum and tincture all followed. To avoid patent violation, many companies claim that their product is a food supplement, an aid for weight loss.

‘Phytopharm’ teamed with Pfizer of USA, a pharmaceutical MNC, to produce ‘P57’ synthetically and market the Hoodia Gordonii product. One of the companies marketing the Hoodia capsule is ‘Pure Hoodia’, with a registered trademark. They claim that each capsule contains ‘400 mg of Pure Hoodia Gordonii’, imported legally from South Africa, grown in privately owned farms. The recommended dose is 1-2 capsules an hour before each meal. They make claim that it is not a drug, and can be undoubtedly used for weight loss. An ‘independent consumer guidance’ came out with the truth that Pure Hoodia capsules do not have 400mg of powder, as claimed by the company, but less than that.

In view of the facts that it takes 5-7 years for a Hoodia Gordoni plant to mature, there is a limited amount of wild Hoodia in the ‘Kalahari Desert’ and the trade in Hoodia is restricted by ‘CITES’, the guiding factor in Hoodia purchases should be ‘consumer beware.’ After all there is always the possibility that with so many people in the Western world taking so many over the counter and prescription drugs, Hoodia may end up interacting negatively with some of these in the body and we just don't know it yet.