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.