Hoodia Side Effects
Hoodia are protected plants growing naturally in South Africa. Hoodia is heavily marketed as a natural appetite suppressant and weight loss aid. After South African scientists were able to isolate the specific compound in hoodia (P57) that caused the suppressant of appetite, much research went into the effectiveness of hoodia as a weight loss aid, the ability to synthetically recreate the compound and any possible side effects.
Hoodia is not currently approved by the FDA as a diet pill or appetite suppressant but its classification as an herbal ingredient is not regulated. However, even though some studies indicate that hoodia is in fact an effective appetite suppressant, there is no scientific basis for this claim. Further, due to the protected nature of the hoodia plant, many manufacturers of herbal weight loss products may be making false claims as to the actual ingredients contained in their product.
Though it is believed, but not proven, that hoodia is a natural appetite suppressant, its possible side effects of long term use are also not proven. Some research has indicated that there are no potential side effects that would be caused by the amount digested during reasonable use. However, still further research has indicated that there could be harmful side effects pertaining to the liver with continued ingestion of hoodia.
There is not yet enough known about hoodia to warrant FDA approval and US pharmaceutical companies are not actively pursuing the synthetic manufacturing of hoodia. Hoodia can be purchased, though possibly not as a natural substance, from numerous sources, but its effectiveness at controlling appetite is not conclusively founded and may vary from person to person. As with any weight loss aid or appetite suppressant, hoodia alone will not cause a person to loose weight. Weight loss can only be achieved by maintaining a healthy diet in conjunction with exercise. Talk to your doctor before attempting any weight loss regimen or taking any diet pills, chemical or natural.
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article. |
