What Are Hoodia Side Effects
Doug Smith

Defined Tag: hoodia side effects.
With all the hype over hoodia gordonii, has anyone considered the potential hoodia side effects? Hoodia has been used for centuries by the nomads of South Africa's Kalahari Desert to prevent hunger during long trips on foot. Worldwide attention has focused on this seemingly wondrous appetite suppressing power of hoodia as a quick and easy weight loss product. Laboratory research has yet to confirm these stories, but it goes on. Let us hope the studies include potential side effects of hoodia.

There has been very little success to create hoodia's active ingredient in the lab, but it is not for lack of trying. Only very tiny amounts of the hoodia P57 ingredient have been produced artificially, and at huge expense! Therefore these companies cannot run controlled hoodia tests to determine its real properties and potential side effects.

The only bulk source of the hoodia plant is South Africa. The San people have been using hoodia for hundreds or thousands of years. Shouldn't these brave people be able to describe the side effects? What they can and have told relates to their history and folklore. They have never had any cause to look for side effects, so were unlikely to notice any.

The San certainly believe in the effectiveness of hoodia. These stories and tales are not valid scientific evidence, however. Such evidence is needed, although these stories seem to establish that hoodia gordonii can and will suppress the appetite. There has been no long term use of hoodia under controlled scientific conditions to determine potential hoodia gordonii side effects.

Some of these side effects, if any, might be common sense. If hoodia eliminates the appetite, then the users will eat less. Eating less is probably good, because most western diets are very unhealthy. On the other hand, eating less might mean the body receives less fuel, protein, and vitamins it needs to function. People taking hoodia might possibly deprive their bodies of important nutrition. This is a concern with any diet.

Another possible gordonii side effects is that dieters might become dependent on it. This dependency might not be the same as an addiction of hard drugs. Rather, people may start to depend on hoodia to maintain their health instead of healthy diet and exercise. Although unlikely, this side effect might lead to less healthy lifestyles. This is all just speculation about side effects, and hopefully proper hoodia research will prove it wrong.

What about non-medical side effects? One that we are seeing now is a huge expansion in unwanted e-mail messages relating to hoodia. Hoodia spam is increasing rapidly, by persons wanting to make a quick buck. The senders wouldn't dare mention any side effects, even if minor or negligible. These messages instead declare that hoodia gordonii is the miracle cure for obesity.

Studies may conclude that hoodia has no ill side effects whatsoever. Or, there may be many. We just don't know right now. That won't stop overweight people desperate to buy the latest weight loss supplement craze. These people seem inclined to find and take hoodia gordonii products now, and worry about potential hoodia side effects later.

Copyright 2007 by Doug Smith. All rights reserved worldwide. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.