Hi Chloe

I don’t have any personal experience with this product, but did a bit of research on dietary supplements in order to complete a recent pharmacology assignment (I’m in nursing school).

Hoodia gordonii is the scientific name of the plant that’s harvested in the creation of this supplement.  It’s a member of the succulent family (similar to a cactus), and to the best of my knowledge was a "trade secret" of the Bushmen in Africa until a company called Phytopharm heard about its ability to supress the appetite.  Pfizer (GIANT pharmaceutical firm) had teamed up with Phytopharm to back the research and development of this product, but last I heard they backed out because actually producing this supplement looked like a risky investment for them (it takes a LONG time to grow these plants!).

What I’m getting at is this - please be very careful with making a purchase!  I know we’ve all seen the commercials for Hoodia, and you’d think that since they’re advertising it then they must be allowed to sell it and it’s safe to use.  Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily true.  There’s a huge legal mess brewing between the company currently marketing the product (I think they call it "Pure Hoodia" or something to that effect), the company who "discovered" the plant (Phytopharm), and the Bushmen who originally told Phytopharm where to find the plant and how to use it.  Arguments over patents, formulations, rights of ownership, etc. are in full swing and could tie the hands of Phytopharm for awhile, which is frustrating since they’ve done a lot of research on the plant and harvesting it!

Until the dust has cleared, just bear in mind that any Hoodia product you buy may not be all that it claims because these products aren’t regulated by the FDA.  The pills may contain fillers (ingredients of no medicinal value, used to create bulk), may contain other variations of Hoodia (there are several types of the plant, but only gordonii has been researched as an appetite suppressant), may contain "unusable" parts of the gordonii plant (roots, stem, etc) that have been ground up and mixed in, or may even be mixed with other ingredients that act as diuretics (make you lose water weight) or stimulants (rev up your metabolism, AND your pulse/BP/etc).  So, you may be paying someone your hard-earned money for a product that isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The good news?  (and I owe you some after all of that negativity!)  Hoodia gordonii is still being quietly researched in the hopes of creating a synthetic version of the chemical responsible for suppressing the appetite.  This ingredient does indeed work as it’s supposed to without acting like a stimulant - a major breakthrough in the world of weight management!  If they’re able to replicate this chemical, the supplement can then be mass produced without worry of depleting the supply of these plants that take so long to grow.

Until then, just hang in there.  I’m no stranger to the issues of CAH and weight concerns, and totally understand the frustration associated with constantly fluctuating weight!    ~~ Christine