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Is That Weight Loss Potent Hoodia? How to Ensure You Are Not Buying a Counterfeit Product

By Matthew Constantin, PhD (biochemist)

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. It is estimated that 300 million adults are obese throughout the world, with another 700 million teetering on the brink of obesity in that they are classified as overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity costs about $147 million each year in large part due to obesity-related complications including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and certain forms of cancer to name a few.

It’s True: Hoodia Induces Weight Loss in Many People
In addition to diet and exercise, using appetite suppressants has become a key weight-loss strategy for some people looking to shed those extra pounds. Over the past couple of years, appetite suppressants that contain Hoodia gordonii -- a plant that is found in only four countries in Africa -- have garnered a great deal of popularity. While there are numerous weight loss products already on the market that contain Hoodia, there are at least another 20 or more international patent applications pending, which further demonstrates its growing appeal.

Research has demonstrated that Hoodia works to reduce a person’s appetite by making them feel fuller because it works on a molecule in the body called P57 [1]. Studies conducted in rats have shown that P57 works in the hypothalamus region in the brain that helps to control hunger and eating. Tests performed have illustrated that when the P57 molecule is injected directly into the brains of rats, it caused the rats to have diminished appetites and consume less food overall.

In addition to the aforementioned studies that show the efficacy of Hoodia, other studies have demonstrated its safety as an appetite suppressant. Short-term human studies conducted by a company called Phytofarm have shown Hoodia to be well-tolerated. In fact, side effect and safety complaints from people who have used Hoodia have been relatively minor since the plant extract has been made commercially available. Furthermore, the plant has been eaten for thousands of years by the Bushmen in the Kalahari Dessert as a way to survive in the desert for a couple of days without eating.

One Major Issue: Some Hoodia Products Can Be Impure

Pure Hoodia plant extract can be extremely rare to come by. Not only does it take more than five years for the P57 molecules to fully mature in the plant, but Hoodia can only be harvested once every two to three years to ensure long-term sustainability. Furthermore, since Hoodia can only be found in the four African countries of Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, it has been designated an endangered species making its export strictly controlled by both the South African government and the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Being an endangered species is in direct conflict with the increasing worldwide demand for Hoodia. There are hundreds of pills, tablets, juices, powders, snack bars, teas, coffees and protein shake products marketed in the United States alone that have Hoodia as the central weight loss ingredient. Because demand strongly outpaces supply, counterfeit or even small traces of Hoodia is not uncommon in many products that claim to contain pure Hoodia. In fact, one 2008 study conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi found that only nine out of 35 dietary supplements that claimed to contain pure Hoodia actually had minute traces of the active ingredient [2].

While counterfeit Hoodia has become one of the most deceptive and dubious practices in the weight loss industry, there are companies that do manufacture and market products that contain pure Hoodia. As a consumer, it is very important to recognize which companies are legitimate and which ones are not.

How to Avoid Buying Fake Hoodia? Look for Authenticity Certifications
First, look on the packaging of the product. All weight loss products that contain Hoodia must have an authenticity certificate from CITES, the third-party international trade group that monitors its export from Africa. Genuine Hoodia cannot be exported without this designation clearly on its label.

Second, look for laboratory tests conducted by reputable, third-party companies that independently analyze the amount of Hoodia content in products. According to guidelines set forth by the American Herbal Product Association, there are three different tests that must be completed in order for a company to claim their product contains pure Hoodia. These tests include:  

  • A Microscopic Analysis: The aerial part, the part of the Hoodia plant that grows above the ground, is the area of the plant that contains its appetite suppressant properties. One common practice is to add components of another plant called the Opuntia or a food additive called maltodextrin when making counterfeit Hoodia. However, a trained professional can easily detect traces of these ingredients under a microscope.
    It is important to point out that while a microscopic analysis can detect the presence of non-Hoodia components, it cannot be the only procedure used to determine authenticity. Some other closely related plant species such as Caralluma fimbriata can look similar even under the microscope. For this reason it is important that the product label read something like: “The test sample is characteristic of Hoodia gordonii aerial part.”
  • A Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC): Just like humans, every plant has its own genetic or chemical makeup. A thin layer chromatography (TLC) is used to ensure that the so-called “chemical fingerprint” of the specimen under question is identical to a Hoodia specimen, which is called a voucher specimen. Therefore, it is important for the certificate to read something like “Hoodia gordonii, authenticated by TLC studies, matches the voucher specimen held at Alkemists Pharmaceuticals.”
  • A High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): Since the active ingredient of the Hoodia plant is the molecule P57, a technique called a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be used to determine whether or not the specimen under question actually contains this particular appetite suppressing molecule. Therefore an HPLC certificate should state that “Analyte P57 has been detected.”

Conclusion
Since more than half of the weight loss products available online or at the local supplement store are likely to contain counterfeit Hoodia, it is important to be aware of the independent testing certificates that should accompany the product. Some Hoodia products that have been tested and authenticated include Hoodia Desert, Hoodoba and Hoodia Hoodia.

While it appears that Hoodia is both an effective and safe natural supplement with demand that has outpaced Medifast coupon code discounts, discount coupons for BistroMD, and promotional codes for Nutrisystem diet, people should also think about the wise advice that Dr. Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association has given to people who are considering different strategies to loose weight:  “Appetite suppressants are not a magic bullet, and should not be taken in isolation or seen as an alternative to a healthy lifestyle.”

 

References

  1. MacLean DB, Luo L-G. Increased ATP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety: studies of the anorectic mechanism of a plant steroidal glycoside. Brain Res 2004;1020:1–11.
  2. Bharathi Avula, Yan-Hong Wang, Rahul S. Pawar, Yatin J. Shukla, Troy J. Smillie, Ikhlas A. Khan. A rapid method for chemical fingerprint analysis of Hoodia species related genera, and dietary supplements using UPLC-UV-MS. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2008 Nov 4;48(3):722-31
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