Hi gang! I have been taking this
"all natural herb" called Hoodia. It's suposed to help subdue the urges to eat. It seems to be working I have lost about 7 lbs. since I started it.
What's in this stuff anyway(I know it's a root and that's about it)
How does it work and can it hurt me due to my gut situation?
Julie

Hey Julie,

Congrats on loosing weight!..How long did it take you?
I dont have any info on the herb but if you are feeling good i cant see it doing any harm unless you intend to take if forever!..
I guess it is a herb so not as strong as some synthetic drugs can be.

Hi Julie,
This is what I know about Hoodia from a botany professor of mine at Weber State University.
It is an African plant used by some of the plains indigenous tribe huntsmen. Dr Stephen Clark PhD. has studied them and other ethnobotanical interactions. They use it when they are going to be afield for some time as an appetite suppressant. BUT- the African plains people are using the plant in it's natural form- grown in the wild and not processed in a factory. I don't know what kind of concentration it is offered in commercially or what else has been done to the plant to sell it worldwide by pseudo pharmaceutical companies. Many people report success with the "supplement" but there is little research into the its effects the way it is used for weight loss. This means no documentation as to how it may effect someone missing a digestive system body part (how is it absorbed and how long before it should be cleared from the body?)
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or a licensed natruo-path (sp, sorry).
I will see what else I can find out, 'cause I'm curious too.
Lani

My main concern is that this stuff doesn't turn into a St Johns Wart type herbal medicine. As it turns out S.J.W is a MAO inhibitor and shouldn't be taken while on regular AD's. I don't know what kind of strength S.J.W. comes in but there is potential for life threatening reactions. You also are not to drink certain red wines(Cianti(sp?) I believe, and certain aged cheeses. I'm sure there is more...I remember my regular doc(long time ago) telling me that she didn't have a problem with her patients taking suppliments or herbal remedies. About 3 mo later they came out with the news on S.J.W.
I'll look around some more but I haven't found anything either...
Julie

Julie,
Unless you are on regular prescribed medication the herb itself is probabaly ok if you are feeling good so far. I think the danger lies mainly in interactions with drugs.
Once you achieve the weight loss you want you ll stop it anyways .

Hmmm, maybe I'll write off a note to Jan and see if she as anything on it...
JAN ARE YOU HOME!!!!

Well, Hoodia is one of those things that there just is not enough information compiled yet to base an educated opinion on. There are studies underway, but they are not complete. Early studies showed that people taking hoodia consumed about 1000 calories less per day. The theory is that it tricks the brain into thinking there is more blood sugar than there really is, stimulating the satiety center, and reducing your appetite. Long term effects are unknown and there is a concern if you have diabetes, that this could be a problem. Plus, there is no research with anyone on any other medications.

There are also some belief that it suppresses thirst along with hunger. There have been reports that some shepherds in Africa who took hoodia to take the edge off their hunger pangs and wound up dieing of dehydration because they did not drink. So, I can see how this could possibly be a problem for us, who can be prone to dehydration.

Another consideration is that there are a great deal of fake products out there, since hoodia is hard to come by. It has not been cultivated yet, and past product has come from wild gathering. There have been studies showing that there are products out there with absolutely no hoodia in them (since they are food supplements, they are not under FDA oversight).

Mainly, I would just be cautious. Be sure the manufacturer of the product you use has a verified quality control, AND make sure your doctor is aware of what you are taking, since you are on multiple medications.

Read these for more information:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/hoodia/

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/hoodia-lots-of-hoopla-little-science

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=57305

Hope that helps.

Jan

Thank you so much Jan!!
I did tell my doc that I was taking it...She told me to be careful and keep an eye out for any GI problems that may spring up.
With that said...I can tell you that I have lost weight, about 6# now and I have been on it for about 3 or 4 weeks. It does cut back on my hunger. My big problem was having insomnia and I would eat during the night for no reason. It also seems to have cut the cravings for sweets. I have not noticed any big increase/decrease
in my hydration. My urine continues to be of normal color.
All that said I will continue to take the Hoodia and will report anything that may come up as a + or - for me.
Consider me a guinea pig!
Too bad there isn't a chemist among us(or is there?)
Julie

Sounds like you are fine. As with all supplements or drugs, individual tolerances are...individual.

Half a pound a week is a good amount. Not too fast so that you begin feeling deprived. Of course, the first 10 pounds are supposed to be the easy ones. If your results hold out in the long run- say six months or so, make sure to let us know what brand you are taking so that we at least know of one brand that is not fake.

Jan