Q: What is Hoodia?
A: Hoodia Gordonii is a succulent plant in the genus Asclepiadaceae. It produces multi-stemmed clumps about 50cm in height and bears a horrible-smelling, pale purple flower about 10cm in diameter. Hoodia Gordonii grows in semi-arid areas of the southern African continent. The San people, who are probably better known as the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, consume the sour-tasting plant on long hunting trips. 
The regular demonstration of the appetite-suppressing effects of hoodia has led to enormous public awareness in the use of this plant as the foundation of a dietary supplement for use in weight control.
Q: Is Hoodia in the natural form a drug?
A: No, Hoodia is a natural dietary supplement that contains no caffeine or ephedra. The key effective substance in natural hoodia extracts are the steroidal glycosides and various other things like fibre, organic material and antioxidants.
Q: Are Hoodia steroidal glycosides the same as a cardiac glycoside?
A: Researchers were fascinated by the fact that steroidal glycoside is chemically comparable to a type of plant-derived compound named cardiac glycosides from the foxglove plant. Cardiac glycosides increase the force of contraction of the heart muscle and help sustain normal heart rate and rhythm. One of the side effects of these cardiac glycosides is appetite loss.
Cardiac glycosides work by interacting with particular receptor molecules which are embedded in our cell walls. When stimulated, these receptors start a chain of events in the cell, effect of which is the action accredited to the drug.
In spite of the similarity (which includes the appetite-suppressing effect) between steroidal glycoside and cardiac glycosides, initial research with steroidal glycoside did not show any effect on Na/K-ATPase receptors in the cells, which is indicative that steroidal glycoside is probably not a cardiac glycoside. Steroidal glycoside also did not show an effect on a wide range of other kinds of receptors. Consequently the mode of action at a cellular level is a bit of a mystery.
Q: How does the Hoodia really work?
The Hoodia plant contains a molecule called Steroidal Glycoside, as explained above, that is estimated to be up to 100,000 times more potent than glucose in sending signals to the brain that the body is not hungry. Basically hoodia formula is simply a process that takes away your cravings for food.
Q: Are there side effects from using Hoodia?
There are no known harmful side effects. There has been major research into hoodia and thus far it has been proven to be free from serious side effects. In fact, the South African government classes hoodia as food type, not a drug. Furthermore, certain South African natives (which include children and the elderly) have been using hoodia for generations without any acknowledged undesirable side effects. It seems the only thing to be worried about is if the hoodia is truly pure authentic South African hoodia. If this is the case then hoodia side effects are virtually non-existent.
Q: Is there anyone who shouldn’t use Hoodia?
A: While hoodia is considered very safe and side effect free, women who are pregnant, thinking about pregnancy or nursing would be advised not to use hoodia supplements. Additionally, if you suffer from high blood pressure, you may want to check with your physician before starting any hoodia supplement course. In any case, it always makes sense to check with your doctor or physician before starting any new supplements course, whether you suffer from any ailments or not.
