Many visitors ask if hoodia has side effects. People seeking to lose weight are often wary of another diet pill, especially after all the negative side effects associated with Ephedra and similar diet pills. Fat burners can have a plethora of side effects, including irritability, insomnia, anxiety, heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat and even reports of impotence among men.
So, the question of whether or not to take hoodia greatly depends on whether or not there are side effects associated with hoodia supplementation.
Among the San tribes of the Kalahari desert, who have been using hoodia for centuries, there are some side effects reported. But the unusual aspect of these hoodia side effects is that they seem to be positive.
Not only does hoodia suppress the appetite, the San say, but it also suppresses the apparent need for water. This is one of the reasons it's so important to these people, who live in one of the world's harshest climates. Hunting parties take hoodia with them instead of food and water -- because the hoodia is easier to carry and eliminates the appetite for both. Hoodia also seems to create a sense of general well-being.
The San also report that eating hoodia increases a man's sexual appetite and virility. Though this particular side effect has not otherwise been observed, the San swear that it's true. Hoodia is sometimes used by the San as a remedy for impotence.
When Phytopharm PLC tested hoodia for side effects, nothing of importance was reported. Hoodia was proven to be as safe as any other supplement. Phytopharm tested hoodia extract, rather than raw hoodia cactus. They currently report that hoodia extract is undergoing further safety tests at their facilities.
The active compound in hoodia, the chemical P57, does not seem to have any side effects.
Those lucky few who've been able to try real hoodia cactus report few side effects. The main action of hoodia is simply to eliminate all desire to eat.
One person interviewed, who had the opportunity to sample hoodia while overseas, reported, "At first it was weird. My stomach was growling but there wasn't any feeling, any thought in my head, associated with it. Then after a couple of hours my stomach settled down." When asked whether thirst was also diminished, this person agreed that his thirst had been diminished, but not as dramatically as his hunger.
The same person reported feeling energetic. He said that a single dose of real hoodia cactus lasted approximately 36 hours and even afterward he felt a somewhat diminished appetite.
Were there any negative side effects? No, our correspondent said. None at all.
