Introduction

One of the most popular products in the weight loss industry is now available in patch form.  The Hoodia patch is supposed to work in a way similar to how the Hoodia pills worked, except instead of having to take a pill all you need to do is affix a patch to your skin once a day.  Since patches are generally regarded as more convenient than pills, the Hoodia patch has been well received ever since its introduction. We recommend you read our other diet supplement reviews and fat burner reviews and learn more about herbal weight loss.

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The Mechanism

While hoodia gordonii as an ingredient does have some very impressive anecdotal evidence surrounding its ability to promote satiety and therefore reduce caloric intake, this is evidence that is not supported within the scientific community.  Hoodia is one of the few products that became popular enough just through the internet to attract the attention of the scientific community.  That in itself is an interesting point, but what is more relevant for the purpose of this review is that the scientific community has yet to come up with any convincing proof that the anecdotal evidence is correct.

Weight loss science is not by any chance complete in terms of the knowledge base and for that reason there are a lot of people that like to play hunches based on anecdotal evidence.  This is how products like Hoodia get to become hyped in the first place.  Often, as is the case here however, it is in spite of real evidence against the product.

Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council, a nonprofit research organization in Austin, Texas says:

"We can only say the evidence available to us right now, which is considered inadequate, suggests that there is some type of appetite-suppressing mechanism in some of the naturally occurring chemicals in hoodia."

The laboratory evidence Blumenthal refers to was produced by David MacLean, MD, an adjunct associate professor at Brown University in Providence, R.I., and a former researcher at the pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer. In a report published in the Sept. 10, 2004, issue of Brain Research, MacLean reported that a molecule in hoodia, called P57, likely has an effect on the brain's hypothalamus, which helps regulate appetite. His study was done in animals.

There is also plenty of evidence to suggest it does work such as: 

Hoodia gordonii: a natural appetite suppressant. , van Heerden FR., J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Oct 28;119(3):434-7. Epub 2008 Aug 30. Review.

The main hype behind Hoodia products surrounds their main ingredient.  If you take a look at the list of ingredients for any Hoodia product, you will quickly discover that the main ingredient is really the only ingredient in there that is potentially relevant to dieting and weight loss.  That ingredient is hoodia gordonii and to say that it took the dieting world by storm is to become a candidate for biggest understatement of the decade.  Hoodia was the main weight loss hype less than a year ago and even though many have moved on to other pastures, there are many that still swear by the almost mythical anecdotal prowess that hoodia gordonii supplies.  It is supposed to be the best appetite suppressant around if you believe the stories, with people claiming some ridiculously small caloric intake amounts as a direct result of using it.

The Facts

While hoodia gordonii as an ingredient does have some very impressive anecdotal evidence surrounding its ability to promote satiety and therefore reduce caloric intake, this is evidence that is not supported within the scientific community.  Hoodia is one of the few products that became popular enough just through the internet to attract the attention of the scientific community.  That in itself is an interesting point, but what is more relevant for the purpose of this review is that the scientific community has yet to come up with any convincing proof that the anecdotal evidence is correct.

Weight loss science is not by any chance complete in terms of the knowledge base and for that reason there are a lot of people that like to play hunches based on anecdotal evidence.  This is how products like Hoodia get to become hyped in the first place.  Often, as is the case here however, it is in spite of real evidence against the product.

What does this mean for users of hoodia gordonii that swear by the ingredient?  It can mean any number of things.  It could mean that those people experienced something else at the same time that accounted for their dietary success, or it could mean that hoodia gordonii is a specific experience that works for some people and does not work for others.  Or in the end, it could mean that using hoodia gordonii is a very hit or miss proposition.  However you slice it though, the main thing to keep in mind is that if you do decide to use the Hoodia patch or any other product containing hoodia gordonii, you will be doing it in spite of the scientific evidence, not because of it.

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