Hoodia Gordonii

What Is Hoodia Gordonii?

Hoodia gordonii is a cactus-like succulent plant from South Africa. It was marketed heavily in the 2000s as a "miracle appetite suppressant" based on claims that African tribesmen used it to suppress hunger during long hunts.

The promise: Natural appetite suppression that makes you eat less without feeling hungry.

The reality: Failed clinical trials, no measurable appetite suppression, and potentially dangerous side effects.

Why Hoodia Doesn't Work

1. Failed Clinical Trials

Multiple pharmaceutical companies (including Pfizer and Unilever) invested millions researching Hoodia. All abandoned the projects after clinical trials showed:

• No significant appetite suppression compared to placebo
• Inconsistent active ingredient content between batches
• Potential liver toxicity concerns

2. No Consistent Active Ingredient

Hoodia supplements are notoriously unreliable. Studies found that many products labeled "Hoodia gordonii" contained little to no actual Hoodia, or had wildly varying amounts of the supposed active compound (P57).

3. The "Tribal Use" Story Is Misleading

While African San people may have used Hoodia during hunts, they were also in extreme caloric deficits, dehydrated, and under physical stress—making it impossible to isolate Hoodia's effect.

The Science (Or Lack Thereof)

Hoodia was heavily hyped but never delivered:

• 2008 Pfizer Study: Showed no significant weight loss; abandoned development
• 2011 Review: Found "insufficient evidence" to support appetite suppression claims
• Unilever Study: Stopped trials due to safety concerns and lack of efficacy

Translation: Billion-dollar companies spent millions trying to make Hoodia work and gave up because it doesn't.

Side Effects & Safety Concerns

Hoodia is not just ineffective—it may be harmful:

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Nausea and dizziness
• Headaches
• Potential liver damage (reason Pfizer stopped trials)

Given the lack of benefits and potential risks, Hoodia fails both the effectiveness and safety tests.

Why It Was Popular

Hoodia became a billion-dollar industry due to:

• Compelling "ancient tribal wisdom" marketing story
• Celebrity endorsements and TV appearances
• Desperate consumers looking for easy appetite control
• Unregulated supplement industry allowing false claims

By the time clinical trials proved it didn't work, supplement companies had already made fortunes.

Pros & Cons

Try This Instead

What to Use Instead

For actual appetite control that works:

• Psyllium Husk Fiber: Proven to increase satiety and fullness → See our fiber review
• Glucomannan: Expands in stomach, natural appetite suppressant → See our glucomannan review
• Protein Powder: Most satiating macronutrient → See our protein review
• Caffeine: Mild appetite suppression + proven fat loss → See our caffeine review

The Verdict

Hoodia gordonii is an obsolete scam that failed clinical trials a decade ago.

Major pharmaceutical companies spent millions trying to make it work and abandoned it due to lack of efficacy and safety concerns. Yet supplement companies still sell it to uninformed consumers.

If billion-dollar pharma companies with world-class researchers couldn't make Hoodia work, the $25 bottle you buy online won't either.

Don't waste your money on failed 2000s-era pseudoscience.

See Hoodia Gordonii on Amazon →

Link provided for reference only. We do NOT recommend purchasing this product.