How Hoodia Can Still Work For Weight Loss

Gordonoside F interacts with a little-known cell receptor known as G protein-coupled receptor 119, or GPR119. This cell receptor is found in the pancreas and intestines. It ordinarily responds to endocannabinoids, the chemicals that are made by the human body and also found in marijuana. (There actually are weight-loss inducing compounds in some African strains of marijuana, although hoodia contains none of the legally restricted chemicals found in marijuana.) The researchers found that when GPR119 receptors are activated by the compound in hoodia, the lining of the intestines secrete a chemical called incretin. This chemical "tells" the stomach not to release digested food, so there is a continued feeling of fullness. It "tells" the pancreas not to release glucagon, a hormone that would cause the creation of glucose from glycogen in the liver, which would result in a "sugar high" followed by a "sugar crash." Gordonoside F puts activity in the digestive tract on hold, so blood sugar levels stay steady even though food is not consumed, and the appetite is reduced because the stomach feels full.

The Chinese researchers did not publish their results just anywhere. They published their findings in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, so that when their corporate counterparts begin to sell hoodia products in the United States, everyone can know that they are based on unassailable science. 

In laboratory experiments with mice, the Chinese research team found that 200 mg of Gordonoside F extract had the appetite-suppressant power of 1000 mg of hoodia extract. They also found that gordonoside worked in many of the same ways as the latest generation of diabetes drugs in the United States, including Byetta, Victoza, and the related drug for obese people who do not necessarily have diabetes, Saxenda.

This isn't to say that diabetics can give up Byetta or Victoza and get the same results from hoodia (while probably losing the unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects caused by Byetta and Victoza). In fact, the Chinese researchers don't have an actual product for sale in any market. However, there are some reliable conclusions to reach from the research and a great deal of positive anecdotal experience:

• Hoodia reliably kills appetite, but its effects will be greatest if it is taken at the beginning of a meal. Don't wait until you are already hungry to take hoodia.

READ How to Avoid Hoodia Supplement Mistakes

• Hoodia will affect blood sugar levels as well as appetite. If you are not a type 1 diabetic, it will encourage the release of insulin by the pancreas. In this case, insulin won't encourage weight gain, because you won't be eating. However, indulging in high-calorie, fatty foods despite taking hoodia could have a distinctly counterproductive effect.
• Unlike Byetta (exenatide), Victoza (liraglutide), or Trulicity (dulaglutide), hoodia is highly unlike to cause urgent diarrhea or abdominal pain. If your doctor has you on one of these drugs and you are having problems with side effects, speak with your doctor about discontinuing your drug for a short-term of trial.

Remember, no herb or medication is a weight loss miracle unless you can see actual changes on the scales. However, it's entirely possible hoodia really is the weight loss miracle many thought it to be, only recently better understood.