Research philosophy

Phytopharm’s policy is to invert the usual route to the development of therapeutic medications. It believes that it is quicker and easier to begin research on current functional foods with apparent medicinal qualities rather than attempt to create new molecules in a laboratory and then try to work out whether they have any therapeutic value. Given a single plant, there are only a certain number of chemical components that either singly or in combination could have the medicinal effect. It is therefore quicker to isolate the active chemical(s) and move to the development stage as a pharmaceutical product. Alternatively, the plant may be developed as a food additive for Western consumption. Here the policy would be to develop an extract that would be marketed to the Food & Beverage Industry as having potentially beneficial qualities.

How does P57 work?

The researchers working for Phytopharm speculate that P57 acts on the brain in the same basic way as glucose, i.e. the brain gets the message that you are full even though you have not eaten. Because you lose your appetite, you reduce your food intake, work your body longer between meals and so lose weight. Further, some who used Hoodia report that, even though it is not formally a stimulant, they feel stronger and better focussed. Practical experience suggests that you have to take the product for up to two weeks before the effects become noticeable. The San eat Hoodia on a regular basis and so maintain steady state of active components in their blood stream. You also have to build up the concentration in your body.

Actual research results

In preliminary animal tests, Hoodia caused a decrease in appetite and body weight not apparently to be due to any toxic effect from the extract. In 2001 Phytopharm conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. It selected a group of overweight, but otherwise healthy volunteers and divided them into two groups. One group received the P57 extract, while the other received a placebo. All the patients were instructed not to change their normal diet and exercise routine. As compared to the placebo group, each member of the P57 group:

• began a statistically significant reduction in body fat after taking the extract for fifteen days;
• consumed about 1,000 calories a day less than those in the control group; and
• had no adverse side effects.

Questions for the future

More trials are underway to confirm effectiveness and safety. In relation to safety, one inevitable question is whether appetite is suppressed so completely that the body will not notice that it is starving. Self-evidently, we all need to eat to survive. Under normal circumstances, hunger stimulates us to eat when our stomachs are empty. The clinical evidence collected so far suggests that Hoodia’s effect is not strong enough to suppress hunger completely. Your brain will recognise when food is genuinely required for survival. But it breaks the habit cycle of expecting to eat at particular times whether you are genuinely hungry or not. There is no incentive to “snack” between meals. The net effect is therefore to consumer fewer calories and so lose weight. And it is easier to maintain the motivation because your hunger pangs are delayed until you really are ready for food.

Should you try Hoodia?

It appears that the process of collecting scientific evidence in support of Hoodia is well underway. In the meantime, you must decide whether you want to give it a try. One factor in this is certain. No-one has reported any adverse side-effects from taking Hoodia. Nevertheless, it would be wise to discuss the decision with your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:

• high blood pressure or heart disease;
• a disorder affecting your haemostatic system for controlling blood clotting;
• diabetes; or
• any eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

These are serious conditions for which you may already be taking medication. The advice of a professional should always be taken before adding a new product to your existing treatment regime.