Hoodia Latina

The first clinical tests of Hoodia Gordonii performed by Phytopharm in the UK on obese patients had clear conclussions. Half of the volunteers were given Hoodia Gordonii, the other half volunteers were given placebo. The participants at the research followed a normal life, and were allowed to read, watch television and eat as in common life.

After 15 days it was found that those taking Hoodia Gordonii had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. Despite having unlimited access to food, the Hoodia volunteers lost weight.

So the drug’s potential speaks for itself.

Phytopharm’s Dr Richard Dixey explained how P.57 actually works: “There is a part of your brain, the hypothalamus. Within that mid-brain there are nerve cells that sense glucose sugar.
“When you eat, blood sugar goes up because of the food, these cells start firing and now you are full. “What the Hoodia seems to contain is a molecule that is about 10,000 times as active as glucose.

Increased ATP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety: studies of the anorectic mechanism of a plant steroidal glycoside.

This research was developed by MacLean DB and Luo LG, at the Division of Endocrinology, Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Brown Medical School, Providence.

Briefing of the report:

A steroidal glycoside with anorectic activity in animals, termed P57AS3 (P57), was isolated from Hoodia gordonii and found to have homologies to the steroidal core of cardiac glycosides. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections of the purified P57AS3 demonstrated that the compound has a likely central (CNS) mechanism of action.

There is no evidence of P57AS3 binding to or altering activity of known receptors or proteins, including Na/K-ATPase, the putative target of cardiac glycosides. The studies demonstrated that the compound increases the content of ATP by 50-150% in hypothalamic neurons.