It seems that every time you turn on the radio there is a commercial for a weight loss supplement containing hoodia. Advertisers excitedly rant about how the supplements help you drop pounds without diet or exercise. Sounds a little too good to be true? It likely is.

Hoodia is a cactus-like plant that grows wild in the African Kalahari desert. African Bushmen have used this plant for centuries to help suppress the appetite on hunting trips when food is not readily available. In its purest form hoodia has been proven to be quite effective as an appetite suppressant. It has been featured on 60 Minutes and in Oprah's magazine, O, as a weight loss miracle product.

Supplement manufacturers took advantage of these esteemed endorsements to market weight loss products containing hoodia. The problem is that while many of these products may contain hoodia, they do not contain the pure form or enough of the active ingredients to be very effective. Phytopharm, the company with the patent rights to hoodia extract, performed a double blind study with 19 participants in 2001. Results were positive; participants who took the hoodia products cut their caloric intake by 1,000 calories per day. However, because the study was so small it was never published.

It may be interesting to note that north of the border Health Canada has never approved a hoodia product as safe or effective. As well, hoodia has been listed in under the Convention of the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Since May 2006 the Canadian government has been intercepting illegal shipments of hoodia supplements at its borders. Consumers ordering hoodia products are asked to check for CITES permits before placing an order, otherwise they will not receive the product.