Hoodia has been heralded as a centuries old, natural appetite suppressant. If you've done any research at all, you know that those who market it claim it has no side effects at all. That's not exactly true. First let's look at the definition of side effects. Almost all consumers read the words side effect and immediately think of something negative. All the term really means is any effect that isn't the intentionally desired effect. In the case of Hoodia, one of the side effects is that of mood enhancer. That's actually a positive side effect. This article will point out some possible positive and negative Hoodia side effects.

The first Hoodia side effect is one we mentioned above, that of mood enhancer. In many people it does show the effect of raising their mood, and in some it also has the effect of increased libido. There is still a lot of testing ongoing, but both of these are fairly common side effects found with regular Hoodia use.

Scientists have pinpointed molecule P57 as the one responsible for Hoodia's ability to suppress the appetite. They have also discovered that this molecule is broken down by the body through our liver. If your liver is healthy and normal this is a good thing, but if you suffer from any kind of liver impairment, this added workload can stress your liver, causing problems. Since it's processed through the liver, it also may have possible interactions with many common drugs, such as those for blood pressure, diabet3es, cholesterol, depression and other illnesses. While this hasn't shown up with indigenous people, they also don't suffer from the same illnesses we do.

There's also a very real concern regarding those who use Hoodia and also suffer from diabetes. Hoodia suppresses appetite and scientists believe this may be accomplished through Hoodia's ability to trick the brain into thinking the body's blood sugar is stable. This could cause a short circuit of the warning system built into our bodies and could cause a person's blood sugar to drop dangerously low.

The last Hoodia side effect that causes concern is the fact that it isn't just an appetite suppressant, but also suppresses thirst. There are even a few undocumented cases of tribesmen who took it to suppress their appetite and died from dehydration. Hoodia does show great promise, but like all medications and supplements, you should check with your doctor to see if its right for you.