The Web is filled with ads for Hoodia products, capsules, extract -- even a Hoodia patch! The companies selling this stuff promise Hoodia will help you shed the pounds without feeling hungry.

It contains "a miracle molecule," they say, "that fools the brain into believing you are full."

Besides losing weight, Hoodia is supposed to make you feel better, because it has "a feel-good aphrodisiac quality."

Hoodia has another big selling point - it's natural and not a stimulant. Many of the products containing Hoodia boast that they do not contain caffeine.

So just what is Hoodia? It comes from a rare succulent cactus that grows in South Africa's Kalahari Desert. The San people (formerly known as "Bushmen") who live there chew the plant's stalks before going on long hunting trips. They believe it increases their endurance, and curbs their appetite and thirst.

But, as Consumer Reports points out, Hoodia is "long on the exotic and short on the evidence."

The ads are filled with testimonials about the wonders of Hoodia. News organizations big and small have reported on it. But there has been almost no human testing to see if it really works. "There is no conclusive evidence that Hoodia is an effective appetite suppressant," says the Mayo Clinic Web site (Read more here)

The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter advises readers not to "take a chance" with Hoodia supplements because no one knows if it's safe, especially when used regularly. There's been almost no testing to see if these Hoodia supplements work, explains Dr. John Swartzberg, who heads the editorial board at the Wellness Letter.

Hoodia sales have been boosted by a number of news reports, including coverage by ABC, the BBC and 60 Minutes. (Read: African Plant May Help Fight Fat)

These reports focus on the Hoodia that grows in South Africa. As Dr. Swartzberg points out, Hoodia is also grown in China, Mexico, even the U.S. (Texas), and scientists do not know if these other varieties contain the active ingredient that has been identified in the South African Hoodia plants.

"Even if somebody claims it's 100 percent Hoodia, you have no idea whether it is or not," Dr. Swartzberg cautions, because dietary supplements are basically unregulated. "You have no way of knowing if it's pure and what else is mixed in with it," he says.

The editors of Consumer Reports say, "Given the very scanty evidence that Hoodia works, and the even scantier evidence that it's safe, particularly long-term, we do not recommend taking these supplements.

For More Information:

Hoodia: Lose weight without feeling hungry?

Hoodia, the new weight loss miracle?