Hoodia

• Lots of hype, but no human trials yet. See this link for more information, http://www.hoodia-dietpills.com

• Active agent has been identified (P57), but many products do not contain P57

• Because of over-harvesting, the plant is now a protected species

• Pfizer originally had rights to develop P57, but released its rights in 2002

• Reports say Pfizer was concerned about effects on the liver

The Bottom Line

• We do not know yet if this is helpful for weight loss. But to keep patients safe, we should do liver function tests on anyone taking hoodia.