Hoodia (bushman's hat)

Also called bushman's hat, Hoodia gordonii, Hoodia parviflora, xhoba, slimming cactus, P57.

Best grade D across 2 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked

The short answer

From 12 sources

Hoodia is a southern African succulent marketed for appetite control. In the most rigorous trial, 2,220 mg/day of purified Hoodia gordonii extract for 15 days did not reduce food intake or weight, and it raised blood pressure and heart rate. Small Hoodia parviflora trials report modest weight loss. The EU caps adult supplements of dried H. parviflora at 9.4 mg/day.

Every graded outcome on this page

2 rows · line = participants
  1. Grade DBody weight, waist circumference and satietyWeightn 30
  2. No effectEnergy intake and body weightWeightn 49

Key facts

Controlled trial
2,220 mg/day of purified Hoodia gordonii extract for 15 days did not reduce energy intake or body weight versus placebo in 49 overweight women1
NIH view
NCCIH (2025): very little is known; only one small study has tested hoodia supplements in people, and it found no extra weight loss over 15 days111
Side effects
That trial found nausea, vomiting and skin-sensation disturbances (NCCIH also lists dizziness), plus significant rises in blood pressure, pulse and heart rate111
Liver
LiverTox likelihood score E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury); bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase rose slightly in the 15-day trial121
EU limit
EFSA judged dried Hoodia parviflora aerial parts safe as a food supplement for adults only up to 9.4 mg/day, and the EU authorised it on those terms in 2018410
Positive trial
A 4-week Hoodia parviflora product trial in 30 adults reported 1.6 kg more weight loss than placebo; two authors are affiliated with PromoPharma S.p.A.2
Trade status
Hoodia is listed in CITES Appendix II, and some products sold as Hoodia may contain none87

What it is

Hoodia is a group of succulent plants from southwestern Africa, mainly Hoodia gordonii and Hoodia parviflora, sold as appetite-suppressant supplements.

How it works

Proposed

Hoodia contains oxypregnane steroidal glycosides; one of them, P57, is reported to be the main appetite-suppressing constituent. A Hoodia gordonii product also showed beta-adrenergic (sympathomimetic) activity in rat tissue. In the controlled human trial, purified extract did not lower food intake.651

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Hoodia (bushman's hat) forms compared

2 forms
Hoodia (bushman's hat) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 formsPurified Hoodia gordonii extractDried Hoodia parviflora aerial parts
Absorption in peopleNot reported in the trial abstract.1Not reported in the trial abstracts.23
GI toleranceLess well tolerated than placebo: nausea, vomiting and skin-sensation disturbances.1Eight mild, transient possible adverse events in a 40-day consumer trial; EFSA judged 9.4 mg/day the safe supplement maximum for adults, and the EU set that as the limit.3410
Studied forAppetite and weightAppetite and weight
  1. Purified Hoodia gordonii extract
    Absorption in people
    Not reported in the trial abstract.1
    GI tolerance
    Less well tolerated than placebo: nausea, vomiting and skin-sensation disturbances.1
    Studied for
    Appetite and weight
  2. Dried Hoodia parviflora aerial parts
    Absorption in people
    Not reported in the trial abstracts.23
    GI tolerance
    Eight mild, transient possible adverse events in a 40-day consumer trial; EFSA judged 9.4 mg/day the safe supplement maximum for adults, and the EU set that as the limit.3410
    Studied for
    Appetite and weight
Every cell holds data from a cited page; citation numbers link to the page that holds them.Scroll the table for every column

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

2 graded outcomes, largest study first

2 graded outcomes: 1 improved, 1 no effect. The largest, a 2011 randomized trial of 49 people on energy intake and body weight, found no effect.

2. Body weight, waist circumference and satiety: improved, 30 people2
1. Energy intake and body weight: no effect, 49 people1

1Energy intake and body weight

No effect · No-effect grade · RCT, 49 people, 2011

Healthy overweight women, resident in a clinic

Dose, result and source
Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
OutcomeFoundPeopleStudyWho was studied
Energy intake and body weightNo effect49No-effect grade · RCT, 2011Healthy overweight women, resident in a clinic
Body weight, waist circumference and satietyImproved30Grade D · RCT, 2020Overweight and obese adults (25 women, 5 men)
Each circle is one graded outcome on this page, numbered from the largest study down, and placed by how many people it studied (log scale). It shows who was studied and what was found, not advice about your dose.

Every graded row

2 rows
Grade DBody weight, waist circumference and satietyWeightAbout 1.6 kg more weight lossRCT
n 30 · 2020

Improved Weight fell 1.632 kg more than with placebo (95% CI -2.545 to -0.719) and waist circumference 2.080 cm more (95% CI -4.082 to -0.078); satiety scores improved after day 5 (P = 0.001).

Design
RCT, n = 30, 2020
Population
Overweight and obese adults (25 women, 5 men)
Form
Hoodia parviflora (9 mg) with 200 mg fructo-oligosaccharides vs placebo
Dose
9 mg Hoodia parviflora + 200 mg fructo-oligosaccharides, given twice a day
Duration
4 weeks
Source
Reference 2 · PubMed 32218424 (opens PubMed)
No effectEnergy intake and body weightWeightNo effect, more side effectsRCT
n 49 · 2011

No effect Ad libitum energy intake and body weight did not differ from placebo (P > 0.05). The extract was less well tolerated (nausea, vomiting, skin-sensation disturbances), and blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase rose significantly (P < 0.05).

Design
RCT, n = 49, 2011
Population
Healthy overweight women, resident in a clinic
Form
Purified Hoodia gordonii extract in a yogurt drink vs placebo
Dose
1,110 mg twice daily (2,220 mg/day)
Duration
15 days
Source
Reference 1 · PubMed 21993434 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

The most rigorous trial was negative

The clinic-based trial that measured food intake directly found no effect on intake or weight, and more side effects than placebo.1

How we got this: Evidence table on this page

Positive results come from small product trials

The Hoodia parviflora trials were small, short and tied to specific products, and a 2019 review found no clear evidence that herbal weight-loss preparations including Hoodia cause sustained weight loss.239

How we got this: Evidence table and review

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from a Hoodia parviflora product labelled 9 mg (with 200 mg fructo-oligosaccharides, given twice a day; the abstract does not say whether 9 mg is per dose or per day) for 4 weeks to 2,220 mg/day of purified Hoodia gordonii extract for 15 days. A 40-day consumer trial used 3 g frozen cubes of whole Hoodia parviflora aerial parts. These are research doses, not recommendations.123

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

What Hoodia meets

2 cited rows 1 tested together

Medicines 2

Hoodia2 medicines · 1 supplement

Supplements and foods 1

  • Measured in a human study
  • Tested together in a graded trial
Also cited: 1 tested together

  1. Blood pressure medicines and stimulants

    • RCTMeasured in a human study

      Blood pressure medicines and stimulants: Purified Hoodia gordonii extract raised blood pressure, pulse and heart rate over 15 days; combinations with these drugs were not studied.

      Source 1, Am J Clin Nutr (2011)

  2. Drugs broken down by CYP3A4

    • PK studyMeasured in a human study

      Drugs broken down by CYP3A4: Laboratory data only: the Hoodia compound P57 weakly inhibited CYP3A4 in human liver microsomes (IC50 45 microM); clinical relevance is unknown.

      Source 6, Planta Med (2008)

  3. InulinInulin page

    • Tested together

      Body weight, waist circumference and satiety. Graded on the Hoodia page; tested together is not a claim that they work better together.

Rows as our evidence profiles cite them; links stay on this site. Line weight shows what backs a row, not how serious an interaction is. No line means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe. Not medical advice: ask your pharmacist.

Interactions

2 agents
Published interactions, grouped by kind
AgentWhat the source saysEvidence
Medicines2
Drugs broken down by CYP3A4Laboratory data only: the Hoodia compound P57 weakly inhibited CYP3A4 in human liver microsomes (IC50 45 microM); clinical relevance is unknown.6PK study
Blood pressure medicines and stimulantsPurified Hoodia gordonii extract raised blood pressure, pulse and heart rate over 15 days; combinations with these drugs were not studied.1RCT

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Hoodia and your picks, and between your picks.

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Hoodia.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Not medical advice, and no dosing advice. An empty result means no row we cite names that pair, by name or through a drug class we can link the medicine to, not that a combination is safe. Where our sources name only a group of medicines we cannot match, the cabinet says so. Ask your pharmacist before you combine supplements and medicines.

Who should be careful

3 groups
High blood pressure or heart conditions
Purified Hoodia gordonii extract raised blood pressure, pulse and heart rate versus placebo, and a Hoodia product showed beta-adrenergic activity in laboratory tests.15
Liver or gallbladder conditions
Bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase rose slightly during 15 days of purified extract, without symptoms. LiverTox gives hoodia likelihood score E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury) and notes it has not been convincingly linked to acute liver injury.112
Children, teenagers, pregnancy and breastfeeding
No reliable data. NCCIH says little is known about whether hoodia is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding, LactMed has no hoodia entry, EFSA's safety conclusion covers adults only, and the trials give no data for these groups.1141
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

Blood pressure, heart rate and stomach effects

4 notes

Seen in the largest controlled trial.

15-day trial
Purified Hoodia gordonii extract raised blood pressure, pulse and heart rate and caused nausea, vomiting and skin-sensation disturbances compared with placebo.1
Possible mechanism
A Hoodia gordonii product relaxed rat uterine muscle partly through beta-adrenergic receptors, which the authors link to reported rises in blood pressure and pulse.5
Liver markers
Bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase rose with the extract over 15 days, but ALT did not and no one developed liver injury; LiverTox rates hoodia E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).112
EU intake limit
EFSA found the proposed use of Hoodia parviflora in foods would exceed safe intake levels and judged it safe only as an adult food supplement at up to 9.4 mg/day; the EU authorised it on those terms.410

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks
Which species

Hoodia gordonii extract and dried Hoodia parviflora are different products: the negative controlled trial used H. gordonii, the positive trials used H. parviflora products.123

Is it really Hoodia?

Some commercial products may not contain Hoodia at all; in one forensic study, DNA barcoding identified Hoodia more reliably than chemical profiling.78

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, hoodia (bushman's hat) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

5 answers
Does hoodia suppress appetite?

Not in the most rigorous test: 2,220 mg/day of purified Hoodia gordonii extract for 15 days did not lower ad libitum food intake or weight versus placebo (49 women). A 30-person Hoodia parviflora product trial reported better satiety scores after day 5, but it was small and industry-linked.12

Are hoodia products genuine?

Not always: some products may contain no Hoodia, and international trade in Hoodia is regulated under CITES Appendix II.78

Is hoodia safe?

In a 15-day trial, purified extract caused nausea, vomiting and skin-sensation disturbances and raised blood pressure and heart rate; NCCIH says little is known about its safety. The EU allows dried Hoodia parviflora in adult supplements only up to 9.4 mg/day, the level EFSA judged safe.111410

Does hoodia damage the liver?

No convincing link has been found. LiverTox gives it likelihood score E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury). In the 15-day trial, bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase rose slightly versus placebo, but ALT did not and no one developed liver injury.121

Is hoodia legal to sell?

It depends on the species and market. Hoodia is listed in CITES Appendix II, so international trade needs permits. In the EU, dried Hoodia parviflora aerial parts are authorised as a novel food only in adult supplements up to 9.4 mg/day (Regulation 2018/1133).8104

Sources

12 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

12 sources
  1. 1Effects of 15-d repeated consumption of Hoodia gordonii purified extract on safety, ad libitum energy intake, and body weight in healthy, overweight women: a randomized controlled trial.RCT Am J Clin Nutr, 2011 · PMID 21993434
  2. 2Effects of Hoodia Parviflora on satiety, abdominal obesity and weight in a group of overweight subjects: a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial.RCT Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol, 2020 · PMID 32218424
  3. 3Efficacy and acceptance of a commercial Hoodia parviflora product for support of appetite and weight control in a consumer trial.RCT J Med Food, 2015 · PMID 25453380
  4. 4Safety of dried aerial parts of Hoodia parviflora as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97.Guideline EFSA J, 2017 · PMID 32625297
  5. 5Sympathomimetic activity of a Hoodia gordonii product: a possible mechanism of cardiovascular side effects.Animal study Biomed Res Int, 2013 · PMID 24307991
  6. 6In vitro metabolic stability and intestinal transport of P57AS3 (P57) from Hoodia gordonii and its interaction with drug metabolizing enzymes.PK study Planta Med, 2008 · PMID 18612942
  7. 7Case report. Efficacy of Hoodia for weight loss: is there evidence to support the efficacy claims?Review J Clin Pharm Ther, 2010 · PMID 20831685
  8. 8Forensic identification of CITES protected slimming cactus (Hoodia) using DNA barcoding.Observational J Forensic Sci, 2013 · PMID 23865560
  9. 9Evidence for the efficacy and safety of herbal weight loss preparations.Review J Integr Med, 2019 · PMID 30738773
  10. 10Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1133 authorising the placing on the market of dried aerial parts of Hoodia parviflora as a novel foodGuideline European Commission (EUR-Lex), 2018 · eur-lex.europa.eu
  11. 11Hoodia: Usefulness and SafetyFact sheet NCCIH, 2025 · nccih.nih.gov
  12. 12HoodiaDatabase LiverTox (NCBI Bookshelf), 2018 · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries
Dated changes to this page
DateChangeWho and why
key facts, who should avoid, safety, FAQ, questions, relatedAdded the NCCIH hoodia fact sheet (2025: very little known, one small human study; pregnancy and breastfeeding safety unknown; dizziness among side effects) and the LiverTox entry (likelihood score E). Replaced FAQ items already covered by the page's own questions (what it is, weight, interactions) with appetite, liver and legal status; added page questions and the metabolic goal hub. PubMed search (hoodia, all years) found no human trial newer than 2020; the 2015 consumer trial stays out of the graded table because its abstract gives no participant count. Interactions re-checked in NCCIH and LiverTox: none beyond the two already listed; LactMed has no hoodia entry.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
allIndependent adversarial review: the 9.4 mg/day limit is now attributed correctly (EFSA judged it safe; the EU set it in Regulation 2018/1133); Unilever trial authorship corrected (six Unilever, two Phytopharm authors; Unilever-funded); two, not one, PromoPharma authors on the 2020 trial; noted that the 2020 dose may exceed the EU limit; CITES wording; removed an unsourced common name.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: review
allInitial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record, none retracted) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

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