Species of Hoodia Sweet ex Decne., family Apocynaceae, a southern African succulent plant, have been recognized for their appetite suppressing properties. Products that support appetite and weight control have been developed in Israel from locally cultivated Hoodia spp. To study consumer acceptance, efficacy of, and tolerance for a frozen product based on whole aerial parts of Hoodia parviflora N.E. Br., we initiated and conducted this single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled consumer trial. Volunteer participants ingested flavored 3 g frozen Hoodia or placebo cubes for 40 days. Subjects were weighed and measured and baseline body-mass index was determined. Adverse events were monitored and eight mild, transient, possible treatment-emergent events were reported. No moderate, severe, or chronic events were reported. On days 1, 10, and 40, subjects self-reported their perceptions of food consumption, hunger development, incidence and control of food cravings, and efficacy of the product. On day 40, the treatment group demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in measured quantitative parameters against the placebo and reported a positive perception of the product.
Keywords: Hoodia parviflora; dietary herbal supplement; obesity; weight loss.