Is Hoodia good for diabetes?

Is Hoodia bad for diabetes?

Can Hoodia reverse Diabetes?

Which is the true answer?

There are different opinions about the hoodia and diabetes relationship. While some doctors say hoodia is not effective for diabetes, others believe it helps.

It is well known that obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans are extremely related. It is also known that weight loss in obese or overweight persons tends to reverse the symptoms of diabetes. Then, hoodia is of dual benefit for diabetics, because at one side, it can induce weight loss, and at the other can reduce glucose independently from the appetite suppression effects.

But forget about the personal opinions, and let´s go to the research and development field, where do exist demonstrations about hoodia effectiveness to diabetes.

Phytopharm Invention and Diabetes

There is one research done, and it is the basis for the USPTO patent # 7033616, assigned to Phytopharm in 2006. Let´s go with some comments about it.

Into the full patent documents, it is stated that "Diabetes is a deficiency condition marked by a habitual discharge of an excessive quantity of urine; in particular, it includes diabetes mellitus, which is a metabolic disorder in which the ability to oxidize carbohydrates is more or less completely lost, usually due to faulty pancreatic activity, especially of the islets of Langerhans, and consequent disturbance of normal insulin mechanism. This produces hyperglycemia with resulting glycosuria and polyuria giving symptoms of thirst, hunger, emaciation and weakness and also imperfect combustion of fats with resulting acidosis, sometimes leading to dyspnea, lipemia, ketonuria, and finally coma; there may also be pruritus and lowered resistance to pyogenic infections (Dorland's Medical Dictionary--24.sup.th Edition--W.B.Saunders Company). "

"The diabetic disease state is characterized by an impaired glucose metabolism that manifests itself in, inter alia, elevated glucose levels in patients suffering therefrom. Generally, diabetes is classified into two distinct subgroups:

Type 1 diabetes

, or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), which arises when patients lack .beta.-cells producing insulin in their pancreatic glands, and

Type 2 diabetes

, or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), which occurs in patients with, inter alia, impaired .beta.-cell function. "

The patent # 7033616 is related to extracts, compounds and pharmaceutical compositions having anti-diabetic activity and their use, and was assigned to Phytopharm, UK.

The inventors were Rubin; Ian Duncan (Nottingham, GB), Bindra; Jasjit Singh (Groton, CT), Cawthorne; Michael Anthony (Milton Keynes, GB)

The abstract literally mentions "The invention relates inter alia to pharmaceutical compositions containing an extract obtainable from a plant of the genus Trichocaulon or Hoodia having anti-diabetic activity; and to the use of such extracts and to compound (1) as herein defined and its analogues for the manufacture of medicaments having anti-diabetic activity. "