Everywhere you look, hoodia is being pushed as an easy weight loss fix.

What is it? Hoodia gordonii, although it looks like a cactus, is actually a succulent from southern Africa.

How does it work? Hoodia tricks the brain into thinking you’ve eaten, and makes you feel full. Hoodia also reportedly reduces interest in food, delays the time after eating before hunger sets in again, and helps a person feel full more quickly. Hoodia may work right away, or it make take several weeks to feel its full effect. Bushmen from the Kalahari Desert area have been using hoodia for centuries to help ward off hunger during long trips in the desert.

Is it safe? Hoodia gordonii is entirely natural. It is not a stimulant or a drug. At this time, it has no known side effects. Pharmaceutical companies find it so promising, however, that they are trying to isolate the appetite-suppressing molecule, P57, to create a patented diet drug in the future.

Some food for thought: Just because a supplement decreases your appetite doesn’t mean that it will also decrease your waist line.