Precautions
Consumers have no way of telling by looking at or
tasting the product whether it actually contains
hoodia. In addition, very little is known about the
safety of hoodia when used on a daily basis for an
extended time, nor has any standard dosage been
developed. It is true that the San have used this herb
for many years to curb hunger. However, they use
hoodia only occasionally and for short periods.
Interactions
Not enough is know about hoodia to know if or
how it interacts with drugs or other herbs.
Complications
Very little is known about the long-term effects of
hoodia use. There are some anecdotal stories about
people using hoodia forgetting to drink and suffering
complications ofdehydration.
Parental concerns
Parents should be aware that the safe dose of
many herbal supplements has not been establsihed
for children. Accidental overdose may occur if chil-
dren are give adult herbal supplements.
Resources
BOOKS
Fragakis, Allison.The Health Professional’s Guide to Pop-
ular Dietary SupplementsChicago: American Dietetic
Association, 2003
Wildman, Robert E. C., ed.Handbook of Nutraceuticals and
Functional Foods,2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC/Tay-
lor&Francis, 2007.
PERIODICALS
Duewald, Mary. ‘‘An Appetite Killer for a Killer Appetite?
Not Yet.’’New York TimesApril 19, 2005. http://
Khalsa, K. P. S. ‘‘Halt Hunger With Hoodia?’’Better
Nutrition69, no. 1 (January 31, 2007):26.
ORGANIZATIONS
Alternative Medicine Foundation. P. O. Box 60016, Poto-
mac, MD 20859. Telephone: (301) 340-1960. Fax: (301)
340-1936. Website: http://<www.amfoundation.org>
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Med-
icine Clearinghouse. P. O. Box 7923, Gathersburg, MD
- Telephone: (888) 644-6226. TTY: (866) 464-
- Fax: (866) 464-3616. Website: http://<nccam.nih
.gov>
OTHER
Adams, Mike. ‘‘Consumer Alert: Hoodia Gordonii Weight
Loss Pills Scam Exposed by Independent Ingestiga-
tion.’’ News Target, March 26, 2005. http://
<www.newstarget.com/006016.html>
CBS News. ‘‘African Plant May Help Fight Fat.’’ CBS News
Online, November 21, 2004. http://
<www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/18/60minutes/
main656458.shtml>
Mayo Clinic Staff. ‘‘Hoodia: An Effective Appetite Sup-
pressant?’’ MayoClinic.com, September 6, 2005. http://
<www.mayoclinic.com/health>
Phytopharm. ‘‘Hoodia Factfile.’’ Phytopharm. Undated,
accessed January 30, 2007. http://<www.phytopharm
.co.uk/hoodiafactfile>Tish Davidson, A.M.Hyperactivity and sugar
Definition
Hyperactivity is behavior characterized by over-
activity, impulsivity, distractibility, and decreased
attention span. A popular but controversial belief is
that children are more likely to be hyperactive if they
eat sugar.Description
Hyperactive children tend to be overly active, and
have constant difficulty paying attention. Activity lev-
els in children vary with their age. It is entirely normal
for a 2-year old to be more active, and to have a
shorter attention span, than an older child. Attention
levels also vary depending on the child’s interest for a
given activity. Hyperactive children are those whose
activity levels for their age are consistently higher than
expected.
The hyperactivity-sugar controversy is due to
numerous claims made by parents after observing
hyperactivity in children who eat foods containing
sugar, orartificial sweeteners such as aspartame.
However, most researchers steadfastly reported that
the effects of sugar on children were negligible, with
several studies reporting that sugar does not cause
hyperactivity in children. From a physiological point
of view however, sugar should affect children’s activ-
ity, simply because it can enter the bloodstream
quickly, while producing rapid changes in blood glu-
cose levels and triggering adrenaline. Adrenaline is the
substance made by the body when under stress and it
provides a short-term energy boost to cope with fight
or flight situations. A new study by pediatric research-
ers at Yale University recently confirmed the sugar-
adrenaline link. The study showed that within hoursHyperactivity and sugar