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Dietary supplement

Hoodia Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by L.A. Naturals

Hoodia label
See full label image
Capsule Category: Botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
Clinical methodology reviewed by · Updated Sep 16, 2026 · Label data from the NIH DSLD
What is this page for?

First and foremost: checking Hoodia against your medications. The heart of this page is the interaction checker and the full interaction report — how this product’s ingredients may interact with prescription and over-the-counter medicines you may be taking.

Around that, we add a pharmacist’s high-level view of the product as a whole — what’s inside, the evidence for its stated use, how transparent the label is, and what safety data exists — so you can see the full picture in one place. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases and the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist — not medical advice — and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Hoodia is a dietary supplement by L.A. Naturals with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for appetite suppression, weight loss, reducing food cravings.Based on those ingredients, 262 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

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Check Your Meds Against Hoodia by L.A. Naturals

Ask about any prescription or over-the-counter medication and we check it for interactions with Hoodia by L.A. Naturals — and tell you which ingredient is responsible.

Pharmacist-reviewed data Checks every ingredient Answer in seconds
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HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Hoodia by L.A. Naturals

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

Generated from HelloPharmacist’s pharmacist-curated databases and editorial rules · Last generated Aug 6, 2026

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This product contains one active ingredient: selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii, a plant used traditionally as an appetite suppressant. The capsule also contains inactive ingredients — modified vegetable cellulose (the capsule material itself) and magnesium stearate (a lubricant) — which are excipients used to make the supplement.

Does it work?

Not established
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not established

The graded evidence we hold for these ingredients covers different conditions than the ones this product is marketed for, so there's no established rating for its stated use — see Hoodia's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: appetite suppression and weight loss support.
  • We looked for evidence on: Obesity, overweight, body weight management, satiety.
  • The closest evidence on file: Hoodia is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Obesity (Natural Medicines).

The evidence for hoodia in treating obesity is insufficient to rate reliably. We don't have enough solid clinical data in our records to say whether it works for that purpose.

If you're considering it for weight management, that's a conversation worth having with your doctor or pharmacist about what the current research actually supports.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Hoodia

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Limited safety data exist for hoodia, and side effects have been reported. Orally, it's been linked to minor issues like skin sensation changes, headache, dizziness, nausea, and giddiness.

There's also concern that it may raise blood pressure and heart rate. The safety data advises against use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding because there isn't enough information to know it's safe in those situations.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Hoodia

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Hoodia.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: diabetes medications.
  • For scale: 262 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

If you take blood pressure medications (like captopril, enalapril, losartan, or valsartan), heart rate regulators (like atenolol or metoprolol), diabetes medications, or insulin, check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding hoodia. It may reduce how these drugs work or increase your risk of low blood sugar.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no established evidence rating for its marketed use. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Hoodia may appeal to someone interested in traditional appetite-suppression approaches, but the evidence for weight loss isn't established and safety data are limited. If you take blood pressure medications, heart rate regulators, diabetes drugs, or insulin, you'll need to check with your own doctor or pharmacist before starting this — the interactions could affect how well your medications work.

Pregnant or breastfeeding? Talk it over with your healthcare provider first.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Jul 25, 2014.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Hoodia, straight from the product label.

Brand L.A. Naturals
Barcode (UPC) 641356155503
Net contents 60 Veggie Cap(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Jul 25, 2014
DSLD ID 34939
Product type Botanical
Supplement form Capsule
Dietary claims / uses All Other
Intended target group(s) Vegetarian, Adult (18 - 50 Years), Kosher, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Hoodia by L.A. Naturals, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
1 Veggie Cap(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Veggie Cap(s)
Servings per container
60
UPC/BARCODE
641356155503
IngredientAmount% DV
selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii250 mg--

Other ingredients: Modified Vegetable Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

SUGGESTED USE: Take 1 cap 1-3 times per day before meals with a large glass of water or as directed by a health care professional.

Precautions

WARNINGS: Do not take during pregnancy or while nursing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

General Statements

MADE IN THE USA

RAW SINGLE HERB MEDICINAL BOTANICALS VEGGIE CAPSULES

Potent Steroidal Glycoside

K-1604

VERIFIED THROUGH 3RD PARTY ANALYTICAL TESTING

Formulation

No Gluten, No Dairy (Milk or Lactose), No Soy, No Nuts, No Egg, No Fish or Shellfish, Suitable for Vegetarians, No Artificial Preservatives, Sweeteners or Colors

No Gluten, No Dairy (Milk or Lactose), No Soy, No Nuts, No Egg, No Fish or Shellfish, Suitable for Vegetarians, No Artificial Preservatives, Sweeteners or Colors

100% VEGETARIAN

Seals/Symbols

L.a.(TM)

K PARVE

FDA Statement of Identity

DIETARY SUPPLEMENT

Is this label outdated? Report a formula or label change and our pharmacy team will review it.

See for yourself

Hoodia by L.A. Naturals label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

Hoodia label

Label images are published by the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database for the version of this product on file. Always read your actual product label.

View the full label (PDF)
What’s inside

The Ingredients in Hoodia by L.A. Naturals

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size1 Veggie Cap(s) Dosage formCapsule Servings per container60 Amounts shown are per serving.

Selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii

Interacts with
262 drugs
250 mg per serving

Hoodia is a succulent plant from southern Africa that is marketed as an appetite suppressant for weight loss, but solid human evidence that it actuall...

Selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: Modified Vegetable Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Hoodia by L.A. Naturals Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Hoodia?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

 Go to the checker
262Drugs
262 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii 262

Individual Drug Interactions

The ingredients in Hoodia interact with 262 drugs. Click any drug to see the details.

1 of the 1 ingredient in Hoodia interact with drugs. Each result below shows which ingredient is responsible. selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Hoodia with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii4 drug types · 262 drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Animal research shows that a steroid glycoside of hoodia, gordonoside F, increases glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by activating GPR119. This effect enhances glucose disposal. Theoretically, concomitant use of hoodia with antidiabetes medications may enhance blood glucose-lowering effects and increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Some antidiabetes medications include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Antihypertensive Drugs

Clinical research shows that hoodia can increase blood pressure. Theoretically, concomitant use of hoodia with antihypertensive drugs might decrease the effectiveness of the antihypertensive drugs and increase the risk of hypertension. Some antihypertensive drugs include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), Amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDiuril), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Beta-Blockers

Evidence from in vitro research shows that hoodia may stimulate beta-adrenergic receptors. Also, clinical research shows that hoodia can increase blood pressure and heart rate. Theoretically, using hoodia with beta-blockers might decrease the effects of these medications. Some beta-blocker drugs include atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal).

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Insulin

Animal research shows that a steroid glycoside of hoodia, gordonoside F, increases glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by activating GPR119. Theoretically, concomitant use of hoodia with insulin may enhance the blood glucose-lowering effects of insulin. Blood glucose levels should be monitored.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii full monograph & interactions
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Hoodia, from the product label.

L.A. Naturals

See all L.A. Naturals products
Name
Palko Services
Street Address
4991 W. US Hwy 20
City
Michigan City
State
IN
ZipCode
46360
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Hoodia by L.A. Naturals: Common Questions

Does Hoodia by L.A. Naturals interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Hoodia has a known interaction with 262 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Hoodia contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Can I take Hoodia if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
The safety data advises against it. There isn't enough information to know whether it's safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, so you should talk with your doctor or pharmacist for personalized advice.
What side effects might I experience?
Orally, hoodia has been reported to cause minor effects including headache, dizziness, nausea, giddiness, and changes in skin sensation. There's also concern it may raise blood pressure and heart rate.
Does Hoodia actually work for weight loss?
The evidence we have is insufficient to rate it reliably. We don't have enough solid clinical data to say whether it's effective for obesity, so this is worth discussing with your doctor about what research actually supports.
What is Hoodia gordonii?
It's a South African plant traditionally used as an appetite suppressant. This product contains selectively imported South African Hoodia gordonii as its active ingredient.
Are there any fillers or other junk in here?
The capsule itself is made of modified vegetable cellulose, and magnesium stearate is used as a lubricant. Those are the inactive ingredients; there are no others listed.
Should I worry about product quality?
Quality concerns have been reported with hoodia products, so that's worth keeping in mind alongside the limited safety data. This is another good reason to talk with your pharmacist before you start.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Hoodia label
Go deeper

The Full Monographs Behind Hoodia’s Ingredients

Every ingredient we hold a full HelloPharmacist monograph for — uses, evidence, safety, and the complete interaction list.

Herb & supplement monograph

Hoodia

Interacts with 262 drugs

Hoodia is a succulent plant from southern Africa that is marketed as an appetite suppressant for weight loss, but solid human evidence that it actually works is lacking. The few quality stud...

Read the full Hoodia monograph →
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Hoodia's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 3 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Hoodia 3 references
  1. Blom WAM, Abrahamse SL, Bradford R, et al. Effects 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. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;94(5) PubMed
  2. Roza O, Lovász N, Zupkó I, Hohmann J, Csupor D. Sympathomimetic activity of a Hoodia gordonii product: a possible mechanism of cardiovascular side effects. Biomed Res Int. 2013;2013:171059.
  3. Zhang S, Ma Y, Li J, et al. Molecular matchmaking between the popular weight-loss herb Hoodia gordonii and GPR119, a potential drug target for metabolic disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(40):14571-6.

See these in context on the Hoodia monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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