# Is there such a thing as a natural appetite suppressant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2005, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846 "2005-01-15T08:30:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/21 "2005-01-16T14:33:27Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > Just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe or effective. While this is true and probably bears repeating for lurkers (my favorite example is “syphillis” - as an herbalist, I hear a lot of “it’s good and safe because it’s natural” b.s.), I think the OP knew that. That’s why s/he asked the question. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/22 "2005-01-16T14:38:59Z")
> [@astro](#): > > For whatever reason grapefuit, eaten fresh, is (for me) a powerful natural appetite supressant. It fills you up but there’s also something in it that supresses the “hungries” for quite sometime way out of proportion to the food value of the grapefruit itself. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3439391.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3439391.stm) There is a cactus called hoodia that supposedly helps lower appetite as well. So does 5-htp as someone has mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/23 "2005-01-16T19:25:12Z")
How about a picture of Michael Moore naked? ---
**Author:** ![CrazyFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@CrazyFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyFoo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/24 "2005-01-16T21:51:40Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > If it’s not decaffeinated, be careful about drinking it late at night. > > I’m not seeing any specifics about the diet there. Would you mind giving a brief summary? Basically you are allowed 2 of the following every day: \*\* Protein servings (3 and a half ounces each) boneless / skinless chicken breast, egg whites (6), white fish, tuna, and once a week lean red meat. \*\* vegetable serving (8 ounces raw uncooked weight. Vegetable high in sugar are not allowed such as carrots, corn, snow peas, etc. \*\* 2 fruit servings (medium apple or orange or 8 strawberries \*\* 2 breadsticks or melba toast \*\* 2 cups jello-light \*\* 1 coffee \*\* there are many items in the recipe book (soups and other things, I just can’t think of them right now. They say not to use oils of any kind when preparing your meals, and instead use PAM or some other spray, but I cheat here and sauté my vegetable in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. It’s been really tough going at times that’s why I was asking about suggestions for foods that reduce the hunger cravings. The diet is well supervised, 3 times a week you go to the clinic and the nurses check you out and give you an injection of b6 and b12. They also test your urine to see if you are 'burning". Every 2 weeks you see their doctor and your blood is tested. Once you get close to your goal, they slowly introduce foods again that you can eat in moderation. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/25 "2005-01-16T23:17:54Z")
> [@CrazyFoo](#): > > Is there such a thing as an appetite suppressant that is safe and really works? > I see all the gimmicky weight loss “kits” at the store, but I was wondering: > > Is there really a genuine appetite suppressant that truly works and helps take the edge off while dieting? I don’t mean a magic pill that will turn you into a runway model, but something that’safe and can help ease the hunger pains. (something to take the edge off) > > My wife and I were discussing this tonight and she said the only thing she knew of was “amphetamines”, but they are extremely dangerous as well as illegal in Canada. > > I thought you dopers might know of something like tree bark boiled in spring water or some other concoction I haven’t thought about 🙂 > > Regards Yes, it’s called food. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/26 "2005-01-17T01:59:18Z")
Damn you **ouryL** , I came in to see if anyone had said it yet… ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/27 "2005-01-17T04:40:57Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3439391.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3439391.stm) > > There is a cactus called hoodia that supposedly helps lower appetite as well. So does 5-htp as someone has mentioned. Yes, I saw an episode of Dateline, or one of those newsmagazines on one of the major networks, that did a segment on this. It sounded amazing. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/28 "2005-01-17T04:43:29Z")
I mean of the hoodia. Not the grapefruit ---
**Author:** ![cstamets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/29 "2005-01-17T04:47:57Z")
28 posts and no one has said, “My wife’s cooking.”??? ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/30 "2005-01-17T06:34:48Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > How about a picture of Michael Moore naked? Er…that should do the trick quite nicely. Barring that, as far as I know, nicotine is the most powerful appetite suppressant that is readily available. So I suppose nicotine patches and/or gum _could_ be used as a viable means of weight control. But I seriously doubt that your physician would be highly enthusiastic about the plan. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/31 "2005-01-17T08:07:37Z")
> [@LorieSmurf](#): > > Yes, I saw an episode of Dateline, or one of those newsmagazines on one of the major networks, that did a segment on this. It sounded amazing. It was 60 Minutes. They really made it sound like Hoodia could be the “magic bullet” appetite suppressant that people are looking for. I realize this is anecdotal, but the reporter (Leslie Stahl, IIRC) tried it and said it really worked. Apparently, the main problem they’re having is in finding a way to mass-produce it. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/32 "2005-01-17T08:09:39Z")
> [@cstamets](#): > > 28 posts and no one has said, “My wife’s cooking.”??? O.K. - your wife’s cooking. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846/33 "2005-01-17T17:48:40Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > It was 60 Minutes. They really made it sound like Hoodia could be the “magic bullet” appetite suppressant that people are looking for. I realize this is anecdotal, but the reporter (Leslie Stahl, IIRC) tried it and said it really worked. Apparently, the main problem they’re having is in finding a way to mass-produce it. Yep. Humorously enough its one of those plants that takes 6 years to grow and is hard to grow via manmade methods. I think pfizer has isolated the active ingredient and is trying to synthesize it. I wonder if the chemist who finally synthesizes it and makes 20 billion for the company will get a $500 bonus and a plaque or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-natural-appetite-suppressant/284846.md?page=1)