Hoodia Where Did This Miracle Plant Come From?

The Hoodia gordonii plant has been touted as the weight loss discovery of the century. The plant is a spiny plant that looks like a cactus and is a part of the succulent category of plants. There are 13 to 20 different species of the Hoodia plant. The Hoodia gordonii plant from the Kalahari Desert in South Africa is the only species found to have a specific molecule in it that suppresses appetite.

The Hoodia plant has been around for centuries and it can be found in many other countries in various species. It also can be used as a garden plant but they are hard to grow because they need specific growing conditions. The temperature must be hot and it needs a minimal amount of water. It takes more than five years to mature and when it does it produces blooms that are normally pale purple. The plant has a terrible smell that some say smells like long rotten meat. The taste is bitter but the South African Bushmen have consumed the Hoodia for thousands of years.

In 1937 a traveler exploring the Kalahari Desert noticed the San tribe eating the Hoodia plant. When questioned, they explained it allowed them to not carry extra food and water on long journeys or hunting trips. The plant seemed to suppress the appetite without any lingering side effects. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that researchers and scientists began working with the Hoodia plant. The South African government laboratory began working on the product but it took 30 years to isolate the one molecule that is found only in the Hoodia gordonii plant found in the Kalahari Desert.

The South African government isolated the molecule and received a patent on the extraction method. They then sold the license to the Phytopharm Company from England who had worked with the South African scientists to isolate and name the molecule. The plant has not been patented, only the extraction method. The patent and license was issued in 1995. The Phytopharm Company has spent several millions of dollars to test, run clinical trials, and experiment with the Hoodia gordonii plant from the Kalahari Desert. It is interesting to note that only the Hoodia gordonii plant found in South Africa contains the important p57 molecule that suppresses appetite.

The South African government has placed the Hoodia gordonii plant under a restricted export law. You may only buy the Hoodia gordonii with the p57 extract if you have a license to export from the South African government. All products should have a CITES certificate verifying it came from the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. The consumer should be aware of fake certificates. The product should also have an independent lab report verifying it is 100 percent Hoodia and from South Africa. The lab report number should be on the package and on the bottle and the dates should agree. The date should not be over six months old. A CITES certificate does not guarantee the quality of the product after it is processed and put on the market.