An Introduction to Hoodia Gordonii

The Hoodia gordonii plant is said to look like a cucumber but with spikes. It is a wild plant in the succulent family that is found in the wild Kalahari Desert of South Africa. The plant is said to have a bitter taste but the Bushmen of South Africa have consumed the plant for thousands of years to stave off hunger and thirst on long hunting trips. Hoodia has a bitter taste and the flowers have a terrible smell that reminds you of rotten meat! The plant was brought to the attention of the media throughout England and the United States in 2004. A few well-known news shows broadcasts reported on the effectiveness of the Hoodia plant in controlling appetite. This sparked worldwide attention for the South African Bushmen and widely thought of as the miracle cure for obesity.

Phytopharm and the South African laboratory that isolated the molecule that makes Hoodia effective have negotiated an agreement with the San tribe so they will share in the millions of dollars this product has the potential to create. The Hoodia gordonii plant from the Kalahari Desert is the only one of more than thirteen species that contains the appetite suppressant molecule named p57. This newly discovered molecule is said to communicate with the brain to tell the body you are full whether you ate or not. It works the same way that glucose but is 10,000 times stronger. This can last for up to 24 hours after the Hoodia extract is taken in.

Hoodia gordonii is considered safe but millions of dollars have been invested in studying the plant and preparing it for public use. The South African Bushmen have eaten the Hoodia plant for thousands of years! The Phytopharm Company in England and the Unilever Company are working jointly to announce new diet supplements in their Slim-Fast line that should be available in 2008. Clinical trials first with animals and then with humans prove the Hoodia extract is effective in controlling hunger. The African San tribe also used the Hoodia gordonii to cure other illnesses in their tribe. Stomach disorders were often treated with the raw Hoodia plant.

Researchers and scientists do warn that Hoodia may be a key to suppressing appetite but should be used with good nutrition and a healthy physical exercise program. Without proper diet and exercise the effects of the Hoodia plant are neutralized. Care should also be taken the body does not become dehydrated. The Hoodia plant also suppresses thirst and there is a danger that people will use the Hoodia extract in a harmful way.

There are no known side effects. Clinical trials have proven those who take the supplement consume roughly 1000 calories less each day. There are no long-term studies on the effect of continued use or the way it interacts with other prescribed medications. One study hints the Hoodia plant may have a long-term affect on the liver. Before you begin any new supplement, you should contact your doctor, especially if you are pregnant or nursing.

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