All those who are interested in knocking off a few pounds must have heard of hoodia. Hoodia has been invested with almost magical properties and the hype that surrounds it is only more proof that the world is searching for an escape from obesity. While the most sensible way for weight loss is to eat well and exercise well, there are many out there who want quick results with little effort.
Hoodia is being touted as the quick fix to this problem. Hoodia belongs to the Apocynaceae family. It is a flowering plant, one of the 13 in that specie. Though loosely called a cactus, it is actually a succulent. The stem of the plant bears water. This may be one reason why the Bushmen have on their hunting trips.
The hoodia plant grows to a height of one meter. It bears large colorful flowers. It can be seen in the desert parts of southern Africa stretching from Namibia to Angola and it can also be grown in a garden. Of all the thirteen species it is the hoodia gordonii that the world is talking about. Specifically about its qualities as an appetite suppressant.
The people of Southern Africa have since long used the hoodia plant as a cure for infections and digestive disorders. The element in pure hoodia that causes appetite to be suppressed is called P57. It was the CSIR or the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research that first identified and isolated it. Later large drug companies were given the license to synthesize P57. Phytopharm in the UK along with the American company Pfizer worked on this project.
Soon every newspaper and TV channel was talking about it. There was a mad scramble for the hoodia plant. The hoodia grows sparsely in its native conditions. With companies going on a hoodia hunting drive, it was declared to be a protected species. Though the active ingredient has been synthesized, it is not commercially viable. So pressure on finding sources of hoodia has been mounting. This is why there are so many fake hoodia products. Many of these contain no hoodia gordonii, the only specie that has appetite suppressing properties.
There really is very little scientific evidence to support these claims. The only thing to go by is the anecdotal claims made by the desert people. No one should blindly consume pure hoodia gordonii without doing some research on their own. The world is so desperate for a cure from obesity that they are willing to take unwarranted risks with this unknown product.