Why is Hoodia such a sought after weight loss supplement?

Hoodia Gordonii is an unambitious little South African desert cactus type plant that has a big future ahead of it. A gift from the native San people who live in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa, this tiny plant the natives’ call “Xhoba” has already began impacting the world of weight loss with its extraordinary hunger stopping traits. What the Aboriginal San Bushmen have known for a long time and the rest of us are merely beginning to realize is that Hoodia has appetite suppressant qualities distinguished by plant scientists and named P57. This P57 active element has been examined, tested and identified to have the power to reduce calorie intake by up to 1,000 calories a day.

So will any South African cactus do when it comes to helping you to stay away from snacks? Indeed not, don’t go to the local florist and buy yourself a desert cactus to eat. Of the succulent and asclepiad genus there are 2,000 species of ascleoiadaceae, divided into 300 genera, half from the succulent category. Hoodia Pseudolithos and Trichocaulon are members of the Trichocaulon sub-section from the Kalahari Desert region of S. Africa that touches Angola, Botswana and Namibia. Hoodia Gordonii is the name of the cactus you will want to get but don’t plan on taking a outing to the South Africa and getting some Hoodia cacti for yourself; the Hoodia desert cactus are under strict control by the S. African government. It is considered an endangered plant and only Hoodia cactus farmers with certification may produce and sell the Hoodia.

Can Hoodia affect the world’s obesity problem and help the planet be a slimmer place? Business organizations including, Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Phytopharm, Pfizer and most recently Slim Fast all believe so. All of these companies have banked on Hoodia’s success and together have invested millions of dollars, wanting to corner the marketplace on weight loss. Looking at Hoodia’s journey from Xhoba, plant of The San Bushmen to being today’s miracle plant for weight loss we need to first look at where Hoodia’s been over the past thirty plus years. The greatest amount of time, CSIR analyzed Hoodia to isolate the molecule p57, once they eventually obtained it; they then sold the rights of p57 to Phytopharm. In 1998 The Phytopharm Company leased marketing rights to Pfizer, who invested thirty-two million only to subsequently drop out of the scene because p57 was too expensive to synthesize as a pill. Pfizer’s situation has now been taken over by The Unilever Corporation, the parent company of Slim Fast. Slim Fast at present plans on delivering a Hoodia weight loss supplement to nutritional stores in a couple years.

Almost a year ago, on November of 2004, the Hoodia plant contracted big media coverage when CBS’s Sixty Minutes did a show on Hoodia’s appetite suppressant qualities. With the 60 minute TV exposure, Hoodia was now wanted plant by dieters all-round the globe. People having a hard time staying on their diets desired Hoodia now, not in a couple of years, the secret was out and Hoodia was becoming an indispensable plant. I’m sure after that 60 minutes program was aired, numbers of dieters looked into moving to the Kalahari Desert and making themselves a tiny Hoodia garden of their very own. Luckily, as it is today there isn’t a reason to go to that extent, where there is a consumer need; there are many businesses happy to fill that request. There were a few businesses that were informed of Hoodia before the news coverage broke and were in the right place at the right time. It didn’t take long though for numerous other organizations to create associations with South African Hoodia Gordonii growers and get Hoodia supplements into stores.

Nowadays there are numerous brands marketing both Hoodia powder form and extracts; how long will the Hoodia plant supply last is the question on dieter’s minds right now. The Hoodia Gordonii succulent is a very hard plant to grow; the plants need very much care and management with irrigating, temperature and sunshine. Where it stands today there are only a couple of Hoodia harvesting centers in the South Africa and the Hoodia plant takes two to three years before it’s ready to be exported. Taking this into account, the multi-million dollar question is, for how many months can the Hoodia succulent plant export continue? Because of this situation buyers should be aware if the Hoodia they are getting has been independently tested and certified to be pure Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa. There are companies out there taking advantage of the great demand and interest in Hoodia and supplying a low quality product. For more information about Hoodia go to http://hoodiagordonii.totalink.com

The Desert, the Plant and Appetite Suppressant Hoodia

The title of this article can be strange for anyone. But when the reader reaches at the end of this article, he or she is aware about a great anti-obesity medication.

What do we find in a desert? Certainly long stretched dunes of sand, poisonous reptiles, dangerous insects and vegetation of cactus like plants. This is what we get in the Kalahari Desert, one of the notorious places known for scarcity of food and water. No one can imagine that the desert can give something beneficial. But a cactus like plant which is found in the Kalahari Desert works as a powerful appetite suppressant. The name of this plant is Hoodia. Anyone can confuse this plant with cactus, but it is a succulent vegetation of desert. Hoodia alstonii, Hoodia currori, Hoodia dregei, Hoodia flava, Hoodia juttae, Hoodia mossamedensis are a few species of this succulent. But the appetite suppressant which we use comes only from Hoodia gordonii

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San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert know about the medicinal property of Hoodia for centuries. Hoodia like a true servant has been serving them since ancient time. Appetite suppression is a necessity for hunters in desert. Bushmen of the Kalahari are hunters and gatherers therefore, appetite suppression is essential for them too. Before going deep into the desert, they used to chew Hoodia plant to control their appetite. This effectual medication remained hidden from outer world until 1977, when South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research separated P57 from Hoodia plant. The council licensed Phytopharm (the UK based pharmaceutical) for manufacture of Hoodia appetite suppressant in the year 1995. Now Phytopharm is isolating P-57 from Hoodia plant and synthesizing it in Hoodia diet pills and capsules. Appetite suppressant Hoodia is available in health drink form too. Currently, Phytopharm is growing Hoodia gordonii on large scale and marketing it with Unilever. Hoodia increases the level of blood sugar as well as stimulates hypothalamus. Hence, brain is fooled about the presence of food in the stomach. Take a Hoodia diet pill in the morning and you would not feel excessive urge for food for the entire day. Hoodia medication should be taken before breakfast on an empty stomach. One pill of this appetite suppressant is enough for the entire day so overdosing is forbidden in any case. The medication is only meant for obese i.e. people with body mass index 30 or above it. There is no need of doctor’s prescription for using Hoodia but consultation with your doctor before starting its use is advisable.

In a healthy human being Hoodia gives no side effect. However, in pregnant ladies, breast feeding mothers, women planning to bear child and in children its effects are not studied thoroughly. So they must abstain from Hoodia.

Now, you know the significance of the Kalahari Desert and Hoodia gordonii plant for an obese. Buy Hoodia through an online order and get rid of obesity. An online order delivers Hoodia at your doorstep.

About the South African Hoodia Gordonii Cactus

The South African Hoodia Gordonii Cactus is known by many names. It is called xshoba or xhooba by the San Bushmen who have used it to treat indigestion, minor skin infections and as an appetite and thirst suppressant during long hunts. The scientific name is Hoodia Gordonii. It is actually a succulent so the names Hoodia cactus and South African desert cactus are actually misnomers, but they are commonly used. The plant resembles a cactus when seen growing wild in the Kalahari Desert.

There are problems associated with growing the South African Hoodia cactus for commercial purposes. First, logically, is temperature. In order to thrive the Hoodia cactus requires desert like temperatures. Second is time. It takes four or five years for the African Hoodia Gordonii cactus to reach full maturity. Quantities of the wild plant are extremely limited and are protected by the governments of South Africa from harvesting. Phytopharm, the first company to research the properties of the African hoodia cactus, has established plantations in South Africa, but will not begin to sell their patented product for at least a couple of years.

It is important to note that there are more than twenty different varieties of hoodia, but only Hoodia Gordonii is believed to contain the natural appetite suppressant. Some companies may be selling products that are purported to contain the African hoodia cactus, but if it is not Hoodia Gordonii, then it may not work. As with all health supplements, it is best to buy hoodia products from a reputable company that sells a complete line of products. In addition, dieters are advised to remember to drink plenty of water since hoodia suppresses thirst, as well as appetite.

By any name, the African hoodia cactus is a beautiful plant. Flowers are pale purple and appear after the plant reaches maturity. Even though dieters would love to have a large immediate supply, it is important to protect the wild African hoodia cactus from over-harvesting, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

Hoodia Gordonii Plus – Can It Help You Lose Weight

Hoodia Gordonii Plus is an appetite suppressant and metabolism booster and may help you lose weight. It does not contain any known harmful ingredients, as far as scientific research is aware of to date.

The plus in the name means it is 100% pure South African Hoodia from the Kalahari Desert and certified as such. It is licensed by the Western Cape Conservation Authority of South Africa and is certified to be authentic. There are two certified documents required are the C.I.T.E.S Certificate and the Analytical Report. If the seller cannot produce these documents, best not to buy the product from them.

To give you some background on what hoodia is, on November 21, 2004, television’s CBS – 60 Minutes aired a program about this diet pill and for the first time many people were introduced to this traditional botanical.

Drug companies tried to turn it into a drug, but were unsuccessful. The Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) contested and recently won their case against multinational pharmaceutical companies seeking to develop a drug from South African Hoodia. So, the drug companies are out of this market and the product is being sold by a few big independent distributors instead. I guess that’s a good thing depending on how you look at it.

This unusual plant grows in clumps of green upright stems and is actually a succulent, not a cactus. It is from the Kalahari desert, home of the San People. These Bushmen, who live off the land, would cut off part of the stem and eat it to ward off hunger and thirst during nomadic hunting trips.

How does it work ? Basically, what happens is that the brain is tricked into thinking there is enough energy (blood sugar) and doesn’t need to eat, so it shuts down the hunger mechanism. Normally, it can take up 2 weeks to really kick in, however, many people notice the appetite suppressing effects within one day. Be sure to drink enough water, because hoodia will also shut off your thirst mechanism to a certain extent.

This weight loss pill ontains pure hoodia, and a few other ingredients :

-Magnesium – an essential nutrient, found in significant quantities throughout the body and used for muscle relaxation, blood clotting, and the manufacture of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, the body’s main energy molecule).

-Garcinia Cambogia Extract – research suggests that this natural extract seems to inhibit the conversion of excess calories to body fat. Also, appetite is suppressed by promoting synthesis of glycogen. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose, one of the body’s primary sources of energy. Increased glycogen production and storage is the body’s normal way of signaling the brain’s satiety centre that enough food has been eaten. This has made Garcinia a very effective herbal medicine for controlling obesity and cholesterol. So, this helps boost your energy levels.

-Green Tea – contains powerful anti-oxidants like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), has been shown to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.

In summary, please note that hoodia gordonii plus is not a wonder pill. It can assist those that have trouble losing weight, but it is not the whole solution. If you need to lose weight, you still need to exercise and eat food that is good for you. If you have any questions on using this product, you should consult with your doctor.

Hoodia Pills – the Newest Fad in Dieting Products

People are always looking for an easy way to lose weight and supplements have always been quite popular. Let’s face it who wouldn’t love that magic pill that will make the weight just fall off your body. If you are one of these people looking for that incredibly effective weight loss pill then Hoodia pills may just be what you are looking for.

Hoodia Gordonii is a plant that grows in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa and it contains a molecule that works as an appetite suppressant. The plant looks very much like a cactus but it is actually a member of the succulent family. It has spines and skin both of which are peeled off before the heart of the plant is eaten. The plant has lovely pale purple flowers and it grows in clumps just like a cactus. The plant has been eaten by the bushmen of South Africa for thousands of years and there have never been any recordings of negative side effects.

Hoodia Gordonii could very well be the answer to many prayers of overweight people all around the world. Many dieters who have tried the product have said that it is the greatest find ever in weight loss products.

There are many Hoodia Gordonii plants but it is only the one that is grown in the Kalahari Desert that contains the molecule that acts as a weight suppressant. In fact the Bushmen of this region would eat the plant when going on long hunting trips knowing that food would not be available to them.

Hoodia has undergone scientific testing and it has proven to be effective as well as completely safe as long as you are taking the 100% pure genuine product.

So if you are ready to jump on to the newest fad bandwagon then there are important facts you will need to know. Firstly, beware of Hoodia supplements that are too cheap, it is likely that they are fake. The South African government tightly controls pure Hoodia. Yes, Hoodia grows in other parts of the world, but remember; only the Hoodia gordonii plant in South Africa has the appetite-suppressing molecule!

As long as the company you are buying from can show certificates of authenticity for the Hoodia they are selling, then you will be buying yourself a great product that can help you to shed those unwanted pounds.