A Guide to Hoodia Cactus Plant Extract

You might have surely heard about ‘Hoodia cactus plant extract’ by this time as it has been broadcasted by numerous major media sources, like the ‘BBC’, ‘The Today Show’, ‘CBS’ and much more. Because of this, Hoodia Gordonii products have quickly ascended to become one of the fastest growing segments of the ‘diet supplement market’.

Before choosing a Hoodia product you should know that there are many kinds of Hoodia plant, but only the Hoodia Gordonii type has an astonishing ‘appetite suppressing’ quality. These properties have been known about for centuries by a primitive tribe known as the ‘Sans Bushmen’. During mid 1990s an institute called the C.S.I.R. ‘Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’ was conducting a study of native plants eaten by the ‘Sans Bushmen’. Basically, the study was to see what foods, the ‘Sans Bushmen’ were taking that protected the toxic compounds. When the C.S.I.R. studied Hoodia Gordonii, they found it was not only non-toxic, but also it helped to suppress the appetite of animals it used to feed to.

Hoodia Cactus PlantFinally, the C.S.I.R. isolated the active ingredient responsible for the ‘appetite suppressing’ effects and called it ‘P57′. This is the ‘Hoodia cactus extract’. They then sold the rights of ‘P57′ to a British pharmaceutical company called ‘Phytopharm’. You may be wondering how it can be there are so many Hoodia products on the market if only ‘Phytopharm’ has the rights to ‘P57′. The answer lies in the patent laws. You know that, only ‘Phytopharm’ can extract the active molecule called ‘P57′ from Hoodia Gordonii and use it in their product line. But a whole natural plant – in this case the Hoodia Gordonii plant- cannot be patented. As a result, other companies’ can very well produce supplements or products made from Hoodia Gordonii and sell them legally.

The important thing for consumers right now is to make sure that they are buying a product that contains genuine South African Hoodia Gordonii.

Hoodia Diet Supplement Review

Hoodia is the amazing new all natural weight loss supplement, that is sweeping the country. African hoodia cactus is being shown to have amazing results, curbing appetite, and shedding unwanted pounds.

Hoodia diet supplement is all natural, and comes right from the African cactus family, which has grown for thousands of years in the Kalahari Desert region. Hoodia has been used by the indigenous bushmen as a natural appetite suppressant and thirst quencher during their long hunting trips for generations.How Does Hoodia Diet Supplement Work?

The reason that the Hoodia appetite suppressant has these abilities is a molecule called P57. Normally, when you eat the glucose (blood sugar) in your body rises and signals your brain that you are full. It is believed that the P57 molecule in Hoodia mimics the effect that glucose has on your brain, telling part of your brain that you feel full, causing you to no longer have a desire to keep eating.Hoodia And Weight Loss

One of the first studies of the African Hoodia cactus was done in the United Kingdom on obese patients. Half of the volunteers were given the Hoodia appetite suppressant, and the other half were given a placebo, or (fake pill). The volunteers were allowed to read, watch television and eat whenever they wanted. After 15 days it was found that those taking the Hoodia diet supplement had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. The Hoodia subjects lost weight, even though they had unlimited access to food.Hoodia Diet Supplement

Since Hoodia is a plant, and not a chemical, it is completely natural, and experts say it is completely safe to eat. Scientists have been studying Hoodia for about 10 years and have found no side effects at all. The San Tribesman have been eating the African Hoodia cactus for generations, with no apparent ill effects).Pure African Hoodia Cactus

One way to tell if a Hoodia pill is real is to look for a document called the C.I.T.E.S. Certificate (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Since the Hoodia cactus plant is a protected species it can only be sold to an exporter who has this certificate. Can Hoodia Help You

Using the Hoodia diet supplement can mean the difference between success and failure with your weight loss efforts. Curbing your appetite, and stopping the constant craving to eat is the key to losing weight.

If you find it hard to give up your favorite foods, or leave the table after one plate full, then Hoodia could be for you. Hoodia diet supplement can make this a lot easier, for you to accomplish. Remember most doctors recommend not losing more than about four pounds a month. That’s about a pound a week.

You should be able to do that easily with Hoodia diet supplement, and remember, a pound a week adds up to fifty two pounds a year. How quick did this last year go by. Poof and it was gone right. By this time next year, you could be very happy with yourself, if you get started now.

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

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 Gordinii – 3 Reasons To Try Hoodia Instead of Diet Pills

Hoodia Gordinii – it’s everywhere these days. On 60 minutes, in the health food store, in your diet pills, on the Internet. You’ve seen it and probably wondered ‘What’s so great about it?’

Hoodia Gordinii is a natural appetite suppressant made from the Hoodia plant – a cactus of the “succulent” cactus family, which grows in the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa. It has been used by the indigenous Bushmen for years as a natural appetite suppressant during long hunting trips where food was scarce.

So what’s so great about this simple South African cactus that has everyone talking about it? Here are 3 reasons why Hoodia is better than any man-made diet pill to help you lose weight quickly and safely:

1) It Helps You Lose Weight Without Hunger or Feeling Deprived

One of the first studies of Hoodia Gordinii was done in the UK on obese patients. Half of the volunteers were given Hoodia, the other half a placebo. The subjects were allowed to do nothing but read, watch television and eat.

After 15 days it was found that those taking Hoodia had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. Despite having unlimited access to food, these subjects lost weight without feeling hungry.

People have reported losing 100 pounds in 6 months, 84 pounds in 5 months and up to 4 pounds a week by taking pure Hoodia. So if you’re looking for a way to lose weight but hate feeling hungry or deprived, it can help you to reach your goals without the pain of dieting.

2) It Helps Emotional Eaters Lose Weight

Not only do you feel full when you take Hoodia but many people say they don’t even have the desire to eat. Some say they don’t even think about food.

This is great for emotional eaters – whose weight may be more a result of eating out of boredom or emotional needs than because of hunger. It’s also much easier to make healthier food choices when you feel satisfied and full, which contributes to your overall health and vitality.

3) Natural & Safe With No Reported Side Effects

Sure, you can take the caffeine-filled, chemical laden man-made diet pills and lose a couple of pounds – but why would you want to? You don’t know what else it’s doing to your body – and it could be causing some major damage. One of the best benefits about Hoodia Gordinii is that it’s both natural and safe to take.

Since it is a plant, and not a man made chemical, it has little chance of causing side effects. In fact the South African government classified Hoodia as a food – not a drug. Scientists have been studying Hoodia for about 10 years and have found no evidence of any negative side effects.

Couple this with the fact that the Bushmen in the Kalahari desert of South Africa have been eating it for hundreds of years with no ill effect. You can see why this South African cactus is an amazing alternative to caffeine-laden, questionable diet pills.

While these 3 benefits definitely make Hoodia sound better than any man-made diet pill, there are a couple of things buyers should be aware of:

There are a lot of ‘fake’ Hoodia diet pills out there. Because it is a protected species (and it also takes 2 – 5 years to mature), the demand is becoming greater than the supply and many manufacturers are bottling inferior forms of the cactus that don’t offer you the appetite suppressant effects of pure Hoodia.

Also, you probably don’t want to take the pills forever. You should try to change your diet to one rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats etc. before transitioning off Hoodia to maintain your weight loss.