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Your Guide to Authentic South African Hoodia

This plant grows in South Africa in the Kalahari desert and there are a few dozen of plants belonging to the Hoodia family. Most of the Gordonii variety of plants grow in Kalahari desert. Hoodia Gordonii doesn't fit all the parameters to be a cactus though it looks like one, but Hoodia Gordonii is actually a member of the succulent milkweed family. It only grows wild in the Karoo Region of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. Hoodia Gordonii belongs to Apocynaceae family and is often called stem succulent because of the its outlook similarity to cactus. Hoodia Gordonii feature large, creamy pink blossoms on the tops of their prickly stems that has been reported to smell like rotten meat.

African Bushmen have used Hoodia Gordonii for more than a thousand years already. They have used it to suppress hunger and thirst when they were in long-term gathering and hunting trips. They also used Hoodia Gordonii for pain relief as well. First discovered and researched in the 1930's, South African Hoodia Gordonii seemed to show signs of appetite suppression and gives the body a overall feeling of wellness. Not until the 1990's was an active ingredient was discovered in Hoodia Gordonii, termed p57. Although in depth details are not known to the public, pharmaceutical companies believe this active ingredient has great potential in relation to weight loss, spending millions of dollars trying to synthesize a form of the p57 molecule into a drug form. In the Kalahari Desert, Hoodia grows either wild or is grown on special farms and plantations for commercial use. Due to the plant being an endangered species, it is heavily regulated by the South African government through an organization called CITES. A special permit is used on growing Hoodia Gordonii and a special license is required to buy and export the plant. Only the Hoodia Gordonii grown in the specific climate and conditions of the Kalahari desert has the quality and prime effective levels of the p57 molecule. Other Hoodia plants or Hoodia Gordonii grown in other areas, such as Mexico, Texas or China either do not contain the active molecule or do not contain the same level of active ingredient of the South African variety. On these licensed farms or plantations, the Hoodia Gordonii is harvested, dried and the ground into a powder or it is soaked in alcohol, then separated from plant materials and then separated from the alcohol to leave a powder form.

The natural chemical molecule named p57 in Hoodia Gordonii stimulates nerves in the brain to signal to the body that it is full. Similar to what blood glucose currently does in the body. The body will still need small amounts of food to survive and be healthy but this active supplement will allow to eat small meals and eliminate cravings and lose interest in eating, allowing one to lose weight. For some people, Hoodia Gordonii will work quickly as fast as 20 minutes after taking the supplement, while others it may take up to two weeks before feeling effects and the benefits of tricking the body into thinking its full. To achieve best results, one needs to take the Hoodia Gordonii for an extended period of time and it is much more effective when used in combination with a proper healthy diet and scheduled exercises.

Hoodia Gordonii comes in many variations - pill, powder, liquid, tea, shakes, chewables and in food products. A person must choose what is best for him or herself, but be wary of imitations, quality, quantity and certifications.

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