Hoodia. What is it?

Hoodia gordonii, "Whoo De AH", is the botanical name for a leafless, spiky succulent plant that grows throughout the semi-arid areas of Southern Africa primarily the Kalahari desert. The San (local inhabitants) have rationally used Hoodia stems to stave off hunger and thirst when on long journeys, as it acts as an appetite suppressant.

Hoodia is a Succulent botanical and is part of the Genus: Trichocaulon and belongs to the Family Name: Asclepiadaceae. There are approximately twenty plants within the Hoodia genus family, however, Hoodia Gordonii is the unique plant that South African San bushmen have used for generations to endure long hunting expeditions.

Hoodia Gordonii is a leafless spiny succulent plant ( not a cactus ) with fleshly finger-like stems. Rows of thorns are present along the stems, bearing flesh coloured flowers. Hoodia Gordonii grows naturally in the harsh desert conditions of South Africa. Now Hoodia Gordonii has been found in the semi-deserts of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, the Republic of South Africa, and now found in some other arid regions of South American Nations such as Chili, Peru and some regions of West China including Gansu, Sichuan and Shanxi.

Hoodia pharmacy conjunction

As far as scientists know, there are no negative side-effects. The local san, whose ancestors have been using the plant for thousands of years, claim that there are no negative side effects. So Hoodia can be used in conjunction with prescription medications.

There are no known adverse side effects as a result of taking Hoodia in conjunction with prescription medications and other herbal supplements. However, if you are presently using any prescription medication and are under the care of a physician, you should always consult your physician before taking any supplement medication.

Hoodia Gordonii is famous for its effects as an appetite suppressant and mood enhancer. Excellent results have been reported from people using it as part of a weight loss program, leading to many international companies making and selling Hoodia as a "new miracle diet pill".

ow long Hoodia take to work? With-in one hour after taking 2 capsules, Hoodia will suppress your appetite for around 4-8 hours.

Research about Hoodia

Mass global interest has been shown for Hoodia since Pfizer, the international pharmaceutical giant, started to research Hoodia's potential to help people with obesity. Pfizer recently discovered Hoodia and decided to invest millions into researching the plants benefits as a new drug that would help with obesity. The research published by this company has catapulted Hoodia into the international spotlight.

Laboratory experiments show animals automatically restrict their food intake when taking hoodia orally. Rats, a species that will eat anything from meat and plants to indigestible fiber, lowered their dietary calorie intake to a degree that made them get thin when fed comparative amounts of hoodia.

How to use Hoodia to supress appetite

It basically tricks the brain into thinking that you're full. The chemical constituents in Hoodia work within the satiety center by releasing a chemical compound similar to glucose but much stronger. The hypothalamus in the brain receives this signal as an indication that enough food has been consumed and this in turn stunts the appetite.

The hypothalamus receives signal as an indication that enough food has been consumed and this in turn stunts the appetite. This pure organic Hoodia, contains a miracle molecule that, in effect, fools the brain into believing you are full, and even stops you from thinking about food.

One of the active ingredients in the herb is a chemical compound called P57, which is thought to be at least partly responsible for the appetite-suppressing effects of hoodia gordonii. But this is probably an oversimplification, since herbs typically work with an assortment of chemical compounds, not just one chemical.

When you eat hoodia, the saying goes, your hunger will simply be gone -- gone -- for around six hours. During those six hours, you won't crave anything. You really won't want to eat at all. The food still smells good, as usual, and they taste the same if you eat them, but you don't want to eat them! At least that's what the hoodia advocates claim will happen.

Your body creates the illusion of hunger even when you're not really needing calories. And your body, like mine, doesn't know when to turn it off.

Hoodia, however, contains a chemical that gets picked up by your hypothalamus which thinks it's glucose. And as it turns out, this chemical is reportedly 10,000 times more potent than glucose in triggering the chemical receptors in your hypothalamus, and so it only takes a tiny bit of this chemical to trigger the cancellation of your hunger signals.

Eat this chemical, and your hypothalamus thinks you've just wolfed down three plates of food at the local buffet. Your hunger is abruptly cancelled. You just don't feel hungry anymore. Everything else is fine: there are no known side effects. But you simply don't feel like eating. At least that's what the hoodia companies explain you should experience.

Consuming hoodia is surprisingly simple: slice off a piece of the succulent, peel off the thorns, and just start chewing on it. You don't even need to swallow it. The taste is rather bitter by most Americans' palettes, but after several minutes of chewing, you've already started absorbing the chemical. Guess what? Your hunger is vanishing with each passing moment.

Are all Hoodia products the same?

There are 13 species of Hoodia which are native to Southern Africa but ONLY ONE variety - the "Gordonii" has the needed natural ingredients for weight loss. If you purchase the cheap imitation products sold by people out of their garage that you see on EBAY, and in the Google and Yahoo ads you will NOT have the results shown on the Personal Diet Results pages. Folks I have been through this over and over - read about the nineteen companies that have sent me Hoodia Gordonii Cactus products to test and how only a couple of them really work.

So buying hoodia is very difficult. It's expensive. And, naturally, there are a lot of fakes on the market. Even now, there are only a few hundred acres of hoodia growing on commercial farms, and the plant is highly susceptible to being wiped out by rather mysterious conditions.

To make matters even more challenging, Hoodia grown in South Africa under the San tribe's influence is required to be grown under organic conditions. That means they can't use pesticides. Entire crops have been known to vanish virtually overnight thanks to the ravages of various insects.

Hoodia products testimonials

Hoodia pills are my life saver. I have a thyroid problem and this causes depression and weight gain. These pills take my hunger away so I can get back into shape and they make me happy, nice "side effect" ;-) Now my Doctor is taking them too! M S (Germany).

Thank you, the second Hoodia Gordonii shipment arrived yesterday April 4, 2005. By the way Hoodia is working very well I lost 12 lbs or (5.5 kg) in 2 months. Not dramatic but then again losing weight slowly is the best way to go. At this stage I don't pay attention to carbohydrates, fats, sugars and other diet fads. Regards - G D B (USA)

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