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 (or Hoodia Gordonii) is a South African dwelling plant that the San bushman have used to help endure long hunting expeditiions for generations. Hoodia Gordonii is actually a succulent not to be confused with a cactus. It belongs in the succulent family of Asclepiadaceae along with stapelia, stephanotis and vinca. There are approximately 20 species in the genus of Asclepiadaceae. As it grows it forms stemmed clumps approximately one foot high and bears, pale purple saucer-shaped flowers in shades of red or purple brown.

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 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).

Independent tests conducted in Leicester, England on obese individuals from all walks of life have proved that over a 15-day period, food intake was reduced by 1000 calories a day.

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.

Hoodia was eaten as a fresh food by the San tribe for thousands of years with zero side effects.

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.

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.

The pure Hoodia that contains appetite suppressant qualities is only grown in one specific region in South Africa. If the Hoodia is from China, USA or any other part of the world and is not accompanied by a South African Government Certificate of Authenticity, the product is inferior and ineffective.

The pure 100% Hoodia that is imported direct from South Africa is very expensive and hard to acquire. Any Hoodia products being sold at cheap prices are not the real thing and will not work. Also, Hoodia products claiming to contain large amounts of pure Hoodia in each pill are either making false claims or have dramatically diluted the product with fillers. The fact is an average person would likely become sick if they consumed more than 800mgs of real Hoodia at any one time.

Hoodia is also known by horticulture experts as being extremely difficult to cultivate in captivity. The plants rot easily, and they won't grow in regular soil -- they need sandy soil with excellent drainage. Also, to make things even more difficult, these plants aren't pollinated by bees, they're pollinated by flies. To attract the flies, their blooms emit a strong, repulsive odor that smells a lot like rotting flesh.

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.

Real South African Hoodia is RARE and EXPENSIVE. It takes approximately 5 to 7 years for the Hoodia gordonii succulent to mature and provide appetite suppressant qualities. The African government has limited the amount of Hoodia it exports and the number of suppliers to receive it in the USA. Because of the growing awareness and popularity of this miracle herb, rip-off products that contain very little or no authentic Hoodia in them are beginning to flood the marketplace.

Hoodia is registered as a protected species to prevent Bio-Piracy but is allowed to be grown on a handful of commercial farms in South Africa owned by private farmers.

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.

Hoodia helps to curb your appetite, some has reported, suppressing appetite within 20-30 minutes after taking Hoodia, results may vary. Some may need a little more time than this before they begin to notice the effects like: A reduced interest in food and A delay in time after eating before hunger sets in.

We all know, if you don't feel hungry, you will eat less. Using Hoodia along with a sensible diet and exercise can help make your weight loss efforts much more successful!

For most people, the real weight loss challenge has relatively to do with dieting, exercise, supplements, or how many calories you burn in the gym. The real challenge is controlling their hunger drive. People who are trying to lose weight seem to share the exact same problem. They have trouble getting their appetite under control. Hoodia gordonii, it seems, could make that much easier. Because overcoming your own hunger drive seems almost impossible unless you get some help.

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.

To understand how all this works, you have to understand what "hunger" really is in the first place. Hunger is just an illusion. It's a signal in your brain, a chemical message that causes you to feel certain feelings and, ultimately, act on them.

The hunger signal is only turned off when your hypothalamus thinks you've eaten enough food. Your hypothalamus -- part of your body's endocrine system -- decides this by sensing the rise of sugar (glucose) in your blood. Eat enough carbohydrates, and your blood sugar rises, which convinces your hypothalamus to tell your brain that you're no longer hungry.

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.

The San Tribesmen, the original discovers of the plant, also say it makes you feel stronger, more energetic, and more focused. Nobody complains of any side effects whatsoever, and the plant has been chewed for literally thousand of years by various generations of the San, with no ill effects known whatsoever.

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