"Imagine not being hungry all day without feeling side effects typical of diet pills, like a racing heart or queasy stomach."

CBS News, 60 Minutes, talking about Hoodia

What is Hoodia gordonii?

If you haven't heard of Hoodia yet, you soon will because it is being touted as the new miracle supplement for safe, effective weight loss. Hoodia gordonii, (Hoodia) is the botanical name for a cactus like plant that grows in Southern Africa. Scientists have recently isolated several compounds in this amazing plant that are responsible for dramatic weight loss. This all-natural appetite suppressant is also being applauded for containing no dangerous stimulants that caused adverse side effects associated with weight loss products of the last decade.

Hoodia Gordonii was discovered and used by the San tribe from the Kalahari, South Africa, since prehistoric times. They chewed the bitter Hoodia plant twice a day to suppress hunger and thirst during long hunting trips. This plant contains the miracle molecule p57 that was recently translated into a obesity cure.

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 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).

How to use Hoodia to actually lose weight

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.

Hoodia enhances your mood therefore you will not become irritable or weak while you are on the program. The San Tribe could go without food for 24 hours after eating Hoodia, and in the same process hunt for food in the harsh Kalahari desert. It is therefore also known to maintain a high energy level.

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.

Pure Hoodia is 100% All Natural. Hoodia is not a drug. If you buy the right kind it will work. You will eat less, feel full, not be hungry as often, and lose weight. Every clinical case has shown people have been able to reduce their calorie intake by 900 to 1,100 calories daily. This is enough for most people to lose a pound every three-four days.

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.

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.

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.

Is Hoodia plant safe?

The Hoodia is an all-natural, herbal dietary supplement and there are no know adverse side effects relating to its use. No Caffeine. No Ephedra. So Hoodia is safe for us.

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

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".

Hoodia research

Scientists at the South African Center for Scientific and Industrial Research were the first to successfully prove that Hoodia contains a miracle molecule that suppresses the appetite. Later, a human clinical trial was conducted by scientists in Leicester England. A group of morbidly obese men and women participated. Half the group were given Hoodia and half were given a placebo. At the end of 15 days, the group on Hoodia had reduced their food intake by 1000 calories a day. Given the average daily diet is around 2200 calories, this was a stunning success.

It has been established that the P57 molecule found in wild harvested Hoodia Gordonii works by mimicking the effect that glucose has on nerve cells in the brain in effect fooling the body into thinking it is full, even when it is not, thus curbing the appetite.

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.

Hoodia gordonii now

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.

The Hoodia Gordonii plant originated in the southwestern part of Africa and grows best in the semi-arid areas of South Africa primarily the Kalahari. In its native habitat it is extremely difficulty to identify because it looks similar to succulents of the same family of which there are many. Only an experienced botanist or as the case in South Africa with Hoodia Gordonii a San people can identify the plant prior to it's blooming.

Are all Hoodia products the same?

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.

Certainly any hoodia company out there that's selling an honest product is conducting a variety of testing, trying to find out who has counterfeit products and who has real products and trying to inform and educate their own customers about the fact that they have the real thing. But, as always, test results offered by companies who have financial interest in proving their product to be genuine simply don't carry the same weight as independent test results from an unbiased third company.

All over the world, people are trying to buy hoodia, and there just isn't enough supply to go around. The succulent growers have been wiped out. The seed providers have virtually no inventory left. And since hoodia takes more than six years to grow to harvesting height, there's going to continue to be a great hoodia shortage until at least 2010, maybe beyond.

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.

Rejuvenation for feeling good