Hoodia, a plant that tricks the brain by making the stomach feel full, has been in the diet of South Africa's Bushmen for thousands of years.

CBS News, 60 Minutes, talking about Hoodia

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 (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.

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.

To be eligible for export to the USA and all other nations, Hoodia farmers must obtain a C.I.T.E.S. certificate which is issued on a per export-shipment basis.

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.

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!

So you've bought a supply of hoodia, and now you want to know how to use it. To cover this, There are experience in using hoodia for weight loss. The optimal way is taking hoodia tincture every morning and afternoon. Easy enough, right?

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.

Normally, to get your hypothalamus to turn off the hunger switch, you'd have to eat a moderate amount of food. And your hypothalamus isn't very quick on the draw either: it takes around 20 minutes to figure out what you've eaten, and by that time, you've probably eaten another 800 calories. So by the time your hunger signal gets turned off, you've already overeaten yet again.

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.

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.

There are no known reported side effects to using Hoodia Gordonii that have been reported to date.

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

The quickness and degree of results will vary depending on the frequency of use and other factors. However, you should start to see the beginning of the weight loss process within two weeks. Please note that the same as with any weight loss supplement, better results will be realized when taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and reasonable exercise.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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