Weight Loss Effects Of The Hoodia Gordonii Cactus
By Mark Dailey

Of the 13 known species of Hoodia, only Hoodia Gordinii possesses this unique quality. Hoodia plants grow in various parts of South Africa, but Hoodia Gordinii only grows in Namibia.

Can Hoodia Gordonii Help Me Lose Weight?

Interest in this unique plant has increased over the past decades, and many research studies have been conducted to test its effectiveness, but the first people who have come to make use of it are native San Tribesmen of South Africa. These tribesmen are similar to the ones in the Gods must be crazy movies.

They live by hunting and by gathering plants for food. These people have used these plants for more than 25 thousand years. One tribesman says that he has learned to eat it from his forefathers, and made use of it whenever they go on long hunting trips to avoid feeling hunger pains.

Hoodia Gordonii Research

It was only in 1970 that actual scientific research on the plants started. The South Africa National Laboratory (SANL) conducted the initial research studies and succeeded in extracting the active component in Hoodia Gordonii, which was responsible for its appetite suppressant capabilities.

In 1997, the SANL was able to identify the key component, now known as P57, applied for its patent and turned over the license for commercialization to a United Kingdom company name Phytopharm. The UK Company collaborated with Pfizer, in synthesizing the said component, but in 2002, Pfizer released its rights on Hoodia Gordonii because it was difficult to synthesize.

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