Discovery of Hoodia
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In the middle of 1970 scientific and commercial interest in Hoodia Gordonii became apparent. The interest was to extract the active compounds which gave the San tribes, of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa, the ability to survive long hunting trips in the desert. The tribes used the Hoodia plant as a food and also source of water to keep them from feeling hungry or thirsty. It was also used as a medicine.
It is thought that the bushmen tribes have been chewing on the Hoodia plant for over 25,000 years. The custom has been passed down from the forefathers. It is their food, their water, and their medicine when they are on their hunting trips. If they have survived all of these years living with these customs, the scientitists believed there was something here worth researching. What was in the Hoodia plant that helped one survive on it for extended periods of time? The SAN tribes were onto something that could be beneficial to the whole world. Since a big majority of the population is overweight or dangerously obese, this could be a big breakthrough in the diet industry.
Over the next 30 years South Africa's National Laboratory researched to find and isolate the active compound which suppressed the appetite and satisfied the thirst of the tribesmen. The compound (which scientitists named P57) was found and in 1997 the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in Southern Africa applied for a patent and licensed the developement to a biotech firm in the United Kingdom. This firm sold the licensing to Pzfizer. The testing has confirmed that the Hoodia plant has the compounds to suppress the appetite and thirst.
Hoodia Gordonii is now being sold as a diet supplement. It has the ability to reduce eating interests and feel full quicker as well as not be hungry for longer periods of time. It does not cause side effects as other diet supplements do. Other supplements have effects such as stimulants which causes nausea, headaches, and jitteriness.
In 1998 clinical trials were conducted and many success reports of more than 70% success rate were noted. These trial participants met their effective goals. In 1999 a manufacturing center in South Africa was opened to research and develop Hoodia Gordonii.
More clinical studies were performed in 2001 and 2003 and in all trials and studies, the same results were found. Hoodia Gordonii reduced the desire to eat and therefore the subjects lost weight without any undesirable side effects. It seems that there is now an answer to a problem that seems to be spiraling out of control around the world.
Hoodia Gordonii has been FDA approved for use as a diet supplement and many people are taking advantage of it and are getting desired weight loss without side effects.
While the Hoodia Gordonii has been clinically proven, one must beware of phoney companies selling products they claim are Hoodia products when in fact they are not. About 2/3 of the companies selling the products are selling products that contain little or no Hoodia Gordonii at all.
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