The hoodia gordonii cactus (it isn't really a cactus but is a type of plant called a succulent – similar to the cactus) has an extremely long and interesting history. This article offers a brief overview of its history and will hopefully answer your questions about the background of this extraordinary little plant.
Most people have only ever heard of the San bushpeople from the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy" which featured a tribe of San. The San live in the Kalahari desert of southern Africa, and have lived there for about 100,000 years.
Some, but not all, of the bushmen still live in traditional huts and gather food from the bush – including the hoodia gordonii cactus. For as long as the San can remember, they've used the hoodia gordonii cactus as a food source to suppress the appetite during famine or when on the hunt.
Scientists were amazed by the power of the hoodia gordonii cactus to reduce the appetite. Hoodia worked like nothing else anyone had ever seen.
The South African national laboratory began studying the hoodia gordonii cactus in the 1960s. Scientists sought to isolate the exact mechanism of the weight loss component that nature manufactured in the little cactus.
After thirty long years of research, the South African national laboratory isolated the active ingredient in the hoodia gordonii cactus. After isolating P57, the national lab applied for a patent and then licensed it to a pharmaceutical company called Phytopharm.
Phytopharm spent millions testing P57 on animals and people, including the study on obese people that demonstrated a decrease of about 1000 calories per day in dietary intake.
At first, Phytopharm and the South African national laboratory forgot about the bushmen, who had originally discovered the plant. In 2003, a deal was worked out whereby the bushmen would receive a percentage of any profits Phytopharm made.
CBS 60 Minutes reporter Leslie Stahl traveled to Africa in 2004 to sample the hoodia gordonii cactus. The result? Stahl didn't feel the urge to eat for over 24 hours and wasn't even thirsty for about 12 hours. No jitters, jumpiness or other unwelcome side effects.
The Hoodia gordonii cactus had its 15 minutes of fame. An entire niche industry of hoodia gordonii supplements sprung up, many with none or almost no actual hoodia gordonii cactus among their ingredients.
Today, the little plant is grown in licensed plantations by the acre. Because wild sources of the hoodia gordonii cactus are scarce, they are protected by law.
Almost everyone in America has heard about the hoodia gordonii cactus, and thousands have tried it for weight loss. Many are skeptical of its efficacity. Others think hoodia is just another fat-burner. But for those who've actually used a quality hoodia supplement, they vouch for its great results.
America may finally have the right answer for its obesity epidemic.
