Hoodia is a cactus that’s causing a stir for its ability to suppress appetite  and promote weight loss. 60 Minutes, ABC, and the BBC have all done stories on  hoodia. Hoodia is sold in capsule, liquid, or tea form in health food stores and  on the Internet. Hoodia gordonii can be found in the semi-deserts of South  Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola. Hoodia grows in clumps of green upright  stems and is actually a succulent, not a cactus. It takes about 5 years before  hoodia’s pale purple flowers appear and the cactus can be harvested. Although  there are 20 types of hoodia, only the hoodia gordonii variety is believed to  contain the natural appetite suppressant.

Although hoodia was “discovered” relatively recently, the San Bushmen of the  Kalahari desert have been eating it for a very long time. The Bushmen, who live  off the land, would cut off part of the hoodia stem and eat it to ward off  hunger and thirst during nomadic hunting trips. They also used hoodia for severe  abdominal cramps, haemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and  diabetes.

In 1937, a Dutch anthropologist studying the San Bushmen noted that they used  hoodia to suppress appetite. But it wasn’t until 1963 when scientists at the  Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa’s national  laboratory, began studying hoodia. Initial results were promising — lab animals  lost weight after taking hoodia.

The South African scientists, working with a British company named  Phytopharm, isolated the active ingredient in hoodia, a steroidal glycoside,  which they named p57. After getting a patent in 1995, they licensed p57 to  Phytopharm. Phytopharm has spent more than $20 million on hoodia research.

Eventually pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (makers of Viagra) caught wind of  hoodia and became interested in developing a hoodia drug. In 1998, Phytopharm  sub-licensed the rights to develop p57 to Pfizer for $21 million. Pfizer  recently returned the rights to hoodia to Phytopharm, who is now working with  Unilever.

What you need to know about hoodiaHoodia appears to suppress appetiteMuch of the buzz about hoodia  started after 60 minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl and crew traveled to Africa  to try hoodia. They hired a local Bushman to go with them into the desert and  track down some hoodia. Stahl ate it, describing it as “cucumbery in texture,  but not bad.” She lost the desire to eat or drink the entire day. She also  didn’t experience any immediate side effects, such as indigestion or heart  palpitations. Stahl concluded, “I’d have to say it did work.”

In animal studies, hoodia is believed to reduce caloric intake by 30 to 50  percent. There is one human study showing a reduced intake of about 1000  calories per day. However, I haven’t been able to find either study to actually  read for myself and am going on secondhand reports.

60 MINUTES on CBS news featured Hoodia, reporting ” Hoodia is very different from other diet stimulants like Ephedra and Phenfen that are now banned because of dangerous side effects. Hoodia does not stimulate the body. In fact, scientists say it fools the brain by making you think you’re full, even if you’ve just eaten a morsel.”

What enables the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert of South Africa, one of the world’s oldest and most primitive tribes, to stave off hunger during long hunting trips?

They consume Hoodia Gordonii cactus! It is quickly becoming known as the greatest natural appetite suppressant of all time. This cactus has an incredible virtue. The Hoodia cactus contains the highly active molecules P-57 that directly influences the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls satiation or the sense of being completely full. P-57 extract ” misleads” the brain and body by allowing you to believe you have just eaten. Furthermore, It works by imitating the effect that glucose has on nerve cells in the brain, which is to fool the body into thinking it is full, even when it is not, thus curbing the appetite.

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Which One is the Best?

If you are planning to take Hoodia Gordonii through tablets or pills,  you may be surprised to know that you usually absorb some where between 2-20 %  of its dietary value. Why is this? Well! There are silent ingredients called  ‘binders’, which are included to the Hoodia throughout the manufacturing stages  in order to hold the pills or tablets to together. When you consume the final  product and take Hoodia as a tablet or pill, your body has no choice but to  reverse the whole process. Many people find it cumbersome for breaking down and  absorbing Gordonii supplements as pills becomes a real challenge to their  body.

On the other hand, Hoodia in a liquid form can be absorbed almost  immediately, and the majority of people will experience its effects in just a  few minutes after swallowing it. Liquid Hoodia has a superior absorption rate as  opposed to the pill/tablet while it can provide you with the same or better  results than the pill or tablet even at a lower dosage.

A comparative  study shows:

a) Liquid form of Hoodia Gordonii is much more easier to  take in, whereas tablets and capsules can be difficult to swallow for both  minors and older people.

b) The liquid Hoodia absorbs immediately into  your blood system, which helps you feel its effect almost instantaneously, while  capsules and tablets can take a few hours to experience minimal  effect.

When you intend to experience Hoodia Gordonii, consider having  its power in the liquid form for maximum results.