This is a plant you might have heard of many times without even realizing it, as it has many names. The indigenous population of South Africa often calls it xhooba and uses it as part of their diet and an efficient remedy that heals skin infections. When used as food, xhooba reduces hunger and thirst and allows to stay without food for a long time and not to feel unwell. The scientists call this plant Hoodia Gordonii. Other names commonly used are Hoodia cactus and South African desert cactus. The plant’s habitat is the Kalahari Desert and it has not been found anywhere else in the world.
There have been numerous attempts to grow Hoodia Gordonii for commercial use. However, there are several problems connected with that. Firstly, the cactus needs the exact temperature that can be provided only in a desert like Kalahari. Secondly, there is the issue of time, as 4-5 years are required for Hoodia to become a fully grown plant with the useful effects it is known for. Thirdly, the amount of Hoodia present in the desert nowadays is quite limited, so everything is done by the government to protect the remaining plants from being harvested. There is a company called Phytopharm that started up a number of big plantations of Hoodia Gordonii in South Africa, but those will not give results sooner than in a couple of years from now.
Another fact that contributes to the great value of Hoodia Gordonii is that it’s the only one from a number of species of hoodia that possesses the appetite-suppression properties. Today there are too many companies offering the “authentic Hoodia” in their products and promising immediate slimming. The truth is that their products might actually contain hoodia but most likely not the species you really need and not in the quantities you need. So, the best thing to do if you don’t feel like wasting money on another “magic” product that ends up bringing you nothing but side effects, is to make sure you purchase the supplement from a company with years of reputation and experience. And remember, as this plant suppresses thirst along with appetite, it is strongly recommended to drink plenty of water, even if you don’t feel particularly thirsty.
And, of course, no matter how people call it, Hoodia Gordonii is gorgeous. When 4-5 years pass, and the plant becomes fully-grown, purple flowers appear all over it. It’s important to remember that even though this cactus can be the last resort for many people to have a beautiful figure and a happy life, it has to be protected in its natural habitat so that our descendants will also be able to enjoy it.
Hoodia Gordonii: A Guide to the Plant Extract
There are very few people who haven’t heard anything about the extract of Hoodia Gordonii Cactus as this information has been everywhere in the media. That is one of the reasons products made from Hoodia Gordonii have quickly become the most wanted and looked for. One thing you need to know before choosing a treatment for yourself is that there are many various plants that are called hoodia but only Hoodia Gordonii species can actually suppress the appetite and contribute to efficient weight loss. The magic properties of this cactus were discovered by the indigenous population of South Africa, the Bushmen, many centuries ago. In the 1990s, there was a large-scale study conducted that had the aim of studying all the plants that the Bushmen tribe consumed and their effects.
When Hoodia Gordonii was studied and its effects were tested on volunteers, it was revealed that it had powerful hunger and thirst suppressing effects. The active compound that was discovered in the plant was named P57 and its rights were sold to the pharmaceutical company Phytopharm. The company then went on to conduct extensive research into the plant and studied the possibility of its mass production. As the compound is patented it means that Hoodia Gordonii cannot be used to produce weight-loss supplements without the permission of Phytopharm. However, if a company doesn’t claim that its product containing Hoodia Gordonii extract has strong hunger suppressing and weight loss effects, there is pretty much nothing Phytopharm can do as the patent defends the “rights of use of Hoodia Gordonii for the purpose of production of weight-loss supplements”. Naturally, nobody can patent the whole plant and forbid everyone else to use it.
The most important thing for you to remember is: no matter what supplement with Hoodia Gordonii you buy, make sure it contains the authentic Hoodia Gordonii. That means it should be extracted from the plant that grows in South Africa as any other habitats of the cactus have not been found yet.