Hoodia Gordonii (pronounced HOO-dee-ah) is a South African desert cactus.
You have probably already heard about Hoodia.
It has become quite famous because it has the ability to suppress your appetite and is helpful in your weight loss program.
You may have already seen the coverage by 60 Minutes, ABC and the other networks.
You can find Hoodia in capsule, liquid or the form of tea.
It can be purchased both in health food stores and on the internet.
The cactus itself is from the semi-deserts of South Africa.
It grows in green clumps of upright stems.
Remarkably, it requires five years before the pale, purple flowers appear.
At this time the plant can be harvested.
In reality, there are about 20 varieties of Hoodia.
It is believed that only the Hoodia Gordonii variety contains the natural, appetite suppressant.
Its discovery here in the west was relatively recent.
The bushmen of the Kalahari have been eating this plant for a very long time.
These bushmen cut off part of the stem and eat it to stave off hunger and thirst during long hunting trips.
Interestingly, they would also use the plant for severe abdominal cramps, hemorroides, tuberculosis, indigestion, diabetes and hypertension.
It was in 1937 that a Dutch anthropologist studying the bushmen noticed the ability of Hoodia to suppress the appetite.
Then in 1963 the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research began to study Hoodia.
Their results were very interesting, lab animals would lose weight after ingesting Hoodia.
The big buzz began with the segment on 60 Minutes.
Leslie Stahl traveled to Africa to do a piece on Hoodia.
Once there, they hired a local bushman as a guide.
They went out into the desert to find some Hoodia.
Stahl tried it and says that she lost the desire to eat or drink for the whole day.
Her conclusion was that Hoodia actually works.
The good news for dieters is that Hoodia appears to successfully suppress the appetite.
The other good news is that there are not any serious side effects.