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What is Hoodia Gordonii?
Latin Name: Hoodia gordonii
Other Names: hoodia, xhooba, !khoba, Ghaap, hoodia cactus, South African desert cactus. Hoodia (pronounced HOO-dee-ah) is a cactus-like plant that grows primarily in the semi-deserts of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola. In the last few years, hoodia has been heavily marketed for weight loss and has become immensely popular. Although there has always been a demand for diet pills, after the ban on the herb ephedra, the market was particularly ripe for the next new diet pill.

Much of Hoodia's popularity stems from claims that the San Bushmen of the Kalahari desert relied on Hoodia for thousands of years to ward off hunger and thirst during long hunting trips. They were said to have cut off the stem and eat the bitter-tasting plant. Hoodia Gordonii grows in clumps of green upright stems. Although it is often called a cactus because it resembles one, hoodia is actually a succulent plant. It takes about five years before Hoodia Gordonii's pale purple flowers appear and the plant can be harvested.

There are over 13 types of Hoodia. The only active ingredient identified so far is a steroidal glycoside that has been called "p57". Currently, only Hoodia Gordonii is thought to contain p57.

Where is Hoodia Gordonii Found and How it Works?
Hoodia Gordonii is sold in capsule, powder, liquid, or tea form in health food stores and on the Internet.

Despite its popularity, there are no published randomized controlled trials in humans to show Hoodia is safe or effective in pill form.

One study published in the September 2004 issue of Brain Research found that injections of p57 into the appetite center of rat brains resulted in altered levels of ATP, an energy molecule that may affect hunger. The animals receiving the P57 injections also ate less than rats that received placebo injections. However, this was an animal study and injections in the brain are different from oral consumption, so it cannot be used to show that oral Hoodia can suppress appetite in humans.

The manufacturer Phytopharm cites a clinical trial involving 18 human volunteers that found hoodia consumption reduced food intake by about 1000 calories per day compared to a placebo group. Although intriguing, the study wasn't published or subjected to a peer-review process, so the quality of the study cannot be evaluated.

What are the Side Effects of Hoodia Gordonii Plus?
There have not been any side effects reported from eating Hoodia or from taking the P-57 molecule. Remember, for thousands of years that Bushmen have eaten Hoodia Gordonii plants with no ill side effects.

Hoodia Gordonii Plus