A British Company named Phytopharm did a study about the Hoodia Gordonii plant and found that the active ingredient called P57 would suppress a person’s appetite and they would be less hungry. Ever since that study was conducted, there has been a great demand for the Hoodia Gordonii plant in the United States, so a number of companies have been making Hoodia available in powder, liquid, capsules, and even tea.
What the Hoodia Gordonii Plant Looks Like and Where It Grows
The Hoodia Gordonii plant grows in certain countries in the southern region of Africa, near the Kalahari Desert. The Hoodia Gordonii plant will only grow in a very hot climate. People have attempted to grow the plant in other locations without success. The plant does not flourish where there is excess water, humidity or cold weather.
The Hoodia Gordonii plant is not considered to be very attractive. In fact some people would even describe it as being unsightly. It is a succulent plant that looks very much like a cactus, although officially it isn’t one. The flowers of the plant have fleshy pink petals.
A Brief History of the Hoodia Gordonii Plant
The San Bushmen of Southern Africa have been using the Hoodia Gordonii plant for several thousand years. They chew on the plant in order to quench their thirst and suppress their appetite so that they can give their full attention to hunting game without needing to stop to eat.
In the 1990s the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research discovered that the Hoodia Gordonii plant made animals lose weight while they were studying the diet of the San Bushmen. They soon managed to find out what molecule in the plant acted as an appetite suppressant and sold the patent to Phytopharm. The appetite suppressant molecule the researchers discovered is called P57. Since then various pharmaceutical companies have been looking for ways to synthesize the P57 molecule from the plant into pills and other products that can be sold to promote weight loss.
How It Works
What exactly does the active ingredient in the Hoodia Gordonii plant do to help people and animals lose weight? Apparently molecule P57 stimulates the nerve cells of the hypothalamus in the same way as glucose so that it tricks the brain of the individual who has ingested it into thinking it is full. As a result people who ingest the Hoodia Gordonii plant do not have any desire to eat for several hours.
Studies of the Hoodia Gordonii plant have shown that people who ingest it eat an average of one thousand calories less than they would normally consume in a one day period. The long term effects of consuming the plant are not yet known, though the San Bushmen have used it for centuries without experiencing any adverse symptoms.
The Hoodia Gordonii Plant Is a Great Aid for Weight Loss
The Hoodia Gordonii plant can be a useful tool in your battle for weight loss. Hoodia will suppress your appetite and we all know that if you consume fewer calories, you will probably lose weight. But the caution here is that just because the name Hoodia is used does not mean that it is from the Hoodia Gordonii plant that the P57 comes from or that other substances have not been added which can adversely effect the desired weight loss desired. It is always best to do as much research as possible before spending any money on products claiming to come from the Hoodia Gordonii plant.
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