Hoodia gordonii is an herb found in the Kalahari Desert. Though reported to be used by the San Bushmen of Southern Africa for a variety of uses as a medicinal plant, its use as an appetite suppressant became popular in recent years. Hoodia is able to make you feel that you are not hungry by imitating the effect of glucose on the nerve cells in the brain. It makes you feel that you are full. You lose your urge to eat. In fact, the hoodia effect is much more powerful than glucose. The San Bushmen removes the stem of hoodia, the flowers, roots and spines, and peel away the outer skin before consuming hoodia when they went for a hunt which last for about a week. This is to stifle the urge to eat and drink.

The bioactive compound was identified and isolated by scientists at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This national laboratory of South Africa collaborated with Phytopharm, a British company, to carry out intensive studies on hoodia and the reported appetite suppressant characteristic. They were able to isolate the compound that gave this effect and called it p57. The appetite suppressing feature of hoodia was effectively confirmed by the scientists after several studies and clinical trials. This further scientifically proved that this traditional wisdom and practice had a scientific basis after all. Prolonged use of hoodia did not show any side effects. The evidence of its safety was demonstrated by the fact that the Bushmen have been using the plant quite confidently for thousands of years. With better standards of living, the affluent society has been beset with yet another major health catastrophe, obesity. Fitness and health consciousness has led to a huge market for products that can manage and control obesity. Naturally hoodia raised phenomenal interest in the market.

Hoodia gordonii was marketed as an appetite suppressant as capsule and liquid. Combined with the extracts of green tea with its natural caffeine, niacin in the form of nicotinic acid, chromium and coca extract, hoodia is promoted as tru hoodia diet. The major hitch in meeting the demand was that hoodia gordonii was found only in the wild in Southern Africa. This was not sufficient to meet the demand of the market. With limited availability, the cost was very high. Its supply too was limited and diminishing.

The attempts to synthetically produce p57 in the lab failed. With this, there was no other option but to rely on collection from the wild or at best attempt to cultivate them. Hoodia soon became a threatened species that CITES listed it as a plant whose trade has to be restricted and controlled.

Health is essential. That is the very reason why everyone should keep themselves healthy everyday.

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