Hoodia Gordonii is a popular weight loss product for those people who want to lose weight, without going on a diet and strenuous exercise. A lot of people are calling the discovery of Hoodia Gordonii the breakthrough of the decade, but some medical experts are questioning the effectivity and safeness of this supplement. Hoodia gordonii is now marketed in different forms such as capsules, tablets, coffee, and tea, protein drinks, etc.

Hoodia Gordonii plant? Hoodia Gordonii is a small leafless plant that looks like a dill pickle with spines on it. Its flowers smell like rotten meat and are pollinated mainly by flies. Real Hoodia Gordonii only grows in the remote region of the South African Kalahari Desert and it takes four or more years before it is ready to harvest. This plant contains a natural substance that takes your appetite away. Scientists say that it fools the brain by making you think you're full, even if you have not eaten much.

P57 the important substance in hoodia gordonii: P57, a substance in hoodia gordonii plant which is said to be responsible for its appetite-suppressant effect. According to some advertisement the P57 molecule is estimated to be up to 10,000 times as potent as glucose in sending the signal to the brain that tells your body it is NOT hungry. Pfizer one of the leading drug company states that development on P57, was stopped due to the difficulty of synthesizing it. Research states there were indications of unwanted effects on the liver caused by other components, which could not be easily removed from the supplement. They stressed that hoodia has a long way to go before it gains approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Until safer formulations are developed, dieters should be cautious when using this product.

Medicinal Uses: The native people of Southern Africa uses this plant in treating indigestion and small infections, but it's their use of the meat of the plant to suppress appetite when making long hunting trips that made it popular.

Fake Hoodia: Because of the growing demand for this product Hoodia has become scarce and very expensive; that is why most products being sold in the market claiming to contain hoodia are actually using domestic synthesized versions that are no where near effective.

Warning: Medical expert do not recommend hoodia to obese people and warms consumers against the use of diet products marketed with exaggerated claims. Many products claiming to contain Hoodia do not actually contain the active ingredient to suppress appetite. In a test conducted in some pharmaceutical company it was found that at least half of the products advertised as containing Hoodia contained none. And lastly there is also no published scientific evidence that Hoodia works as an appetite suppressant in humans.