Why is Hoodia such a sought after weight loss supplement?

Hoodia Gordonii is an unambitious little South African desert cactus type plant that has a big future ahead of it. A gift from the native San people who live in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa, this tiny plant the natives' call "Xhoba" has already began impacting the world of weight loss with its extraordinary hunger stopping traits. What the Aboriginal San Bushmen have known for a long time and the rest of us are merely beginning to realize is that Hoodia has appetite suppressant qualities distinguished by plant scientists and named P57. This P57 active element has been examined, tested and identified to have the power to reduce calorie intake by up to 1,000 calories a day.

So will any South African cactus do when it comes to helping you to stay away from snacks? Indeed not, don't go to the local florist and buy yourself a desert cactus to eat. Of the succulent and asclepiad genus there are 2,000 species of ascleoiadaceae, divided into 300 genera, half from the succulent category. Hoodia Pseudolithos and Trichocaulon are members of the Trichocaulon sub-section from the Kalahari Desert region of S. Africa that touches Angola, Botswana and Namibia. Hoodia Gordonii is the name of the cactus you will want to get but don't plan on taking a outing to the South Africa and getting some Hoodia cacti for yourself; the Hoodia desert cactus are under strict control by the S. African government. It is considered an endangered plant and Only Hoodia cactus farmers with certification may produce and sell the Hoodia.

Can Hoodia affect the world's obesity problem and help the planet be a slimmer place? Business organizations including, Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Phytopharm, Pfizer and most recently Slim Fast all believe so. All of these companies have banked on Hoodia's success and together have invested millions of dollars, wanting to corner the marketplace on weight loss. Looking at Hoodia's journey from Xhoba, plant of The San Bushmen to being today's miracle plant for weight loss we need to first look at where Hoodia's been over the past thirty plus years. The greatest amount of time, CSIR analyzed Hoodia to isolate the molecule p57, once they eventually obtained it; they then sold the rights of p57 to Phytopharm. In 1998 The Phytopharm Company leased marketing rights to Pfizer, who invested thirty-two million only to subsequently drop out of the scene because p57 was too expensive to synthesize as a pill. Pfizer's situation has now been taken over by The Unilever Corporation, the parent company of Slim Fast. Slim Fast at present plans on delivering a Hoodia weight loss supplement to nutritional stores in a couple years.

Almost a year ago, on November of 2004, the Hoodia plant contracted big media coverage when CBS's Sixty Minutes did a show on Hoodia's appetite suppressant qualities. With the 60 minute TV exposure, Hoodia was now wanted plant by dieters all-round the globe. People having a hard time staying on their diets desired Hoodia now, not in a couple of years, the secret was out and Hoodia was becoming an indispensable plant. I'm sure after that 60 minutes program was aired, numbers of dieters looked into moving to the Kalahari Desert and making themselves a tiny Hoodia garden of their very own. Luckily, as it is today there isn't a reason to go to that extent, where there is a consumer need; there are many businesses happy to fill that request. There were a few businesses that were informed of Hoodia before the news coverage broke and were in the right place at the right time. It didn't take long though for numerous other organizations to create associations with South African Hoodia Gordonii growers and get Hoodia supplements into stores.

Nowadays there are numerous brands marketing both Hoodia powder form and extracts; how long will the Hoodia plant supply last is the question on dieter's minds right now. The Hoodia Gordonii succulent is a very hard plant to grow; the plants need very much care and management with irrigating, temperature and sunshine. Where it stands today there are only a couple of Hoodia harvesting centers in the South Africa and the Hoodia plant takes two to three years before it's ready to be exported. Taking this into account, the multi-million dollar question is, for how many months can the Hoodia succulent plant export continue? Because of this situation buyers should be aware if the Hoodia they are getting has been independently tested and certified to be pure Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa. There are companies out there taking advantage of the great demand and interest in Hoodia and supplying a low quality product.

Hoodia Gordonii and the Real Focus

There's so much hype about hoodia that we tend to get caught up in all the arguments and stop focusing on pure hoodia and its benefits. Hoodia is a kind of a succulent plant that is found in the deserts lands of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola. Of course, some people might question the whole issue about benefits but the fact is, for centuries the hoodia plant or part of it has been used by the bushmen of Africa to suppress their appetite and thirst when they went off hunting to the desert. That is primarily the benefit that hoodia gordonii promises and it is this premise that one has to focus on.

There are many different species of hoodia but it is Only hoodia gordonii that has so far exhibited any appetite or thirst suppressant qualities. So while we focus on the benefits, one must not ignore the fact that a lot of people could be hoodwinked with hoodia that belongs to the same species but is different. So different that it does not possess the benefit of an appetite suppressant. This is why the first step is to be sure that what you are buying is hoodia gordonii and no other Hoodia.

Then, one needs to be practical. To expect to lose weight overnight is ridiculous. While pure hoodia gordonii might be able to suppress your appetite, it might not be able to stop habitual eating which is when you are eating without feeling hungry. It might not be effective against cravings or against binging. So when you get onto a Hoodia program, make sure that you are patient and give it time. Remember that any weight lost too fast will come back again very soon with interest.

The next thing to focus on is a total weight loss program. Hoodia must be just a part of a regimen of exercise efforts. There must be good eating habits, a nutritious but light diet, plenty of water, regular exercise and of course hoodia gordonii. Put all these together and you will see that it works. However, if one were to just swallow a few capsules of Hoodia Gordonii, sit back and not do anything else, the weight loss will take much longer.

How do you make sure that what you buy is the real hoodia gordonii? You have to be smart enough to make inquiries, to look at labels, make sure that the product has been tested and that it comes from a reputed company. Look at the discussions on the Internet so you are aware if any hoodia product is a fake. Through all this, make sure you focus on what is Hoodia Gordonii's real benefit - the fact that it does not make you feel your hunger pangs. There's a flip side to this - you might get weak with not eating or drinking anything. Which is why is essential to have a routine through your day so you do eat enough to make sure you don't get too weak. If you focus on hoodia gordonii and what it can do for you, you will step out a much slimmer you, very soon indeed.

The Hoodia Gordonii Diet - Is it Worth Your Time?

Diets, diets, and more diets. There are thousands of different diets out there and even more people on them. But when it comes to diets that work... well that's a whole different story.

So, where exactly does the hoodia gordonii diet stand? You're going to have to continue reading in order to find out.

The Hoodia Gordonii Diet - Yay or Nay?

Determining whether or not dieting primarily through the use of hoodia gordonii extract works isn't as cut and dry as yes or no. You see, hoodia gordonii supplements do offer many health benefits including weight loss and taking hoodia regularly as a part of your diet will allow you to lose weight.

However, the amount of weight you lose is completely up to you. If you commit and take hoodia regularly, then you can very well see substantial results. But if you simply "test" a hoodia diet out then you probably won't get much out of it.

Also, in addition to Taking hoodia supplements you should also strive to change other aspects of your lifestyle. The hoodia diet is a great way to make big changes in your life, whether that be weight loss or an overall gain in health and well being, in that it is a step towards change in general. Hoodia gordonii extract is a very powerful naturally occurring substance and you will see great gains (as in weight loss) if you include it in your diet.

This positive change is the perfect excuse to get the ball rolling. Once you start to see results from a consistent hoodia diet you will most likely start to consider other avenues of weight loss and ways of getting healthier. After all, why stop when you can take things to the next level? All in all, taking a Hoodia supplement regularly is a great thing to add to your diet. You can and will lose weight as long as you stick to it and get your hands on a quality supplement.

Want to take advantage of hoodia gordonii's many health benefits for yourself? Visit the link below in order to gain access the some of the best information related to buying your own hoodia supplement. You'll find plenty of content which covers hoodia information, the best places to buy hoodia, and much more.