History of Hoodia

Hoodia used for thousands of years

African Bushmen have used Hoodia for thousands of years to stave off hunger and quench thirst during hunts. In 1937, a Dutch anthropologist was studying the Bushmen and noticed the appetite-suppressant effects of Hoodia. His research largely went unnoticed until it was later rediscovered. In 1996, research was conducted in South Africa on the foods that the Bushmen eat. As part of the research, researchers fed animals the same foods that the Bushmen eat. They found that the animals that ate Hoodia lost weight with no toxic or adverse side effects.

Appetite-suppressing molecule identified

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa isolated the molecule P57, which is responsible for Hoodia’s appetite-suppressing effects. The CSIR patented their find and licensed it to the pharmaceutical company, Phytopharm. Phytopharm entered into an agreement with Pfizer Pharmaceutical to develop obesity-fighting drugs based on Hoodia. These two companies have spent millions of dollars trying to manufacture P57. Drugs based on P57 are years away (if ever) from being developed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the beneficial effects of Hoodia now in its natural state.

Legal Hoodia helps the African Bushmen

Hoodia grows on much of the lands on which the Bushmen live. Most of the Bushmen live in terrible poverty. The CSIR has agreed to pay royalties to the Bushmen for access to their Hoodia. The more Hoodia that’s sold, the more revenue the impoverished Bushmen receive. It’s truly a win-win for everyone.

Not all Hoodia is created equally

Plenty of supplement manufacturers have begun to offer consumers Hoodia-based products. Not all supplements are created equally. Some manufacturers are using an insufficient dosage, an interior part of the plant, or a worthless species of Hoodia. There are over a dozen different species of Hoodia, but only Hoodia gordonii possesses appetite-suppressing properties.