The Hoodia Gordonii plant (also generically called Hoodia Cactus) grows naturally in Namibia and South Africa. In those countries, indigenous Bushmen have used it for thousands of years to suppress hunger and thirst on long hunting trips, and where it is still used today by natives to fend off starvation.
Of the 13 species of Hoodia plant, it is the Hoodia Gordonii variety that is associated to the Hoodia Diet. Known by many other names including Hoodia Cactus, Stapelia gordonii, Kalahari Cactus, Xhooba, Ikhoba, Bushman’s Hat or Queen of the Namib, to name a few, this species of Hoodia plant has gained recent global attention for its professed ability to suppress the human appetite.
The active ingredient believed to be the affect in Hoodia weight loss is a chemical called P57, which is meant to stimulate a part of the brain that in turn sends a message to your body that you are not hungry. One dose of P57 in the form of a Hoodia supplement is said to decrease interest in eating for a full day.
