10 Very Interesting Things People Usually Don’t Know about Hoodia
December 10, 2011
Hoodia gordonii is often considered as a miraculous and mysterious plant. Miraculous because it is probably the most popular herb used in weight loss remedies. It is mysterious because it has numerous aspects which remain hidden from most of the people. Some of these aspects are indeed very interesting in nature. The following sections are dedicated to 10 such interesting aspects that every Hoodia user must know.
Whose Secret Is It?
Hoodia remained an unrevealed secret of the Bushmen of South Africa for more than 100,000 years. Also known as the San, these tribal people living in the Kalahari Desert of Africa relied on hoodia to suppress their appetite while on long hunting trips. If they only knew that their secret would become the most admirable weight loss remedy for millions in the future.
When Was the Secret Revealed?
Over half of the 20th century passed, when the scientists in South Africa first came to known about this great secret called hoodia. It took an additional period of about three decades for them to actually discover and isolate P57, the actual appetite suppressing ingredient present in the plant. In the year 1997, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research finally obtained the patent after discovering P57.
Why P57 Was Named So?
The patent obtained by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research was licensed to Phytopharm, a UK based pharmaceutical company. The company spent millions of dollars to conduct the clinical research of the plant. Interestingly, it was the 57th product the company was researching on. As a result, the active ingredient of this plant got its name as P57.
Did the Bushmen Make Profits?
The Bushmen never knew the wonderful weight loss formula they had in their hands. Initially, attempts were made to deprive these tribal native of Kalahari Desert from sharing profits. However, in a milestone legal decision, Phytopharm was convinced to pay the due royalties to the Bushmen. Since then, these people are given the due share of profits by any company visiting the area to obtain hoodia.
How Other Companies Offer Hoodia Supplements?
Many believe that the company holds the patent on the whole hoodia plant. However, the fact is that the company holds the patent only for the weight loss property of the plant. This interesting fact encouraged other supplement making companies to devise a clever way of offering hoodia supplements. These companies don’t publicize their products as weight loss remedies. In other words, they don’t endorse P57 even if their products are based on this ingredient.
Why It Took Many Years for Phytopharm to Enjoy Success?
Phytopharm entered a deal with another pharmaceutical company called Pfizer that wished to prepare a synthetic version of P57 to save the cost of harvesting hoodia. However, the cost of preparing a synthetic version was estimated to be significantly high and this led Pfizer to withdraw its hand from the deal. It was many years later in 2004 that Phytopharm made deal with Unilever that started using hoodia in its products.
When Was the First Clinical Trial Held?
Phytopharm organized a clinical trial of hoodia in 2001. One group of individuals was given P57 and individuals of another group received a placebo. The famous aspect of P57 that it can instruct body to take 1,000 lesser calories was established through this clinical trial.
Why So Many Fake Hoodia Products?
The fact that hoodia is a difficult plant to grow makes it even more demanding. Going further, it takes around 4-5 years for the plant to grow fully. Moreover, the plant only grows in the specific climate of Kalahari Desert. All these facts inspired the growth of hoodia plants in China, Mexico, the United States and other countries. However, these plants didn’t match the quality of the original African hoodia. This is the reason for the existence of fake hoodia products that help companies to make profits in millions of dollars. In fact, 80% of these hoodia products available in the market are ineffective.
What Type of Appetite Hoodia Targets?
It is interesting to note that hoodia differentiates between real hunger and what is called hormonal hunger. While real hunger fulfills body’s needs to obtain energy through food, it is the hormonal hunger which is responsible for weight gain. Hoodia targets hormonal hunger by preventing the body from demanding snacks.
What Are Other Hoodia Family Members?
You must know that hoodia is actually the name of a genus with 13 different species. Hoodia gordonii is the name of the specie from which the appetite suppressing ingredient P57 is extracted. Other 12 species, some of which are hoodia cactus, hoodia flava, hoodia parviflora and hoodia ruschii don’t contain this ingredient.
If you have learnt these interesting facts about hoodia for the first time, you must now know this plant more closely. With extended knowledge, you can choose the right hoodia product in the more appropriate manner.
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