Hoodia gordonii, or the ?slimming cactus? as it is known by many, is a South African cactus variety whose use is similar to cocoa. While cocoa staves off hunger by introducing some caffeine and plenty of sugars, Hoodia gordonii has a steroid-like compound that suppresses hunger and thirst signals directly from the brain.



The active ingredient in the Hoodia gordonii cactus from the Kalahari is responsible for sustaining the San tribe during hunting days. Since the Kalahari is wide and largely without ample vegetation, the San people of South Africa are required to travel for days without food. The appetite control supplement that is Hoodia gordonii allows the Sans to do this.

Hoodia world?

Since products like appetite control supplement from Hoodia gordonii are being consumed by an enthusiastic market, large companies remain interested. According to Roger Chennels, the spokesperson for Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever: "I envisage hoodia cafes in London and New York. Salads will be served and the hoodia cut like cucumber on to the salad."

When asked regarding the shares of the South African San tribe in the Hoodia enterprise, Chennels responds plainly with: "We will create trust funds with their hoodia royalties and they and their children will join South Africa's middle classes in our lifetime."

Clearly, the cactus, which was once used only as an appetite control supplement is gaining ground in other market niches as well.

How it works

In the 1930s, people were already aware of the potential of Hoodia gordonii as a hunger-suppressing food additive. However, it was a few years past the millennium when P57 was identified.

P57 is a steroid-like compound that takes care of the hunger pains. To illustrate the effect of P57 on the human brain, let us imagine a set of electric plugs and an equal set of electric wall outlets.

Electrical signals run when plugs are fitted snugly into the wall outlets. This is how chemical signals function in the human brain. The sensations of hunger and thirst are regulated in a particular region in the hypothalamus.

Now, imagine there are individual guardians plugging in and pulling out the electrical sockets. This is where the compound P57 steps in.

The P57 prevents the electrical sockets from being plugged in, thereby effectively preventing chemical signals from being sent out. Without the chemical signals, a person taking Hoodia would not feel hunger.

Issues

Some issues with herbal diet pills have been raised, taking the Hoodia gordonii supplements with it. One argument states that there could be possibly detrimental effects with too many antioxidants.

Fortunately for people who are taking Hoodia gordonii diet pills, these claims apply only specific people who have adverse allergies to phytochemicals. To minimize any risks, simply ask your general practitioner whether or not a particular herbal diet pill would be safe to use. Often, the risks associated with good products result only from lack of proper information or misinformation. Generally, legitimate and standardized herbal diet pills are safe to use.