The source of the Cactus diet is a leafless spiny succulent plant called Hoodia gordonii, that is not really a Cactus. Hoodia gordonii is also known as Hoodia, Xhooba, Khoba, Ghaap, Hoodia cactus, Bushman's hat, queen of the Namib and South African desert cactus. Hoodia gordonii grows in the Kalahari Desert, in the south-western part of Africa.

Hoodia is a genus in the flowering plant family Apocynaceae They are stem succulents, characterized as "cactiform" on account of their similarity to cactus, although they are not in the cactus family. This plant has 3 to 4 inch, red to purple flesh colored, saucer-shaped, flowers that smell like rotten meat and attracts flies.

The Hoodia gordonii cactus diet requires nothing more than taking a pill. This is dieting its simplest. There are no foods that you must stay away from, and you don't have to be hungry to lose weight. The species Hoodia gordonii, has become popular as an appetite suppressant in the last few years. The San Bushmen have lived in southern Africa for at least 20,000 years. They have been using the Hoodia gordonii for many generations to keep hunger and thirst away during long hunting trips. Hoodia suppresses their desire to eat. It makes the body think that it is already full.

In its native habitat Hoodia gordonii is difficulty to identify because it looks similar to the other plants of the same family. You need to be a botanist or a San Bushmen can tell the difference. You can tell by the flowers, but then you would have to wait for the plant to bloom in order to make sure you have the correct species. It is much easer to pick up a bottle at your local health food store. In the 1990's, scientist studying foods that Kalahari Bushmen eat noticed Hoodia gordonii. Once it was determined to be nontoxic drug and supplement companies went to work to extract the active ingredients and make it available to the over weight public. When hunger does start to kick in, Hoodia can help with cravings so dieters can eat healthier foods.

The excitement started after 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl went to Africa and tried some just as a native Bushman would do. Leslie went into the Kalahari with a native Bushman and ate some of the local plant. Stahl said it was "cucumbery in texture, but not bad" and that she lost the desire to eat or drink for the rest of the day. She did not go on a long hunt but she didn't experience any side effects such as jitteriness or insomnia. It just gave her the feeling like she did not need to eat.

Dried extracts of the stems and roots are used to make capsules, powders, tablets, liquid extracts and teas. There are Hoodia products that do not have the species hoodia gordonii in them or not enough in them to work. Hoodia is sold as a dietary supplement, so it escapes the level of inspection the FDA gives over the counter medications and prescription drugs. Many formulas also add supplements like or chromium picolinate, glucomannon, guarana, Gymena sylvestre, Panax ginseng, Verba mate, green tea extract, Ginkgo biloba extract, ginger root and even ephedra. This is not always a bad thing; combinations of supplements often work better. You just want to be careful because some formulas have caffeine that can keep you awake and make you jittery.

I recommend you stay from any formula that contains ephedra, there are much safer and better herbs for weight loss. Ephedra can make you have adverse reactions such as heart attack, stroke, depression, convulsions, coma, fever, vomiting, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, and respiratory depression. The Cactus diet is all about taking supplements that contain Hoodia, the problem is there are many types of Hoodia, and you may be buying a pill that claims to suppress the appetite but may not. Hoodia products varies widely in quality. The amount of Hoodia may not be enough to cause the same effects that the Bushmen experience. Since this plant has not been found outside the Kalahari Desert, to follow the Cactus diet plan, people have to rely on commercial pills that make claims their merchandise has the same effects as the original plant the Bushmen eat.

There is no reliable scientific evidence to support hoodia's use. No large studies of the herb in people have been published. Hoodia's safety is unknown, its potential risks, side effects, and interactions with medicines and other supplements have not been studied.