The Sans Bushmen are a string of indigenous tribal people spread across the Kalahari Desert and other parts of Africa. As one of the last and oldest remaining primitive indigenous people, the Sans Bushmen themselves are fascinating. While they still have little contact with the rest of the world, they are hardly the envisioned noble tribe interested in the philanthropic cause of helping the rest of humanity lose weight.
The desert is a harsh environment. What little survives there must withstand drought and intense heat. Hoodia Gordonii has been used by the Sans Bushmen for thousands of years. They were not originally looking for a way to lose weight. Rather, they were looking to stop hunger pangs for themselves and their families when there was no food available. Although the media hype indicates the herb was used by hunters when they were in unfamiliar areas, drought and famine remain facts of life in the desert.
It is impossible to say, at this stage, how it was determined who was given Hoodia Gordonii during times of famine. Because this succulent literally turns off all the alarms that indicate hunger, and insufficient hydration, it is possible for a person to starve while thinking they have had enough food to eat. Thus, it is impossible to say how far along the path to starvation people were allowed to go while others in the community ate what little food was available. One would hope the Sans Bushmen were, and are, more humane than greedier elements of our own society would be under such circumstances.
While Hoodia Gordonii has a lingering and unpleasant taste, many other related species are used routinely for food. Most people are interested in Hoodia Gordonii as an aide to weight loss. The Sans Bushmen used it for many different things, including indigestion, small infections, abdominal cramps, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes. Each individual tribe has its own unique practices and uses for this species.
Irregardless of the Sans Bushmen's cultural and ethnic uses of Hoodia Gordonii, many people in the world need to control their appetite in order to pursue healthier bodies and lifestyles. Not only does obesity need to be controlled for personal benefit, there are many other implications and impacts of overeating.
Being overweight also affects health care costs and well being. Each year, in the United States alone, millions of dollars are spent on illnesses that could have been avoided if people ate healthier portions and selected foods that were less harmful to their bodies. Unhealthy diets have also cost millions of people their lives, and the simple joys of being among their loved ones and friends.
Based on all of these concerns, the succulent that the Sans Bushmen know about can reap billions of dollars for them. At this stage, it is believed they are still waiting for the bulk of the royalties negotiated by their lawyers.
