Hoodia is a succulent that looks like a cactus. It has been described as a somewhat bitter-tasting cucumber that thrives in extremely hot, dry weather and takes 5-7 years to reach maturity.
Hoodia grows in the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa, as well as the countries of Botswana, Namibia and Angola.
The San Bushmen of the Kalahari, one of the world’s oldest and most primitive tribes, have been eating Hoodia for thousands of years to stave off hunger during nomadic hunting trips.
Hoodia sends signals to the brain that make the brain believe that the body is full, even when it is not. These signals are believed to be thousands of times stronger than the signals that sugar sends to the brain for the same reason.
As reported by BBC News, when the first human clinical trial was conducted, using a morbidly obese group of people of which half were given Hoodia and half given a placebo… Fifteen days later, the Hoodia group had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 a day.
A molecule in Hoodia, P57, is believed to be responsible for Hoodia's ability to suppress appetite, increase energy levels, and aid in weight loss.
