Hoodia Gordonii - Ancient Plant with Healthy Future
Hoodia Gordonii is
a plant native to Southern Africa, being found most commonly in the
Kalahari desert. It is a member of the succulent family, and is
extremely hard to cultivate, taking years to mature. Recently, it
has been discovered that Hoodia Gordonii contains a very powerful
molecule that works as an appetite suppressant. This molecule is
known as P57.
Hoodia
Gordonii Background
The native people
of the Kalahari Desert, the San Tribe, have used Hoodia Gordonii for
centuries, possibly even for thousands of years. The San Tribe is
one of the oldest living tribes in the world. They have successfully
used Hoodia Gordonii as an appetite and thirst suppressant in times
of hunger, or when they needed to travel long distances without
eating.
Other tribes in
Africa, such as the Anikhwe in Northern Botswana, the Hai Tribe from
Northen Namibia, and the Khomani tribe from northwestern South
Africa have recorded using Hoodia Gordonii in their tribal rituals,
as a medicine and as a food supplement.
The plant appears
after summer rainfalls in the following areas; Angola, Botswana,
Namibia and South Africa. It can also be found after winter rainfall
in Namibia. While there are several types of Hoodia plants spread
throughout Africa, Hoodia Gordonii can only be found in Southern
Africa.
Mature Hoodia
Gordonii plants can reach almost 6 feet in height and they are
extremely difficult to cultivate. The plants need temperatures of at
least 50 degrees, whether they are in the sun or shade. The
appearance of the plant is light green, and it frequently grows in
clumps of upright stems. |