Hoodia Gordonii Natural Appetite Suppressant.

Hoodia was discovered and used by the San tribe (one of South Africa's oldest tribes) since prehistoric times. They chewed the bitter Hoodia Gordonii twice a day to suppress hunger and thirst during long hunting trips. This plant has recently been translated into a miracle obesity cure, P57, with a market potential of US$6 billion.

The market for a natural appetite suppressant or weight loss product is huge. In the United States alone there are between +/- 50 million clinically obese people and in some developed countries obesity spiraled out of control.

Hoodia looks like an ordinary cactus but thin and thorny.

Scientific Name : Hoodia gordonii Sweet

Family: Asclepiadecaea

In 2002 Hoodia Gordonii reversed a worldwide history of exploitation of indigenous peoples. The San tribe could easily have been victims of biopiracy. The particularly disconcerting aspect of this case is that it was a governmental organisation, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The CSIR is an institution that was shaped by the apartheid regime it had served well for 40 years. In 1996 scientists from the CSIR isolated the hunger-suppressing chemical component in Hoodia, now known as P57, and patented it. In 1997, CSIR licensed the UK-based firm Phytopharm to further develop and commercialize P57.

It has been established that P57 works by mimicking the effect that glucose has on nerve cells in the brain in effect fooling the body into thinking it is full, even when it is not, thus curbing the appetite.

The following year, Phytopharm licensed drug giant Pfizer (of Viagra fame) to develop and market P57, with none of the projected royalties being earmarked for the San. A British spokesperson for Pfizer that described P57, said that the San people was "extinct".

The San people felt that their heritage had been plundered and a few years later a claim was launched against the CSIR stating that it had failed to comply with the rules of the Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 (CBD), requiring prior informed consent. Consequently, a "memorandum of understanding" was reached between the parties in March 2002.

At a moving ceremony in Andriesvale, a remote area of the Kalahari, the South African San Council and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa signed an agreement that recognizes and rewards the San as holders of traditional knowledge. The San would receive a mutually agreed percentage of the profit from the CSIR along with offers of education programmes, computer training and employment cultivating the Hoodia cactus plant in the Kalahari.

The above example is a great victory for holders of traditional knowledge, however it represents a rare case where a bilateral agreement on access and benefit sharing has obviated the need for expensive and time-consuming litigation.

The CSIR and the San had to produce an agreement able to withstand international scrutiny. For three years, the South Africa San Council negotiated with the CSIR on behalf of the San in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In a unique arrangement, the San will share profits across borders.

The South African government is considering a draft bill that requires proof of prior informed consent of communities before granting patents for products or elements derived from their traditional knowledge.

At the moment Hoodia Gordonii is extremely difficult to find. The San people believe that in the very near future Hoodia cafes will open all over the world serving Hoodia diet salads and dishes. With the potential money spin-off they will hopefully rid themselves from hundreds of years of oppression, and finally claim their rightful place in the world.

Hoodia Gordonii Natural Appetite Suppressant.

Hoodia was discovered and used by the San tribe (one of South Africa's oldest tribes) since prehistoric times. They chewed the bitter Hoodia Gordonii twice a day to suppress hunger and thirst during long hunting trips. This plant has recently been translated into a miracle obesity cure, P57, with a market potential of US$6 billion.

The market for a natural appetite suppressant or weight loss product is huge. In the United States alone there are between +/- 50 million clinically obese people and in some developed countries obesity spiraled out of control.

In 2002 Hoodia Gordonii reversed a worldwide history of exploitation of indigenous peoples. The San tribe could easily have been victims of biopiracy. The particularly disconcerting aspect of this case is that it was a governmental organisation, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The CSIR is an institution that was shaped by the apartheid regime it had served well for 40 years. In 1996 scientists from the CSIR isolated the hunger-suppressing chemical component in Hoodia, now known as P57, and patented it. In 1997, CSIR licensed the UK-based firm Phytopharm to further develop and commercialize P57.

It has been established that hoodia works by mimicking the effect that glucose has on nerve cells in the brain in effect fooling the body into thinking it is full, even when it is not, thus curbing the appetite.

The following year, Phytopharm licensed drug giant Pfizer (of Viagra fame) to develop and market P57, with none of the projected royalties being earmarked for the San. A British spokesperson for Pfizer that described P57, said that the San people was "extinct".

The San people felt that their heritage had been plundered and a few years later a claim was launched against the CSIR stating that it had failed to comply with the rules of the Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 (CBD), requiring prior informed consent. Consequently, a "memorandum of understanding" was reached between the parties in March 2002.

At a moving ceremony in Andriesvale, a remote area of the Kalahari, the South African San Council and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa signed an agreement that recognizes and rewards the San as holders of traditional knowledge. The San would receive a mutually agreed percentage of the profit from the CSIR along with offers of education programmes, computer training and employment cultivating the Hoodia cactus plant in the Kalahari.

The above example is a great victory for holders of traditional knowledge, however it represents a rare case where a bilateral agreement on access and benefit sharing has obviated the need for expensive and time-consuming litigation.

The CSIR and the San had to produce an agreement able to withstand international scrutiny. For three years, the South Africa San Council negotiated with the CSIR on behalf of the San in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In a unique arrangement, the San will share profits across borders.

The South African government is considering a draft bill that requires proof of prior informed consent of communities before granting patents for products or elements derived from their traditional knowledge.

At the moment Hoodia Gordonii is extremely difficult to find. The San people believe that in the very near future Hoodia cafes will open all over the world serving Hoodia diet salads and dishes. With the potential money spin-off they will hopefully rid themselves from hundreds of years of oppression, and finally claim their rightful place in the world.

To the Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Hoodia Gordonii cactus is also known as "Xhoba"

There are about 20 species in this family but cactus gordonii is the one that contains the natural appetite suppressant. The plant was first discovered in the semi-deserts of Southern Africa namely Botswana, Namibia Angola and South Africa. It produces odiferous flowers that attract flies, which pollinate them.

Extracts from Hoodia Gordonii have shown in clinical trials on obese subjects that it can reduce calorie intake by +/- 35%. A significant weight loss resulted from such a drop in calorie intake. These remarkable weight control results are the reason why scientists see Hoodia weight loss pills as a potential answer to obesity in the west. Cultivating these slow growing plants can be difficult, they need fairly high temperatures to flourish but the Kalahari desert is the ideal farming place, that is if the pharmaceutical companies does not convert it into a chemical

The San Bushmen of the Kalahari cut off a stem of the Hoodia plant about the size of a medium cucumber and nibble on it over a couple of days. Some tribes in Namibia boil the Hoodia to treat various ailments with the brew. It can also be used to maintain a high energy level.

Hoodia Gordonii (in habitat) (Masson) Sweet ex Decne Asclepiadaceae

Location: Ceres Karoo Namibia and Northern Cape South Africa. Winter rainfall area

Description: 18 inches tall with regular brown spine stem angles. The stems are grayish-brown in color with the new growth being a light green. The flowers +/- 3 1/2 inches in diameter are pale purple with small dark papillae in the center.

Cultivation: Full sun or light shade, little water.

Common name: Queen of the Namib, African hats.

Propagation: Seeds and cuttings.

Grower: Grows naturally in the reddish soil in the Kalahari and surrounding area.

Please note, pure Hoodia Gordonii grow in the red sands of the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa. So be aware of the substitutes grown on farms in other parts of the world especially those that make use of chemicals and fertilizers.

The San people of the Kalahari believes: "the land, animals and plants are gifts from the creator and mankind are the custodians, it is our duty to take care of these wonderful gifts and preserve it for future generations".

Learn more about Hoodia Gordonii

According to the San authorities here in South Africa, they are in the process of issuing licenses to locals in the Kalahari region so that they can legally distribute Hoodia Gordonii to the Industry.

They were quite surprised to hear that some companies are distributing the product and had absolutely no knowledge how and where they get Hoodia.

Hoodia Gordonii is a protected plant specie in South Africa, anybody that supply the product without getting it from a licensed distributor is doing so illegally or else they are farming it, probably in their backyard or somewhere other than South Africa.

The South African government is in the process to draft a bill that requires proof of prior informed consent of communities before granting patents for products or elements derived from their traditional knowledge.

This kind of theft have been going on for a long time and hopefully this bill will prevent companies from exploiting the traditional knowledge (normally stolen from the poorest of the poor) Not only here in South Africa but in the Amazon and other parts of the world.

Where can I purchase Hoodia Gordonii?

At this moment I cannot recommend where to buy the product, until such time we get first hand information from the San authorities with regards to licensed companies or individuals that distribute the product, I do understand that some are harvesting soon, more about this later.

According to my knowledge the soil the environment and climatic conditions play an important role in the growth of good quality Hoodia Gordonii. I therefore cannot vouch for Hoodia growing anywhere else in the world. Those of us that are involved in farming will know that the factors mentioned above play a key role in all plant and or animal life. (I would love to hear more from the experts on this topic so that I can share it with all of you)

Before ordering check the hoodia content. This is important and it should be around 400g per pill.

Can I use Hoodia Gordonii if I suffer from heart or related disease?

It is best to consult with your local doctor, or physician. He or she will have a full history of your ailments.

Most mainstream medical doctors have either little or no knowledge of natural products, however you might just be lucky. It is worth the effort to CONSULT with the professionals for your own safety and well being. The facts below.

Hoodia Gordonii is a natural plant product (no chemicals or drugs)

San people of Africa have used Hoodia for thousands of years with ZERO side effects.

The San people did not suffer from western or man made disease like diabetes, cancer, and heart related ailments.

They also did not eat processed and or junk food like we do in developed cities or countries.

The San diet consisted of whole foods mainly plant foods nuts and limited amount of meat.

The meat normally game and not farm animals like we know it today. (Farm animals are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. A study done in South Africa revealed, on some farms chickens had 16 times the recommended amount of antibiotics. For those that know about the dangers of antibiotics, will understand the seriousness of this situation.

From Hoodia Gordonii to P57

CSIR isolated the hunger-suppressing chemical component in Hoodia Gordonii, now known as P57. Patented it, In 1997.

CSIR licensed the UK-based firm Phytopharm to further develop and commercialize P57.

It has been established that hoodia works  by fooling the brain into thinking it is full, even when it is not, therefore curbing the appetite.

The following year, Phytopharm licensed drug giant Pfizer to develop and market P57.

P57 (press releases from Phytopharm)

1997 23 June Phytopharm to Develop Natural

Anti-obesity Treatment

1998 24 August Collaboration with Pfizer to Develop and Commercialize Obesity Drug (P57)

1998 13 October Anti-Obesity Drug Candidate (P57) Enters Phase I Clinical Trials

1999 14 April Opens Manufacturing unit in South Africa.

2000 03 August Extension of Research Collaboration on Appetite Suppressant (P57) with Pfizer Inc.

2001 07 March Commences Proof of Principle Clinical Study of P57 for Obesity.

April Proof of Principle Phase I Clinical Study of P57 for Obesity - Successful Completion of First Stage.

2001 05 July Proof of Principle Clinical Study of P57 for Obesity - Successful Completion of Second Stage 2001 10.

2001 05 December Successful Completion of Proof of Principle Clinical Study of P57 for Obesity.

2002 11 April Opens new manufacturing unit in South Africa. 2002 30 July Future development of P57. 2003 12 March Update on development programme Appetite Suppressant P57 2003 30 July Pfizer returns rights of P57