Hoodia gordonii, a South African cactus-like plant native to the Kalahari Desert, is an alleged appetite suppressant and weight loss supplement. It is a member of a plant family containing 13 species of flowering succulents. Current information indicates that hoodia gordonii can only grow in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. Worldwide media coverage of hoodia has created a growing craze for this alleged weight loss supplement.
The San is the name for the inhabitants of the Kalahari Desert who discovered and used hoodia for thousands of years. According to reports, these hunters would often go on extended hunting trips of several days. They would eat hoodia during these hunting trips to suppress their appetites for two main reasons. First, they had a tradition of communal dining, and so waited until they got home before eating their kill. Second, they were less likely to eat what they had killed before they got it home.
Hoodia has been the subject of much media attention. Major news networks and talk shows have featured hoodia news stories. One reporter who went to the Kalahari Desert and ate hoodia reported no hunger or thirst for an entire day. But what is causing all the hype? The promise of easy weight loss is a strong advertising hook.
The incidence of overweight and obesity has never been higher. On one hand, we are besieged with ads for unhealthy fast food, snacks, and drinks. On the other, the same media shows us ads of thin, healthy, pretty people. The apparent appetite suppressing qualities of hoodia seem to offer an easy solution to this dilemma.
The fine print of most diet supplements, including those containing hoodia, contains things the advertiser doesn't want the consumer to see. There is usually a disclaimer that the supplement works best when combined with exercise and a healthy diet. Could it be that the exercise and diet alone are responsible for the weight claims of the advertiser? Is it possible that these hearty Kalahari inhabitants stayed thin through their extremely active hunting and gathering lifestyle? Hoodia probably helped, but was it the main cause?
Much research remains to be done on hoodia. The active ingredient in hoodia has proven so far to be difficult to reproduce in the laboratory. The only source for the hoodia active ingredient is the actual hoodia plant itself. The countries where hoodia grows naturally, along with others around the world, have imposed strict guidelines on hoodia imports and exports. Hoodia may well be the weight loss miracle some say it is. Let us hope that the natural hoodia resources are managed well so that everyone can share in the bounty.
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