Long before eating food became more of a social phenomenon rather than a simple means of survival, the ancient peoples of Africa utilized the Hoodia gordonii plant for a number of useful purposes. It should first be noted that the Hoodia gordonii plant can only be found naturally in the Kalahari desert of southern Africa.
Because the natives who live in this region have historically been hunters and gatherers, there were times when the hunters would need to go on long trips in search of game. During these trips, hunger would set in, and the hunters needed a way of suppressing this hunger until they successfully killed game that could be cooked for food.
This is where Hoodia gordonii came in. The plant has an ingredient in it called P57, and this ingredient is responsible for the ability to suppress the appetites of those who take it. While Hoodia had been used by the native peoples of the Kalahari desert for hundreds of years, it wasn’t until the 20th century when researchers in the West finally took notice of it.
Once researchers realized the appetite suppression attributes of this plant, they decided to isolate the ingredient that was responsible for this feature, and in 1977, it was discovered. It didn’t take long for those who made this discovery to realize that this ingredient, if processed properly, could be used to help people suppress their appetites and lose weight.
This meant that people could have a natural weight loss tool that was superior to any synthetic products that were available on the market. Due to the weight problems which are so prevalent of the West, Hoodia has enormous potential, and has exploded in popularity.
In fact, Hoodia has become so popular that the Hoodia gordonii plant itself became endangered, and laws and regulations were passed to ensure that the plant could be protected. In addition to this, the native peoples of the Kalahari desert are being paid for giving outsiders access to the plant, since the plant can only be found on their land.
One thing that many people would agree on is that the discovery of Hoodia came at a good time. With rising rates of obesity in the United States and Britain, combined with a rising cost of health care, Hoodia is a low cost solution that is natural, and has been tested for hundreds of years.