Hoodia Diet Review

November 21, 2004 will go down in history as the day that Hoodia Gordonii was discovered in America. It was on that date that CBS 60 Minutes aired a program about Hoodia Gordonii and for the first time many people were introduced to this traditional botanical. Hoodia is currently the most publicized and talked about natural weight loss supplement in America . It has been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, ABC, NBC Today, BBC, CNN, in Oprah's “O” Magazine and in other major media.

Authentic Hoodia Gordonii is only available for export from South Africa. In the wild it is considered an endangered species and is strictly controlled. With the opportunity presently surrounding hoodia, the product is in very high demand which has created a surplus of counterfeit, fake and diluted hoodia products.

We have tested the leading Hoodia Brands and have selected three products that we feel offer the safest, most effective weight loss on the market today.

Other Names: hoodia, xhooba, !khoba, Ghaap, hoodia cactus, South African desert cactus

Hoodia (pronounced HOO-dee-ah) is a cactus-like plant that grows primarily in the semi-deserts of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola.

In the last few years, hoodia has been heavily marketed for weight loss and has become immensely popular.

Although there has always been a demand for diet pills, after the ban on the herb ephedra, the market was particularly ripe for the next new diet pill.

Much of hoodia's popularity stems from claims that the San Bushmen of the Kalahari desert relied on hoodia for thousands of years to ward off hunger and thirst during long hunting trips.

They were said to have cut off the stem and eat the bitter-tasting plant.

Hoodia gordonii grows in clumps of green upright stems. Although it is often called a cactus because it resembles one, hoodia is actually a succulent plant.

It takes about five years before hoodia gordonii's pale purple flowers appear and the plant can be harvested.

There are over 13 types of hoodia. The only active ingredient identified so far is a steroidal glycoside that has been called "p57". Currently, only hoodia gordonii is thought to contain p57.