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August 7, 2007

Ingredients of Hoodia Gordonii Plus Posted By : Caitlina Fuller

Filed under: Weight Loss — webmaster @ 2:38 am

Hoodia diet pills have revolutionized the diet world because they are safe and effective. Nevertheless, people are interested to know what ingredients are in Hoodia Gordonii Plus. Basically, Hoodia weight loss pills are made up a flower plant in the Hoodia family. These types of sports supplements using Hoodia come from one of the 13 species in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae. This is known as cactiform or stem succulents because they look similar to cactus although they are not related. Hoodia plants may have big flowers and reach one meter high. The flowers are usually a skin color and have a pungent smell.

Hoodia plants are usually found in southern Angola to central Namibia and these plants are usually protected. These plants are found in rocky areas and in flat, plain areas. Sometimes the Hoodia plant is called “Queen of the Namib” or “Bushman’s Hat.” Xhoba is what the Bushmen call the plant.



There are 13 species of Hoodia and while some may be found in gardens the species Hoodia gordonii is used as an appetite suppressant and found in many diet pills. In Southern Africa Hoodia has been used for thousands of years. Originally it was used as a treatment for indigestion, infections, and other ailments. As a side benefit Hoodia Gordonii has been found to help individuals lose weight. This has now turned an African plant that was relatively unknown to the outside world into a very popular household name among dieters!

The ingredient that helps individuals lose weight is a molecule called P57. This molecule was found in 1977 but it was not until 1996 that it was patented for its appetite suppressing features. Pharmaceutical companies then got involved to find a way to separate the active ingredient and make it into a weight loss pill. In 2002 Pfizer released the rights to Hoodia Gordonii, which made many think that there was no real benefit in the Hoodia plant. Pfizer stated that synthesizing the molecule was too difficult. In fact, it was believed some other elements in the plant could negatively impact the liver so Pfizer released the rights. Now, the Bushmen have been recognized that they have rights to Hoodia so they will receive a portion of the profits as a result of selling this diet pill. Today the Hoodia gordonii plant is protected and the only way it may be harvested is by individuals or companies that have been granted a license to do so.

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