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ABOUT HOODIA
GORDONII
The Hoodia Gordonii cactus
plant is located in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. The
inside of the plant is the part that has been eaten by tribal
groups for thousands of years. It was used many years ago during
times where many men would go on hunting trips for days or even
weeks at a time to and insure no starving ate the plant to help
survive. Its use was unknown until reports and studies surfaced on
how much it actually worked.
Actual studies on the plant had
been going on for about 30 years by the CSIR, Council for Scientific
and Industrial Research, in South Africa. But it was not until 1996
where the active ingredient was found. Said to be an accidental
discovery, the council was doing research on the food that the local
Bushmen ate. Many animals were used to study HG, but to the surprise
of the researcher none of them became sick or died to due to the
medicine. In fact, the only effect on the animals was weight loss.
At that time, the HG pill was cleared to have been nontoxic and a
suppressant to natural appetite.
By 1997 Hoodia’s bioactive
compounds had been isolated for the portions that suppressed hunger.
A patent was requested and licensed under the name P57. It was the
57th product that CSIR had invested money on Phytopharm,
medicine through plants.
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