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Hoodia Gordonii is a rare African succulent and the quantities when it comes to export and import of the plant are protected by the African Government. So, why hoodia ? Well, it has been used as “food” since many years by the San bushmen of Africa. Today we have grocery stores and restaurants on every corner, so scarcity of food isn’t an issue. But the need for increased energy from Hoodia has special significance because, as dieters, we need something to replace the massive quantities of food we were using as fuel for our bodies. The African tribesmen, who take it, do have enough energy to hunt throughout the day, despite the heat and the effort associated with hunting. The San have used this plant for centuries to fight hunger on long trips in the desert. The San would cut a piece of the hoodia plant and eat it fresh.
Hoodia is a plant usually found in South Africa (Kalahari Desert) and also in some neighboring countries (like Angola) in which the indigenous people of these locations use for treating minor diseases such as indigestion. Some of the indigenous people also use this as a way to fight hunger pangs, even for days, without any noticeable side effect. Hoodia gordonii plant works by essentially fooling the brain. It works by sending your brain, specifically the hypothalamus, various signals that your stomach is full, although in reality, this is not the case. This property came to be known to the genera people and the popularity of hoodia skyrocketed. Truly, it is a great appetite suppressant. Even if you have not eaten any food and you take in Hoodia, there is the feeling of being full and not wanting food.
Hoodia Gordonii plant is usually in the shape of a cactus; but actually it is in fact a succulent from the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. This unattractive plant which sprouts about 10 tentacles, is the size of a long cucumber. Each tentacle is covered in spikes which need to be carefully peeled. Inside is a slightly unpleasant-tasting, fleshy plant. This plant (hoodia) is also said to have a feel-good almost aphrodisiac quality.So, the plant is seemingly a wonder plant because not only does it provide you with the ability to feel full, but it also works as some form of energy food, since it gives you a boost.
A question which arises when we first hear about Hoodia is if it is also a fat burner. The answer is NO. Hoodia is not a fat burner, but an organic appetite suppressant that does help you shed pounds, all with no side effects.
