The Hoodia plant is one of the greatest discoveries made in the last century. Granted, people have been aware of the plant itself for much longer than that, but the effects of the Hoodia plant were unknown outside of a small group of South African Bushmen.
These Bushmen had been consuming the Hoodia for centuries before the arrival of European settlers, though weight loss was not the purpose for eating the Hoodia plant. To state it simply, in the middle of the desert food can be hard to come by especially when away from the village. In order to try to ease hunger pains they could consume a tiny piece of the cactus-like plant and suddenly feel completely full.
Though there was some limited research done on the Hoodia plant by a Dutch scientist decades before, it was not until a very general study of the diet of indigenous groups in South Africa in the early nineties that Hoodia began to get serious scientific consideration. Immediately recognizing the potential of a new appetite suppressant, scientists brought back samples of the Hoodia plant to laboratories for further study. The first tests were on rats, an animal that never stops eating if given the opportunity to feed continuously. Amazingly, rats which were given Hoodia completely stopped eating even with food presented to them. Upon more detailed examination of the Hoodia plant researchers were able to isolate the active ingredient; a previously unknown molecule which they named P-57 (P for the company name Phytopharm).
The active ingredient in the Hoodia plant is able to suppress appetite in a much more direct and effective way than anything to come before it. When blood sugar levels drop, the brain senses this and sends out the signal we feel as hunger. Researchers found that P-57 effects the brain in the same way that glucose (natural sugar) does, and fools it into thinking that blood sugar levels are high. In this way the Hoodia plant stops hunger signals from being sent in the first place rather than trying to lessen them by use of a stimulant.
The best thing about using the Hoodia plant for appetite suppression is the fact that it is the only supplement, natural or pharmaceutical, that can suppress appetite without negative side effects. Stimulants, like ephedra or prescription amphetamines have a long list of side effects such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia and others. The only effect of Hoodia is a complete lack of hunger.
With the discovery of the Hoodia plant we may very well see a significant drop in rates of obesity in the near future. While there have been attempts to synthesize P-57, the molecule has proved complex and so far all attempts have failed. At the moment, the only way to buy Hoodia is to get an extract of the Hoodia plant.