The Amazing Hoodia Plant

Hoodia is a genus in the plant family Apocynaceae. Advertisements which reference the appetite suppressing abilities of the hoodia plant are referring to the hoodia gordonii species. This is the only species on which research has been done to this date. Any website, nursery or other company which advertises that they have a hoodia plant for sale is referring to the typical garden variety of hoodia plant.

Though the hoodia plant is commonly referred to as a cactus, it is actually a succulent. Succulents and cacti are very similar plants and it is relatively difficult for anyone other than a botanist to tell the difference. There are a few differences which may help consumers distinguish the hoodia plant from some form of cactus. The major one is country of origin. An advertisement which offers a hoodia plant for sale and lists the country of origin somewhere in North or South America is probably selling some sort of cactus.

The hoodia plant is native to the continent of Africa. As an interesting note, only one form of cactus grows wild in Africa. Botanists believe that the cactus did not develop until after the continents drifted apart millions of years ago. Succulents are found on most continents and are believed to have developed before the continental drift. Any hoodia plant which was not imported from Africa is not a genuine hoodia plant.

Offering a wild hoodia plant for sale in many countries in South Africa is illegal. The hoodia plant has been placed on a protected status due to the large publicity it has received for its natural appetite suppressing abilities. Many South African farmers have begun to cultivate the hoodia plant for sale to health supplement companies throughout the world. A special license is required to export the hoodia plant, since wild stands are practically depleted. This is referred to as a CITES certification. Most health supplement companies which are licensed to export hoodia gordonii will display their CITES certification in order to support the claim that their product contains genuine hoodia gordonii. This became necessary after several companies offering hoodia for sale were found to be scammers.

Another factor which may help a consumer distinguish between the gordonii variety of the hoodia plant and some other hoodia plant for sale is price. Currently, as of April 2006, sources say that authentic hoodia gordonii is selling for $300/kg on the open market. This price is expected to go up as supplies become more and more limited. The gordonii species of the hoodia plant is difficult to grow and requires four or five years to reach maturity. It also has a very strong smell. Some companies are developing their own hoodia plantations in Africa to guarantee their continued supply of product.

It may be years before Phytopharm, the British pharmaceutical company which holds a patent on the isolated active molecule in hoodia gordonii, releases its product to the world. There are a few reputable health supplement companies that deal exclusively in herbs and other natural products which offer the powdered form of hoodia for sale to dieters. One such product is Hoodia XR. Hoodia XR has received positive reviews from dieters, offers a money back guarantee on unused portions and contains 1000mg of powdered hoodia gordonii in a time released capsule. The best advice for dieters not willing to wait for the Phytopharm product is to do a little research on the health supplement company and be wary of anyone offering the hoodia plant for sale.

Patsy Hamilton is one of the editors at the Hoodia Info Blog.
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Beautiful Hoodia Plants

Gordonii is often misspelled. Sometimes you will see hoodia gordonil or hoodia gordini. These are not listed among the species protected by the governments of southern Africa, so one must assume that they are misspellings of gordonii.

Hoodia plants are succulents, not cacti, but most people think of them as cacti. A cactus is a type of succulent, just a different family of plants. Hoodia gordonii, sometimes spelled hoodia gordonil or gordini, is one of the hoodia plants found in southern Africa. It is often found growing in the sands of the Kalahari Desert, but sometimes appears in dry stony areas, growing under or near other dessert plants and bushes.

While all species of hoodia plants are protected by the governments of southern Africa. Some species are endangered. The hoodia officinalis delaetiana, for example, is only found in areas of Namibia and is rare and endangered. Hoodia gordonii (hoodia gordonil) is found in South Africa and Namibia and is not threatened with extinction at this time, but the governments feel that it may become threatened due to over harvesting. Hoodia gordonil has become and increasingly popular ingredient for appetite suppressants. The other hoodia plants are not believed to have any appetite suppressing effects, but their appearance is similar. So, the governments are concerned that the wrong hoodia plants will be harvested and sold. Because of this, trade regulations for all hoodia plants have been established and permitting is required to grow, sell or export hoodia gordonil or any other species.

Some reporters have referred to the plants as ugly, but the blooms can be quite beautiful and horticulturists have long been interested in cultivating the plants. Various species of hoodia plants can be found in green houses and herbariums. Though lovely the blooms have a very strong spell. The smell of the hoodia gordonil blooms have been likened to that of rotting meat. The blooms vary in color from pale pink to dark maroon or light purple. The blooms of other hoodia plants vary in size, shape and color. The hoodia alstonii bloom, for instance, is shaped like a five pointed star and is bright yellow. The hoodia officinalis delaetiana has a star shaped bloom as well, but it is much larger and light brown in color. Chris Moore has a large collection of plants at his home in South East London, including four different species of hoodia plants (no hoodia gordonil, if this is your plant of interest). His collection includes the rare and endangered hoodia officinalis. An exhibition of his collection can be viewed by visiting his website at

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/chris.moore30444.

Whether spelled correctly (hoodia gordonii) or incorrectly (hoodia gordonil), interest in the many species of hoodia plants is sure to grow as news of the natural appetite suppressant spreads throughout the world.

For more information about hoodia gordonil or hoodia plants, visit the Hoodia Info Blog.
Patsy Hamilton is an editor of the Hoodia Info Blog.

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The Search for Pure Hoodia Plant Extracts

The company which created a market for weight loss products with hoodia gordonii has not yet released their own product. That company is Phytopharm. Currently partnered with Unilever (makers of Slim Fast and other food products), Phytopharm has been conducting research and attempting to develop and market a product using pure hoodia plant extract for over ten years. They announced in late April of 2006 that they had just completed the first phase of a five phase clinical research program and still expect that several years will pass before their product is available.

In the meantime, media coverage, including reporters traveling to Africa to sample the hoodia gordonii plant, created a market for health supplement companies. If eating the pure hoodia plant would suppress the appetite, then products containing the plant in powdered form should accomplish the same thing. Weight loss products with hoodia gordonii are working for some people and not for others. This is true with many “natural cures”, but a controversy is brewing over whether all of the products that claim to contain hoodia gordonii, actually do. At first, it appeared that this was an advertising gimmick created by companies whose products cost more, something to set them above the rest. Statements from a company that sells a product about other companies selling the same product are sometimes just sales pitches. But, in this case, it appears that there is evidence to support the statements.

The first step in chemical analysis was finding samples of the pure hoodia plant. Hoodia gordonii only grows in areas of southern Africa. It is not favored in botanical gardens or green houses because the blooms have such a strong smell. The smell has often been compared to rotting meat. Wild stands of hoodia gordonii have been protected from harvesting by the governments of southern Africa. Cultivation of hoodia gordonii has been difficult. These statements are made by not only the companies that are currently selling weight loss products with hoodia gordonii, but also by Phytopharm. The lack of sources of pure hoodia plant has led suppliers at some point in the manufacturing process to either substitute something else for hoodia gordonii or reduce the amount of the active ingredient to very low levels.

A non-profit organization called Hoodia gordonii.co.za, based in South Africa, attempts to inform consumers about which weight loss products with hoodia are genuine and which are fake. At this time they have had chemical analyses performed by Alkemists Pharmaceuticals on twelve different products which claim to contain pure hoodia plant in powdered form. According to these results, some of the products contain hoodia gordonii, some contain a small amount of hoodia gordonii and some contain no hoodia gordonii at all. In fact, one company is the subject of a possible class action suit.

Some of the questionable weight loss products with hoodia have appropriate CITES licenses for exporting hoodia gordonii and so one must assume that the error was made as early as the harvesting process. The government of South Africa was concerned that this might be a problem. Identification of the hoodia gordonii plant is apparently difficult, as there are 15 different species of hoodia, but only hoodia gordonii has been studied as an appetite suppressant. In order for consumers to find weight loss products with hoodia gordonii that is genuine, it may be necessary to look for companies which display chemical analysis reports or are certified by Hoodia gordonii.co.za.

For more information about the pure hoodia plant, visit the Hoodia Info Blog.
Patsy Hamilton is an editor of the Hoodia Info Blog. Visit us at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com

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