Hoodia gordonii Basics
It's hard to miss the hype surrounding the extract of Hoodia gordonii the new 'wonder' drug in the fight against obesity that kills the appetite and removes hunger cravings. Indeed, both the BBC and CBS have featured hoodia extract in their programmes. So what is this wonder drug, and what might it do for you?
What is Hoodia gordonii?
A taxonomic dictonary defines Hoodia gordonii as:
'A species in the genus Hoodia, and a member of the plant family Apocynaceae and the subfamily Asclepiadoideae. They are stem succulents that can reach up to 1 m high and present exuberant flowers, often with flesh colour and strong smell. Hoodias are protected plants, typical of the Namib Desert, ranging from Central Namibia to southern Angola, especially in plains and rocky areas. Common names include "Bushman's Hat" and "Queen of the Namib". The indigenous Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari call this plant Xhoba.'
In appearance Hoodia looks like an elongated cactus though it is not a true cactus in fact. Hoodia gordonii grows naturally in South Africa, Namibia and a small amount can be found in the region of Botswana.
Use of Hoodia by bushmen.
The use of Hoodia is long known by the indigenous populations of Southern Africa, who infrequently use these plants for treating indigestion and small infections. Here the entire plant is boiled and the extract is employed as a cure for severe abdominal cramps, haemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes.
However, the discovery of the plant's appetite-suppressing qualities was discovered by the San people of southern Africa who have traditonally used the plant as an appetite suppressant and thirst quencher. They cut stems which are about the size of a cucumber and nibble on it for a few hours. It is particularly used when travelling long distance as it allows the tribesmen to movie without the need for a meal break.
How Does Hoodia gordonii work?
What the Hoodia seems to contain is a molecule that is about 10,000 times as active as glucose in making the nerves responding to high blood sugar fire. It goes to the mid-brain and actually makes those nerve cells fire as if you were full. But you have not eaten. Nor do you want to.
Scientifically, Hoodia gordonii produces an unique molecule that's been named p57 (actually p57KIP2 to use it's full name). This is a protein with an unique structure that's difficult to replicate in the laboratory which means that the only real supply of this chemical is from the original Hoodia plant.
In brief, p57 acts directly on the brain. In centre of your brain (the mid-brain) there's a structure containing a dense collection of nerve cells, called the hypothalamus. Within this structure are specialized nerve cells that detect the level of gluose sugar in the blood. The more glucose, the more these cells sense and the more rapidly they fire. This firing of nerve cells is what tells the body that it's full.
When you eat blood sugar levels increase and the cells in the hypothalamus begin firing which is what tells the body that you're full. The unique property of p57 is that once in the blood stream it is about 10 000 times as effective as glucose in making those cells in the hypothalamus fire. As a result you get all the effects of having eaten a full meal without having consumed anything save the hoodia extract. The effect is also persistent so that you don't even want to eat.