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Read about the fascinating workings of the Hoodia plant, the herbal diet
remedy that has taken the world by storm.
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Article
Summary
-Hoodia
gordonii is a succulent which grows in the
Kalahari Desert.
-Hoodia
gordonii was initially identified and named by
Colonel Robert Jacob Gordon in 1779
-Bushmen hunters would cut Hoodia, prior to leaving on
extended hunting trips as it seemed to quench hunger pains.
- The fly, swarms
over the Hoodia blooms and in so doing pick up the pollen and transfer it to
other flowers.
-Hoodia
gordonii is also called by the Hottentot name,
Wildeghaap or Ghaap.
-The active molecule found
in Hoodia is said to trick the brain into thinking that the body has eaten.
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Have you heard of the latest fad diet? I know you have
unsuccessfully tried the Five-Day Cabbage Diet and the Russian Air Force Diet
and you have never yet lost one of those extra 150 kilograms. How many staples
(or vacuuming) can one body endure? If it's overeating that's a problem then
nature may be able to assist you.
It comes in the form of a foul smelling succulent
called Hoodia gordonii, which grows
in the Kalahari Desert. Although some people
who love succulents find the plant attractive, even lovely, most of us would
think of it as, well; ugly. The plant thrives in hot arid climates and takes
about three to four years to mature.
Bushmen have used this plant for thousands of years; a
fact noticed by a Dutch anthropologist in 1937.
While traveling in the Kalahari, he noticed that Bushmen hunters would
break off a cucumber sized piece of the succulent, prior to leaving on extended
hunting trips. It seemed to quench hunger pains, and it gave them energy and a
sense of well-being, which helped them endure the arduous conditions of
tracking and hunting in the desert.
Hoodia
gordonii was initially identified and named by Colonel Robert
Jacob Gordon in 1779 when he found one flowering not far from the Augrabies Falls in the North Western Cape
Province. The flowers vary in colour from a pinkish brown to purplish brown or
mottled dark yellow, and together with their rotten smell, conjure up a very
good likeness to rotting meat, completely fooling any fly into thinking that
they are a source of a lovely stinky meal. As the fly alights on the flower, it
begins one of the most complex pollination mechanisms in the floral kingdom.
The fly, and its fly brethren, swarms over the blooms and in so doing pick up
the pollen and transfer it to other flowers. Pollen is formed in two wax-like
sacs, linked by an arm that hooks into a fly's foot as it walks on the open
flower. When the fly lands on another flower of the same species, it will slot
perfectly into a groove. The fit varies from species to species so that no
cross-pollination is possible! Isn't nature wonderful? Once pollination is
complete, two V-shaped pods are formed that look just like goa'ts horns, which
is why the local people call it "bokhoringtjies" Hoodia gordonii is also called by the Hottentot name, Wildeghaap or
Ghaap. The Kung Bushmen call it Xhoba, and the rest of us call it Queen of the
Namib or African Hats.
There are 20 different species of Hoodia, but the
gordonii variation is thought to be the one that contains the natural appetite
suppressant. It contains a previously unknown molecule that was isolated by South Africa's
CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research). This molecule is said to
on a part of your brain called the hypothalamus which contains nerve cells that
sense glucose sugar. Simply put, when you eat, the level of sugar in your blood
goes up and the cells within the hypothalamus start firing and send the "I am
full" message to your mouth. In theory Hoodia works in a similar manner,
tricking the brain into thinking that the body has eaten.
This is very exciting news for all dieters battling to
keep their weight down, particularly in the USA
and the UK
where people are increasingly suffering from obesity.
It is also exciting news for the San or Bushmen
people, who are recognized as the first and original people of Southern Africa. They existed as hunter-gatherers and
have a personal record of their society, in the form of their beautiful rock
art, which dates back over 27 000 years. 10 000 years ago they roamed freely
over the terrain stretching from the Zambesi River to the Cape of Good Hope and
from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. About 300 years ago, settlers and
colonists took over their lands and almost wiped them out. Today the San people
number around 110 000 living in poverty, with many of them suffering from
alcoholism. They are struggling to keep their identity in the lands they once
freely roamed.
To Read more about how to effectively use Hoodia as a
lifestyle changing supplement click here.
Click here to purchase a quality Hoodia product
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