subject: Fighting Hunger Pains In The Kalahari Desert [print this page] Hoodia gordonii is a succulent plant native to South Africa and Namibia. It has a variety of medicinal uses, including indigestion treatment, and it can help fight infections. Historically, it has most commonly been used as an appetite suppressant by South African hunters who make long ventures into the Kalahari Desert.
The hunter-gatherers of the Kalahari Desert, known as Bushmen, have lived in the desert for more than 20,000 years. They rely on finding water in the roots and fruits of the plants growing in the desert. They also find berries, nuts and insects that they eat along with the animals they kill. It's very important for them to be able to control and suppress their appetite.
The flowers of the Hoodia gordonii, which unfortunately smell like rotten meat, contain the active ingredient P57. P57, an oxypregnane steroidal glycoside, has been identified as an appetite suppressant. P57 is unique in that it is extremely difficult to synthesize, so the best way to get it is directly from the source or in natural supplement form.
The ingredient P57 was tested on rats and was found to have minimal metabolic breakdown in the liver and affected the ATP levels in the part of the brain that controls appetite. These studies provided evidence that an appropriate dose of the component, when taken orally, could be used as an effective appetite suppressant. A clinical research center tested Hoodia gordonii on a group of people in the 1990s and found it to be effective.
Other studies have tested the plant material for its gastric acid reduction properties. One study found that P57 reduced gastric acid by 40-60%. At this rate, it appears that Hoodia gordonii could also be an effective solution for sufferers of acid reflux disease and heartburn.
While it's easy to look at clinical studies of Hoodia gordonii for answers, the most reliable factor of this plant lies in its legacy among the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert. They've been using it for thousands of years, and their civilization still exists today. With many of them living on the brink of starvation, it appears they are a trustworthy source when it comes to natural solutions to appetite suppression.
