My Hoodia Diet Shop

Hoodia Gordonii is a marvelous plant from the Kalahari Desert, which helps to suppress the appetite. This is because it contains an active ingredient, named P57 that imitates the effect of glucose on the cells of the mid-brain, thereby sending a signal that the appetite is full, even though nothing has been eaten.

This plant looks like a cactus, but in fact is a spiny succulent. In the initial stages of its growth, it produces only one stem, but in the latter stages of its growth it is seen to sprout braches and flowers. A fully mature Hoodia Gordonii plant, can have many as 50 individual branches and can weigh as much as 30 kg.

Under ideal conditions, mature plants can reach a height of about one meter. Flowers come out from the terminal apex or the top part of the plant. They are small and resemble the appearance of the petunia flower, but emit the smell of rotten meat. Flies get attracted to this odor for the purpose of pollination.

The flowers can have colors which vary from pale straw to dark maroon and bloom during the months of August to September. Each flowers can reach a diameter of 75 mm. During the month of October and November seeds are produced. These seed capsules look very much like small antelope or goat horns.

Hoodia Gordonii is found in the northeastern part of the Western Cape, the north and northwestern regions of the Northern Cape and southern Namibia. It can grow under extremely hot climatic conditions (above 40°C) and can also survive extremely cold climatic conditions (–3°C). It not only found in deep Kalahari sands, but also on dry stony slopes or flats and under the protection of xerophytic bushes.