The Kalahari Desert is a harsh desert, but biologically a very active one. South Africa, Angola, Namibia and Botswana border the desert. The native tribe, known as San or Bushman by the white South Africans, is one of the oldest living tribes in the world, may be as old as 100,000 years. Even then, they do not live a settled life with agriculture or animals rearing. They are pure hunter-gatherers. They were hunted down by the white settlers of South Africa as a nuisance, and as late as the early part of 20th century, there were hunting parties organized to exterminate them.

When the San go on long hunting trips following the game, they eat a cactus-like plant and they do not feel hunger or thirst for a long period. They called it Xhoba. South Africa?s government research organization, CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), in a routine investigation tested this plant and found that this indeed blocked the sense of hunger and gave a feeling of fullness to the stomach.

Hoodia is the name of the plant, and it is not a cactus but a succulent in the family of Asclepiadaceae.

It is multi-stemmed (about 18 inches high, averaging ten tentacles), looks like a long cucumber with spikes, smells unpleasant, and has purple disc-shaped flowers of three to four inches in diameter. It is bitter tasting and grayish brown in color.

CSIR scientists isolated the active ingredient, which gave the feelings of fullness when consumed.

It is a molecule that they named P 57. There are about twenty varieties of Hoodia, but only one of them is Xhoba, with the ingredient P 57. This is Hoodia Gordoni. In 1776 Col. R. J. Gordon, while exploring the Orange River, found this plant and recorded it. It is named after him as Hoodia Gordoni. It is also called Queen of Namibia and African hats.

Contrary to popular belief it is not a cactus Hoodia Gordonii is a small succulent plant with a purple flower, this small plant can only be found in the Kalahari deserts of Africa.

Knowledge of these small succulent plants unusual properties to control and suppress the appetite has been known for hundreds of years by the native Africans in the Kalahari dessert.

For hundreds of years the Africans have used this plant to help stave off hunger pains, and thirst while out on long hunting trips. There are over 20 different varieties of the Hoodia plant, but only one of these species is able to suppress the appetite, and is believed to be able to help in the never-ending struggle to lose weight. This particular species is called Hoodia Gordonii.

Is Hoodia Gordonii Really All That Effective?

There is no doubt that the Hoodia Gordonii plant has the ability to stave off hunger pains, and is useful for those who are looking for a weight loss treatment, free of side effects.

What people really must make sure of before buying the first bottle of this miracle cure they find, is that Hoodia Gordonii preparations may vary in potency, or may very well be a scam designed to make a few bucks off of the multi billion dollar weight loss industry.

Before buying Hoodia diet pills make sure that the company that you are buying from has certification that the Hoodia used in their diet pills is in fact Hoodia Gordonii, from the deserts of Africa. Another thing that consumers should be aware of is the potency of the preparation.

If a company selling Hoodia diet pills does not list their ingredients on their bottles, or have very little information about the potency of the preparation in their advertising then it is likely that they are using very low grade Hoodia, or very little of it.

It is also important to look into the supplying company of the Hoodia diet pills, are they a legitimate business? And how long have they been around for? These are important questions that you must first find out about before buying Hoodia Gordonii diet pills.

These factors are the answer to the questions does Hoodia really work?

And could very well be the answer of whether Hoodia diet pills will be beneficial for you. If you have any hesitation about a company's products, or aren't sure whether Hoodia will work for you, why not find the companies that are offering a free trial?