Recent scientific studies have shown that Hoodia’s appetite-suppressing active ingredient, dubbed P57, is estimated to be up to 100000 times as potent as glucose in sending a signal to the brain that the body is in a state of satiety. Hoodia works in a similar way as sugar to stem hunger and make a person feel full - but without the calories.

In clinical trials on obese subjects it has been proven to reduce calorific intake by as much as 40%. Hoodia plant extracts suppress appetite naturally, are organically grown in the Kalahari Desert, contain no synthetic or artificial appetite control agents, and have no known side effects. The active ingredients fool the brain into believing that the body is full and even stops people from thinking about food.

Hoodia is also rich in minerals and trace elements making it an excellent tonic herb as well. The Kung bushmen who live around the Kalahari desert in southern Africa used to cut off a stem about the size of a cucumber and munch on it over a couple of days. According to tradition, the hunters did not eat while hunting so that they could bring back what they caught and eat together.

The San people say that there is nothing better than ghaap for an exhausted hunter. The Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research has done extensive clinical research on Hoodia’s appetite suppressant properties and “P57″ is now patented and is being developed into a synthetic anti-obesity drug.