A Brief History of Hoodia Gordonii

The setting for the story of hoodia gordonii is Africa Southern Africa. Long before Europeans explored the continent giving the Latin names of plants and strange animals they encountered, the San peoples knew hoodia gordonii by different names; xshoba, ikhoba, xhooba, etc. The question of safety hoodia had long been responded to them. They knew that hoodia gordonii is safe to eat, if not a preferred food source. The history of hoodia gordonii as an appetite suppressant goes back to these people. When traveling or hunting knew that hoodia gordonii would alleviate hunger and thirst. There was no doubt about hoodia safety. It had been used traditionally for the treatment of abdominal cramps and indigestion. E 'was also used to treat hypertension and diabetes. Security issues hoodia came after in the history of hoodia.

Credit for giving the plant a Latin name goes originally to a botanist name Francis Masson, who sailed with James Cook. He called the plant Stapelia gordonii and has written a book on it and other species of hoodia, which he called carrion flowers because the flowers smell of rotting flesh. Later the name was changed to Stapelia hoodia, in honor of an ardent succulent grower named Van Hood. This begins the story of hoodia gordonii, with its current name.

In 1960, scientists in the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has examined a number of African plants that have been used by native people for medicinal purposes. They were concerned about the safety and effectiveness hoodia as an appetite suppressant. Scientists have identified what they believe to be the active molecule in hoodia gordonii and patented the molecule. The recent history of scientific research hoodia gordonii starts here. The CSIR licensed a British pharmaceutical company to continue investigations hoodia safety and effectiveness. Phytopharm sublicensed the rights to Pfizer, which has returned the rights after the closure of a branch which dealt with plants and natural substances. Pfizer said that they believed another company would be better equipped to continue the research in the field of hoodia safety and effectiveness. The history of hoodia and Pfizer ends here, at the end of 1990, and has caused some questions among the few people knowing whether Pfizer would have returned the rights to develop, if hoodia safety and effectiveness could be proven.

Another opinion on the return of the license hoodia Pfizer, pharmaceutical companies often have several years to market their version of a new drug before anyone can market a generic or a similar natural health supplement. Because of the long delay in bringing Phytopharm hoodia gordonii to the market (they are still involved in clinical research hoodia safety and effectiveness), many health supplement companies have been able to source the large size of the plant by farmers in South Africa . This actually begins in the history of the hoodia gordonii as a natural appetite suppressant. News is constantly in only a few weeks ago (May 2006), Phytopharm announced that their new partners and (Unilever) has just completed the first phase of a program of five phase clinical research into hoodia safety and effectiveness. The world awaits the results.

For more information about hoodia safety, visit the Hoodia Info Blog at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com .......