Media Coverage of Hoodia

Posted by admin on 28 Aug 2009 under Hoodia Gordonii Information

Hoodia Gordonii has been used for centuries, but we have only known about it for a relatively short time.

The indigenous people of South Africa have been eating Hoodia Gordonii as an appetite suppressant for centuries. They ate the meat of the plant before going on lengthy hunting expeditions in the Kalahari Desert.

In 1977 the South African CSIR discovered the ingredient in Hoodia that caused the appetite suppressing effect. The ingredient known as P57 was patented in 1996.

In 2003 the BBC reported on Hoodia Gordonii and at that time there were only three Hoodia products on the market in the United States. Late in 2004, 60 Minutes escalated the media hype surrounding Hoodia, when they aired their story. Reporter Leslie Stahl ate some of the plant while filing the story and was impressed by the results. She says that after eating the plant, she had no desire to eat or drink for the entire day.

Following that report there was intense interest in the product. Hoodia Gordonii products and supplements have become one of the fastest growing areas of the diet and weight loss industry.

Today there are more than 300 different Hoodia products on the market worldwide.

Here is part of the 60 Minutes report.