A cactus like plant Hoodia Gordonii grows in the deserts of South Africa. Hoodia Gordonii is not a cactus but the plant resembles a cactus. It has the property to suppress a person's hunger and it is being marketed as a supplement which is herbal in nature to help people lose weight.

But when did it all begin? Why are we just hearing about the Hoodia Gordonii cactus now? The answer to these questions lies in the fact that there is still little known about this rare and hard to produce plant.

It was discovered by an anthropologist in the 1930's as the people of Kalahari consumed parts of Hoodia Gordonii cactus during long journey across the desert to smother their appetite and thirst. It was the method to survive long periods without food. The nature by way of the Hoodia Gordonii cactus helped people to cross the desert unharmed.

Many scientists got interested in the plant when the news of the effects of the Hoodia Gordonii plant on the appetite spread. They found it to be a potential for developing herbal weigh loss supplement from the cactus. Hoodia was used on animals to test its properties by a number of scientists during the sixties. They came to the conclusion that Hoodia Gordonii did have the ability to curb thirst and hunger.

On the other hand not too much research has been done on the plant after that. One of the manufacturers of diet pills made from Hoodia Gordonii conducted a study on the same to understand the properties further. The effects of Hoodia Gordonii on a person's appetite has not been proven effectively so far. There is not much evidence on the other advantages as well of the disadvantages of the plant.

For these reasons, the Hoodia Gordonii cactus has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a weight loss supplement. When more studies have been completed and more is known about the plant and how it works, it may be determined that we have found the best weight loss promoter in the world.

There is another big problem as it is very difficult to get this plant as it does not grow everywhere. The cactus needs a climate which is very hot with a little bit of humidity, which is common in South African deserts. There is not very good chance of getting this supplement easily and will also cost a lot.