Tom Mangold, BBC correspondent and his cameraman, Leslie Stahl from CBS and her translator, sampled a plant called hoodia on their trip to Africa . They reported on their shows on BBC that a slice of this plant that tasted like a cucumber had suppressed their hunger for 24 hours and they didn't even feel any side-effects.

Then in 2005, Janet Shamlian from NBC news reported the same; only this time after she had used a supplement made out of Hoodia.

The natural supply of Hoodia is limited as it grows deep inside the Kalahari Desert and thrives in extreme temperatures, growing very slowly. It is a part of the staple diet of San Bushmen since thousands of years. According to CBS reports, people spend more than 50 billion dollars on beauty and slimming products but none is as effective as this.

The active principle in Hoodia fools the brain into believing that the hunger is satiated and alleviates blood sugar levels hence there is no desire to eat for a several hours. Phytopharm has isolated the active ingredient after 20 years of research and patented it in weight loss as P57.

As it is difficult so synthesis P57 on large scale Pfizer backed out of the making its pills, now Phytopharm plans to manufacture them out of natural extracts. Since this, many other manufacturers have made pills, 2-3 of which can suppress hunger for 24 hours. However Mangold after testing these pills said that they do not have the same effect as the Hoodia slice he ate. He suggests people to be patient and wait for the Phytopharm/Unilever product release after the completion of clinical research.

The CSRI of South Africa studied Hoodia plant for toxicity and long term effects of its consumption are not known and extensive research time is required to determine that its consumption is safe for all.  All the reports and data regarding Hoodia has been positive also an irrefutable evidence are the San Bushman of Africa - they are a nomadic tribe which consumes Hoodia and has existed for a hundred thousand years without any deleterious effects.

The entire world suffers from Obesity - a cause of preventable deaths world over. It is very reasonable that the many manufacturers want to make Hoodia available to its costumers. Only we have to be aware of what we are being sold as some unscrupulous people are selling us fakes labeling them as Hoodia.