As it has been already mentioned, the Bushmen (indigenous population of South Africa) have been using Hoodia for centuries to reduce the feeling of hunger and thirst. But the question is: how did the rest of the world learn about it?
In 1996, there was a research study of aboriginal diet of the Bushmen in South Africa. The research was carried out by a reputable institution - the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The study also had the purpose of finding out whether any plants used by the Bushmen were harmful or toxic, and this is when they came across Hoodia Gordonii learning that not only that it was absolutely harmless but also that it significantly reduced appetite and the feeling of thirst.
Within a year from that day, the active compound responsible for appetite suppression was detected and extracted, and the patent was received. Phytopharm received the license and named the magic molecule P57.
Although it was the indigenous population, the Bushmen, that made the discovery of astonishing properties of the plant, they received no recognition or profit. The problem was that the tribe which originally learnt about the effects of Hoodia died out and was unable to say or demand anything. However, when the population of South Africa learnt that Phytopharm was making a lot of money out of the plant that belonged to their continent and their natural habitat, the reaction was as expected.
The Bushmen had a very good and qualified representative - Roger Chennels, who made sure such "biopiracy" will not remain without public attention. He made a very strong point about the unacceptability of such actions and demanded compensation for the aboriginal population that contributed greatly to the discovery.
In the end, Phytopharm was forced to promise compensation to the indigenous people of South Africa. Today, the company can gather Hoodia in its natural habitat and pay a certain percentage of the profit to the Bushmen. This way you can also check if the product you buy is authentic; it can be considered so only if royalties are paid to the Bushmen. In case no such thing takes place, it's not what you are looking for and you shouldn't even expect it to help you lose weight.
Another question that might be interesting is: after all these years, when will we finally be able to buy Hoodia Gordonii and enjoy its wonderful effects? It was soon after Phytopharm received the patent for P57 when Phizer, another famous company, bought the rights to massively produce weight loss pills. However, after a while, Phizer decided to withdraw as such pills could not be created on a mass scale and at an acceptable price, which that was not profitable enough.
But it was Phytopharm that after spending years of research and millions of dollars decided not to give up trying. The company understood the real worth of Hoodia Gordonii and its bright future. At the end of 2004, it was made public that Unilever made a deal to produce diet food products with Hoodia Gordonii instead of making drugs. The first sales of such supplements were promised to happen in 2008.
However, there are some issues that remain unclear. For example, it's understood that Phytopharm possesses the patent for molecule P57, the active compound of Hoodia Gordonii, and that if you are willing to use it, you must receive their clear consent. And what about the plant itself? That's something for another court trial to decide...
The truth is that it's very complicated to patent the whole plant. However, there is the practice of patenting possible use of such plants and processes that aim at producing something from them. Richard Dixey, CEO of Phytopharm, said the following:
"The patent we possess is for the use of Hoodia Gordonii as a material for making weight loss products. We do not have a patent for Hoodia itself."
It also means, Dixey underlines, that no person or company can legally use this plant or make products containing it for weight loss, as well as advertise any of such products without the direct permission of Phytopharm.
So, as my life experience is telling me (don't take is as advice, just as a thought that occurred in my head), it's pretty much like this: you can sell it, you can use it in certain products; the only thing you cannot do is to say directly that it will help people lose weight. That is the very reason for many really good Hoodia Gordonii supplements to have a very simple and not too attractive label with just the name of the plant and nothing else. But people who know what all of this is about will understand...
