Hoodia
Hoodia belongs to the plant family of flowering type the Apocynaceae and falls into the genus category from out of all the 13 species. The Hoodia resembles the cactus a lot but it actually totally unrelated to it and is sometimes called by its nickname cactiform. This plant can grow up to 1 meter in height and grows large flowers on it which smell a lot and are tan in color. These special cactus like plants are mostly found in rocky areas and plains mostly in the Namib Desert. This plant has several sub species that people love to grow in their gardens. One of these very famous garden species is the Hoodia gordonii.
This special garden specie of the plant is quite famously being used as an ingredient to suppress a person’s appetite and so help him or her in losing weight. It’s a special ingredient being used a lot in drugs related to weight loss. But recent research is showing that due to extensive plucking of the plant it has become endangered and there is a high risk that it will soon become extinct. Therefore it’s important we start taking steps to protect it and save it before becoming totally extinct. While this plant is enjoying a lot of hype for its potential benefits in weight loss many people are also questioning how safe it is to use. Some clinical trials have not turned out that positive and large companies like Unilever have dropped their plans for using this plant in their range of diet products.