Hoodia
Hoodia
Hoodia (/huːˈdiːə/) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae. It is native to Southern Africa.
Etymology
The genus name Hoodia is derived from the surname of Van Hood, a notable botanist and plant collector.
Description
Hoodia plants are stem succulents, described as "cactiform" because of their remarkable similarity to the unrelated cactus family. They can reach up to 1m high and have large flowers, often with flesh colour and strong smell.
Species
There are about 20 species in the genus Hoodia. The most well-known species is Hoodia gordonii, which is internationally recognized for its appetite suppressant properties.
Uses
Hoodia is traditionally used by the San people of Southern Africa to suppress appetite over long hunting trips. The active ingredient in Hoodia is believed to be a compound called P57, which is thought to suppress appetite by tricking the brain into thinking that it is full.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Hoodia
- Wikipedia's article - Hoodia
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski