To date the incredible hoodia cactus from the Kalahari Desert has not reached the mainstream media. But the day Pfizer releases what will probably become the anti-obesity cure in weight loss and diet pill history, this company expects a great boost in stock value.

If you search for "Xhoba", "Hoodia", and "P57" online, you will find fascinating information about this amazing appetite suppressing cactus plant.

The hoodia cacti grow in the semi-deserts of Angola, Namiba, Botswana, and South Africa. Twenty species exist today in this family, but the one rapidly gaining fame--gordonii--is the only one that possesses the unique property to suppress your appetite without side effects. Actually the hoodia cactus is rather common. At present varieties of hoodia is available for sale.

The central reason that it has taken this long for the natural compound to be brought to the world's attention is because of modern research methodology. The first effects were observed by a Dutch anthropologist in 1937 who was studying the Kalahari Desert Natives: the San Bushmen. He took notice of the desert natives consuming the stem of a particular type of Hoodia plant in order to suppress appetite and quench thirst before and while on hunting trips.

The San Bushmen can literally trace 27,000 years back to their earliest ancestors through rock depictions. They are one of the world's most primitive and oldest tribes in existence. In addition, for thousands of years they have known the splendid properties of hoodia gordonii(or Xhoba).

On top of relieving hunger and thirst, hoodia gordonii creates alertness with no nervous kind of reaction that is commonly associated with the Western diet aid of ephedra combined with caffeine. So one can understand how much the San Bushmen must value hoodia gordonii, especially during days of hunting when prey is pursued for long exhaustive distances.

There was a thirty year lapse of which hoodia remained in "limbo" in a lab until Southern African Scientists at the CSIR started to take a closer look. Animals were given the hoodia cactus and consequently lost weight; they experienced no adverse effects. During this initial testing stage the CSIR researchers learned that the hoodia plant possessed a molecule that was named P57. In 1997 CSIR patented the compound. Then sold the license to an English bio-pharmaceutical company, Phytopharm. In 1998 for $32 million and royalties Phytopharm subleased license and the marketing rights to the U.S pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Corporation.

Understandably CSIR has been accused of selling what they did not own. Of course it made the claim to have the purest intentions and good will for the San Bushmen. They and their attorneys differ in that respect. Today because of the unfavorable state of affair, many Bushmen smoke great quantities of marijuana and drink to excess. In both Namibia and Botswana they are frequently looked upon as an annoyance by the authorities; when the Bushmen are brought to towns they demonstrate few skills by which they can earn an honest living. To add to their sad situation, they were prosecuted by the Southern African apartheid regime. Thankfully in their favor the Mandela government has given them approximately 155 squares miles of land.

The Chief Executive Officer of Phytopharm, Dr Richard Dixey, states that he wants the San Bushmen to receive their fair share of the enormous profits that are predicted from sales of hoodia in the U.S. alone. Oddly enough, Dr. Dixey first claimed the San Bushmen who had discovered hoodia gordonii ages ago had ceased to exist! Soon the San Bushmen who are quite well and alive, learned about the patent and grew indignant.

Business Day gave the report in 2003 that the San Bushmen and the CSIR came to a payment arrangement for a future lucrative anti-obesity drug.

Health News declares: "Details of the agreement have not yet been released. However a CIRS spokesperson told Business Day that profits would be shared equally between all San."

If in reality the San Bushmen are fortunate enough, they will become fast millionaires by riding on the royalties that were settled by Roger Chennells, the San Bushmen's lawyer.