HOODIA BUYING TIPS

Only pure, authentic, unaltered Hoodia Goordonii imported from South Africa will be effective as an appetite suppressant. You need to be very careful when buying Hoodia, as many companies are selling products that contain little if any Hoodia; these products may contain fillers, other plant products, starch, inactive ingredients, or even unsafe ingredients. It is estimated that as many as 80% of the advertised Hoodia supplements do not contain pure Hoodia. There have been countless reports over the past several years of counterfeit and adulterated products being sold as pure Hoodia. This is happening because Hoodia is difficult to grow, the supply is scarce, and Hoodia is extremely expensive. If a company advertises "discount Hoodia" or their prices are very low, you can be sure that they are not selling the pure product.

Hoodia grows in the wild in the desert region of South Africa and on a small number of commercial farms in South Africa which are owned by private farmers but regulated and licensed by the government. The plants take 5-6 years to grow and mature before they can be cultivated. Hoodia is now registered as a protected species, and the governments of the South African countries where it grows have placed strict conditions and limitations on its sale and exportation. Hoodia can be collected, harvested, and sold only with a permit from CITES (the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species). CITES is an international agreement formed between governments to ensure that the harvesting and sale of wild plants and animals does not threaten their survival. The first thing to look for when considering a Hoodia supplement is a display of the CITES cerfificate on their website. If there is no certificate, the product is fake.

Be aware that some companies have gone so far as to display fake or stolen CITES certificates on their websites. An authentic certificate will clearly state who the legal exporters and importers are for the shipment; nothing on the certificate will appear to be altered or whited out and the certificate will be sized so that it is legible. When viewing the certificates, you should be able to double-click ont them in order to clearly view the fine print and the dates.

Another important thing to look for when you are considering purchasing Hoodia is a USDA Import Permit and an FDA license displayed on the website.

After export from South Africa, the next step is for the manufacturer to obtain a chemical analysis of the product and display a certificate verifying that it is pure Hoodia. Alkemists Laboratories is an independent laboratory which specializes in the authentication of natural products. Be aware that some shady companies may have submitted a sample of authentic Hoodia for analysis in order to obtain a certificate, and then proceeded to use fillers and useless ingredients during production to cut costs.


The Desert Burn brand of Hoodia Gordonii has consistently passed the Alkemists Lab chemical analysis, and current CITES Export Certificates, USDA Import Certificates, FDA license, and Alkemists Purity Certificates are displayed on their website.

Researching Hoodia supplements is a very confusing project. When I first started out, I did a Google search for Hoodia and for Hoodia rankings. Amazingly, I found literally thousands of sites claiming that their product was the top-rated Hoodia supplement on the market. How can they all be the best, the purest, the most potent... I soon realized that these are sales and marketing sites. They provide some information which is helpful, but sales are the bottom line.

Products that are advertised as "the most popular brand of Hoodia on the market" may in fact be very high sellers, but this may not be due to its quality; it may in fact be because the product does not contain 100% pure Hoodia and is priced cheaper than most others. The price alone may be why it is selling well. After-all, doesn't everybody search for the best bargains and sales?
In the end, these inferior products will turn out to be a big waste of your money, and you will come out of the experience with the misconception that Hoodia is ineffective. Remember, only pure Hoodia will work; just a little bit is not enough! Pure Hoodia is rare and expensive; a quality product is not going to be cheap.

A reputable company will not make claims or display testimonials from customers citing results that seem like they are too good to be true. There are no miracles; the only way to lose weight is to decrease calorie intake and to increase activity and exercise. Losing weight is hard work. Hoodia is a tool that can be used to effectively decrease your appetite, allowing you to consume less calories without feeling hungry and deprived. A reputable site will encourage a balanced, healthy diet and a consistent exercise program.

Reputable companies will also have contact information for customers with questions or concerns and a clearly stated return policy.

One last website that has been helpful to me is Hoodia gordonni.co.za. This is an agency which facilitates the authentication and monitoring of Hoodia products. They issue a stamp of authenticity & Hoodia Product Registration Numbers for Hoodia gordonii products that have passed independent product reviews. Their stamp of authenticity should also be displayed by websites selling Hoodia. The site has a "Hall of Fame" and a "Hall of Shame" for the best and worst products, according to their reviews.

This is a lot of information to assimilate, and you will have to do a lot of research and reading before you make your first Hoodia purchase. As long as the hustlers can get away with it and keep making a profit, they will continue to sell fake Hoodia. You need to be more knowledgeable and smarter than they are; follow the tips discussed and take the time to find an authentic Hoodia product. Not only will you be more likely to achieve your weight loss goals, but you will end up saving money in the long run.