Now that I have addressed the history of Hoodia, along with what it can do for weight loss, I wanted to provide readers with information on what to look for when buying. As stated earlier, Hoodia has more than 20 varieties. For this reason, you want to purchase Hoodia Gordonii, the only variety known for suppressing appetite. I personally tried Hoodia and did have some success. Although the results for me were not dramatic, I did lose some weight.
Most importantly, make sure you purchase Hoodia from a reputable company. Included with this should be a full range of information provided on the product, history of the company, management and staff information, contact information, and data pertaining to refunds or guarantees. In addition, I strongly suggest you go with a company that has done independent testing to make sure the Hoodia or any other product sold is pure, void of contaminants.
While you can purchase Hoodia Gordonii from health food stores and some pharmacies, you can also purchase it online. Therefore, knowing the above information if you plant to use an online resource is critical. After all, you do not want to purchase a product that is “dirty”, untested, poor quality, or even mixed with something else. For instance, there have been rumors of companies mixing Hoodia with ephedrine, which has proven to be dangerous. Take time to learn not just about the product but also the company selling it.
Additionally, remember, you want to purchase only 100% Hoodia Gordonii. You might also find this listed as 20:1 Hoodia extract, which is fine. When purchasing this product, you have three primary formulas – powder, liquid, and capsule. Specifically for powdered products, some companies will state the Hoodia sold is 100% but to them, this includes the entire plant being ground up and sold. The truth is that in South Africa, bushmen only eat the flowering part, peeling the skin and throwing it away. Since the skin is so cheap to manufacturer, companies think they can get by with cheating consumers.
For extracts of Hoodia, you would end up with a capsule that might contain 100% Hoodia but “fillers” such as fiber and skin. To make this type of formula, alcohol is added that helps extract the active ingredients of the plant. Then, this mixture is strained and the alcohol removed so you end up with powder. If you see 20:1 extract Hoodia, this means the product was made using 20g of the entire plant to produce 1g of Hoodia.
The bottom line is that not all Hoodia advertised is what the company claims it to be. Because of this, it is important that you personally do your homework before buying this product to ensure you purchase quality. Keep in mind that you will find many reputable companies that do manufacture quality Hoodia but it really comes down to you knowing what to look for before buying.