When hoodia gordonii burst in on the scene not many knew anything much about it. Now that the wonder element in it called P57 has been tested in clinical trials and its ability to suppress appetite having been documented, there is a mad scramble to market it. Hoodia gordonii is now available as patches, teas, lollipops, candy, tablets and capsules. 

There is no evidence to suggest that these most of these products do achieve their ends of suppressing appetite. In fact products like lollipops and candy may be counter productive since high in calories. The daily dose of hoodia gordonii is 2250-3000 mg. Is it possible to get this in candy form? These are questions that have not been addressed. When hoodia is mixed with other products does it retain its effectiveness? The manufacturers of these products have not given convincing answers to any of these questions.

All these apart, there is the larger question of the purity of the hoodia used. Alkemist Laboratories which does most of the hoodia testing claims that 80% of all hoodia supplements are fakes. They use one of the 13 types of hoodia that is available, whereas only hoodia gordonii is effective as an appetite suppressant. Even when hoodia gordonii is used they use all parts of the plant which supplies only 60% effect. To be fully effective, only the core of the plant should be utilized.   

Those who know enough about hoodia advise that tablet and extract forms of hoodia do not achieve the desired results. Then how can candies and lollipops and patches do that? Only hoodia gordonii has P57 which has the property of suppressing appetite. So it is essential that only hoodia gordonii be consumed in the proper form and in the correct dose to achieve suppression of appetite. The supplement you choose should have only the core of the plant. Leaves and flowers are often used but they provide only 60% effect.  

So how is it possible to find a supplement that fulfills all these conditions and is safe?

There is indeed pure hoodia gordonii available in capsule form that contains only the core of the hoodia plant. This is by UniqueHoodia. This product has been approved by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals. It also has the CITES certification that proves that it originated in South Africa. Each capsule delivers 400 mg of hoodia gordonii in its purest form. There are no additives added to this hoodia. Being a capsule, it is easy to consume it and you can be sure you are getting the right dosage.     

Instead of spending money on products which may fall far short of the target or actually supply more calories as in the case of candies and lollipops it is better to depend on a supplement that has been tested and approved by concerned authorities.

Tags: Hoodia Gordonii, safe, safety

For the last few decades, fashion and health have dictated that a slim body is not only desirable, but also essential. For the last few years, the emergence of hoodia gordonii as a natural appetite suppressant has been the centre of a hotly contested debate. It has brought great hope to the obese and merely overweight on the one hand and has proved a treasure trove to unscrupulous manufacturers on the other.

There are all kinds of “Hoodia” products available on the market – pills, capsules, tablets, meals plans, patches, tea, coffee, chocolates, lollipops and even “Hoodia” chewing gum!

No doubt, as you read this, enterprising manufacturers are coming out with even newer ideas.

Alkemist Pharmaceuticals, a highly reputed company tested a great many Hoodia products that had been voluntarily handed in to them. They discovered that over 80% of these products were fraud. There are many Hoodia plants growing all over Africa, but only the hoodia gordonii plant growing in the deserts of Southern Africa is an appetite suppressant. The core of the hoodia gordonii plant contains an active ingredient named P57, which has the effect of suppressing hunger.

Alkemist Pharmaceuticals discovered that most of these products were made from one of the other Hoodias. And products made from hoodia gordonii had used the outer woody stalk, stems, leaves and roots as well, thus making it only 60% effective as only the inner core of the plant contains P57.

Many manufacturers are combining hoodia gordonii with other ingredients as well. Naturally, this reduces the effectiveness of its appetite suppressing qualities. The other problem is that hoodia gordonii has not been tested with other substances – what the effects of taking hoodia gordonii with green tea would be, for example, has not yet been researched, so this may possibly be a health hazard as well.

If you want to be sure of the hoodia gordonii that you are taking, look out for the following:
The labels on your hoodia gordonii product should have a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) certificate, proving that it has been imported from South Africa.

The product should have been tested and analyzed by a reputable laboratory, like Alkemist Pharmaceuticals.

It should be pure 100% hoodia gordonii. Gelatin capsules containing the core of the plant have the highest P57 count and are the most effective form of hoodia gordonii.

One product following all the above guidelines is UniqueHoodia. They have the CITES certificate, showing they have legally imported hoodia gordonii. An Organics Annex Certificate, proving their product is organic and delivered to them directly from the farmers.  A Certificate of Analysis proving their hoodia gordonii is 100% pure. And they sell their hoodia gordonii in gelatin capsules. If you do want to experience the effects of 100% pure and safe hoodia gordonii, then UniqueHoodia is the product for you.

Tags: Hoodia Gordonii, safe, safety

How can you tell of hoodia is safe or not? While there haven’t been any reported cases of problems when people have taken hoodia, it is always a risk to take any supplement without knowing what its side effects could be. There might be no known side effects whatsoever if you were taking only hoodia gordonii. But what if you were on a regimen of medication, vitamins and supplements? Who’s to say whether or not hoodia will have any reaction with any of them and how bad it could be? In the absence of any trials and certified studies, it’s a tough call.

For example, the San bushmen used to take hoodia to cure diabetes as well. However, if a person is taking modern drugs for a diabetic condition, will hoodia react with it to produce side effects? The best thing to do would be to take hoodia under a doctor’s supervision in these cases. Unfortunately, whatever clinical research is being done on hoodia is still ongoing and one does not know if this includes just research on rats or whether human trials have started as well. Only when a proper clinical study is done will there be data about drug interaction and side effects so that doctors can follow certain guidelines when prescribing.

There are other conditions too that necessitate lifelong drugs. Does this mean that hoodia just cannot be taken by these people? Till there is some research to the contrary it might be better to be safe rather than sorry and not try hoodia for any condition for which you are on prescribed medication.

It might also be safe to not combine hoodia with any other herb or natural medicine because again, one does not know what kind of interactions there can be. Considering the hoodia acts on the brain to suppress signals to the stomach so it does not know it is hungry, any kind of reaction could cause chaos in the body. This might just cause serious complications of not monitored. That is why getting advice from a doctor might be a good thing to do when so little is known of the herb clinically. Getting carried away by the promise of weight loss should not blind you to the fact that natural substances are not all absolutely safe and it pays to be a bit more aware of the dangers that lurk and skirt them if possible.

Tags: Hoodia Gordonii, safe, safety