Before you run out and jump on the hoodia band wagon you need to be aware that not all hoodia is created equal, there are over 13 types of hoodia plants and only one of these plants so far is thought to contain p57 an active ingredient which acts as a appetite suppressant and is a steroidal glycoside and that is found only in the hoodia gordonii plant.



Mike Adams of News Target, estimates that 80 percent of hoodia products are contaminated or counterfeit. It is impossible to know if a hoodia product contains pure hoodia and the active ingredient, unless it has been tested by an independent laboratory.

Here is an exact quote from Richard Dixey, CEO of Phytopharm who holds the patent on p57 when he appeared on 60 minutes

"The patent is on the application of the plant as a weight-loss material. And, of course, the active compounds within the plant. It's not on the plant itself," says Dixey.

So no one else can use hoodia for weight loss? "As a weight-management product without infringing the patent, that's correct," says Dixey.

From the above statement it would seem that you can sell a Hoodia Gordonii supplement, you just can't say it is for weight loss or a appetite suppressant. I believe this is why many of the best Hoodia supplements have very plain labels that just say "Hoodia Gordonii" but don't say anything about using it as a weight loss or appetite suppressant supplement.

So if you see on the label weight loss, appetite suppressant or hoodia diet pill this should send up a red flag that it might be 100% hoodia but made from one of the other hoodia plants as I've said not all hoodia is created equal, so it's easy to see why many diet pills manufacturers just mix Hoodia to their already junk packed pills.

If you are going to take hoodia gordonii as tablets or pills, you may be surprised to know that you usually absorb some where between 2-20% of its dietary value. The reason for this is because of the binders which are needed to hold the pills or tablets to together.

Hoodia in a liquid form can be absorbed almost immediately, and the majority of people will experience its effects in just a few minutes after swallowing it. Liquid Hoodia has a much higher absorption rate as opposed to the pill/tablet while it can provide you with the same or better results than the pill or tablet even at a lower dosage.

A comparative study shows:

a) Liquid form of Hoodia Gordonii is much easier to take in, whereas tablets and capsules can be difficult to swallow for both minors and older people.

b) The liquid Hoodia absorbs immediately into your blood system, which helps you feel its effect almost instantaneously, while capsules and tablets can take a few hours to experience minimal effect.

With millions of overweight people jumping from one diet fashion to the next, the thought of taking a pill to "curb cravings" might sound like a dream come true. While pure Hoodia has been proven to stop you from wanting to eat there are literally hundreds of products claiming to contain this latest "magic bullet" in the battle against obesity. This might not mean much until you realize just how scarce Hoodia is. Consider that Hoodia Gordonii is only grown in certain parts of the desert, and after the recent media exposure there is no way for the supply to meet the demand.

What does this say for all those diet pills claiming to contain Hoodia? Well it means most of them are lying. In fact pure Hoodia is very expensive and hard to get so when you see the latest and greatest "weight loss pill" claiming to contain Hoodia odds are that there are only trace amounts that will have little or no effect or were made from one of the other type hoodia plants. What can you do to make sure your getting the highest quality Hoodia Gordoni in your weight loss supplements? Find the list of ingredients and make sure Hoodia is the only one listed, and that it contains at least 400mg.

Remember that any diet pill made from 100% pure Hoodia is going to cost about $40-$65 for a month's supply. When you check out the companies make sure they have the certificates to back up their claims.

Be sure and remember that not all hoodia is created equal.