Hoodia pops have been very popular in Hollywood to help with weight loss. Extra TV, the TV tabloid show, did a story about them in 2006 and at the time touted the lollipops as, "Hollywood's latest secret to staying thin." The same tabloid show claims that Britney Spears uses the hoodia pops to help suppress her appetite as she was recently spotted sucking on them.

While these lollipops may be a big hit in Hollywood, that doesn't mean you should follow their lead. The companies that sell hoodia pops would have you believe that these suckers help with weight loss by suppressing your appetite because of the supposed key ingredient ? hoodia gordonii.

I say "supposed" key ingredient because after researching several sites that sell hoodia pops, I couldn't find a single site that listed the amount of hoodia gordonii in these lollipops. I'm sure they contain some hoodia, but how much? And is the hoodia authentic?

For those of you unfamiliar with hoodia gordonii, it is a cactus-like plant grown primarily in South Africa. The plant contains a molecule called P57 that tricks the brain into thinking you are full when it is consumed. The hoodia plant acts as a natural appetite suppressant. The plant is dried and processed into powder and used in supplements. Diet pills that contain authentic hoodia gordonii have been shown to be safe with virtually no side effects.

Given the safety and potential effectiveness of hoodia gordonii suppressing appetite, it has become one of the most popular dietary aids in recent years. It seems to be found in just about every diet pill and product out there today! Hoodia pops are just one of many products that have entered the weight loss arena. The problem is these hoodia products are not all the same. Most are ineffective and are a waste of money.

Only authentic hoodia gordonii has the potential ability to suppress appetite. Unfortunately, the majority of the hoodia supplements and products on the market today contain very little of it ? if any at all! Supplements are unregulated so it's buyer beware. You can't assume a product contains authentic hoodia just because it says it does.

There are several things to look for to ensure that the diet product you are buying contains authentic hoodia. The two most important are CITES certificates and independent lab test results. You'll find these documents on the websites of those companies who sell authentic hoodia diet products. If you can't find these, it is very likely that the product doesn't contain authentic hoodia gordonii. I could not find these documents on any website that sells or promotes hoodia pops. That is a major red flag.

The other issue is the amount of hoodia in hoodia pops. Most experts agree that most people will need 2,250-3,000mg of hoodia gordonii per day in order for it to effectively suppress appetite. Again, after looking through several websites selling hoodia pops, I could not determine how much hoodia is in them. This is another red flag.

Based on my research and experience with hoodia products for over a year now, these lollipops likely have less than 200mg of hoodia gordonii per sucker ? and that's being generous. The amount is likely much lower than that. And again, this is assuming that the hoodia is authentic in the first place, which we don't know for sure. This small amount of hoodia isn't nearly enough to effectively suppress appetite. You'd have to suck on several lollipops all day long to get enough hoodia to effectively suppress appetite!

Having said all this, there is a chance that these hoodia pops could suppress appetite work in the short term. These lollipops may have a placebo effect. If you are told they work, you might actually convince yourself that they do! Thus, you may convince yourself that you feel full after you suck on them. However, this placebo effect doesn't last forever. The other possibility is that the simple act of having something in your mouth may keep you occupied and keep your mind off food.

The bottom line is Hollywood and its celebrities may think hoodia pops help with weight loss, but I'm not convinced. In my opinion these are just overpriced lollipops with a lot of hype. There is no harm in trying them yourself, but just don't expect much!