Hoodia Gordonii is a succulent plant from the Kalahari Desert that is revolutionizing the diet industry with its almost miracle appetite suppressant abilities with no side effects. It has captured the imagination (and the wallets) of the diet manufacturers who are all keen to leverage its properties in their products.

But how do you make an effective Hoodia supplement?

Firstly you need to have the finest Hoodia Gordonii plants. As the British company Phytopharm owns the patent to the P57 extract from Hoodia (which is the appetite suppressant molecule) they have licensed this to some global corporations. As such, they have bought up much of the supply of Hoodia Gordonii and are growing in massive government run farms in the Kalahari Desert.

Hoodia Gordonii is also a protected plant, which means that unless you have a government issued permit you cannot export it. The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) issues very few permits.

Secondly the heart of the Hoodia Gordonii plant should be used. The Bushmen of the Kalahari do not eat the skin or the spines of the Hoodia plant and the extracts you take shouldn't include them. Extracting the pure herbal extract is a very expensive process. It takes about two thousand pounds of Hoodia Gordonii plants to make just one hundred pounds of powder. It is expensive, but produces a very effective supplement.

Thirdly, there are the ethical business practices to consider. The Western drug companies are keen to squeeze every penny of profit out of everything they produce - particularly as many of their products come to nothing. Sadly, this is often at the expense of the indigenous tribes and their rights. As the only way to legally get Hoodia Gordonii from the Kalahari Desert is through the government run farms, it's very easy for the government to track which companies much pay royalties. If the company supplying your Hoodia supplement is not paying any royalties to the Bushmen then they are not using genuine Hoodia Gordonii.

You also need to ensure that there is quality control in place. Many companies may be tempted to dilute the pure extract with a filler substance to make the pure extract last longer and increase the profits.

The best way to ensure the extract works and does what it says it will is to test it yourself. Use the supplement and notice the difference, if it isn't working then stop taking it.

Due to the cost of synthesizing the Hoodia Gordonii appetite suppressant there is little chance of finding it in pill form - at the moment. However, liquid extracts are available and you can buy these from a number of reputable suppliers online. The nice thing about a liquid extract is that it is absorbed by the body quicker, is more natural, and can be mixed with juice to make sure it tastes good.