Many people today have been introduced to Hoodia Gordonii, a plant that helps suppress hunger for long periods of time. Hoodia was brought back to the attention of Scientists in the 1960's in South Africa and research has been going on to this day. The main reason Hoodia works in this way is that it contains a molecule that acts like glucose and this sends messages to your brain that you are not hungry.

Hoodia has been used for centuries by the San Bushmen of the Kalahari region of South Africa to stave off hunger while on long treks or hunting parties. Now that this wonder plant is common knowledge, many Hoodia products have become available to the public.

Supplements containing Hoodia came first, in both capsule and tablet forms. Then a patch was introduced to the people seeking a diet aid containing a faster acting form of Hoodia. The effectiveness of the patch as well as other items containing Hoodia is still being investigated. The important thing to remember when choosing an item containing Hoodia is does it contain 100% genuine Hoodia, does the product carry a certification on the container?

The requirements of the myriad of Hoodia products, all the new novel foodstuffs that incorporate it, and especially the Hoodia chewing gums, are slightly different to those of simple tablets or capsules. This is the job of the person seeking a Hoodia supplement, to be well informed as a consumer.

Research has been done that does show Hoodia does in fact suppress the appetite, but only when the subjects are using the correct genuine Hoodia and in the right amounts. Be careful when reading testimonials, they cannot be how you judge the Hoodia product you purchase. Here are a few ways to ensure you get a good product:

• Check for independent testing; only two companies have been licensed to sell products containing P57 which is the active ingredient in Hoodia. They are Chromodex and Alkemist Pharmaceuticals.
• Is the Hoodia in your product legally exported from South Africa ? Authentic Hoodia contains a CITES report when exported.
• Make sure the processing procedures are correct. If not move to a better supplement. Make sure that if the product you choose has had the Hoodia added that the addition was after any heating process.
• Does the product you purchase carry a money back guarantee?