Is It Really Hoodia Gordonii?
| number of bottles | price per bottle | |
| 6 | - | $26.66 |
| 3 | - | $34.98 |
| 1 | - | $39.95 |
Hoodia Gordonii
Hoodia makes your body not feel any hunger while it has no bad side effects whatsoever. It’s extracted from an African cactus.
Hoodia Gordonii 30 pills
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Thanks to its popularity hoodia gordonii has become a threatened plant species and is facing extinction. This threat has led to international trade monitoring and its listing for protection under the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [CITES]. This means it is illegal to export hoodia gordonii out of Africa unless there is a CITES certificate allotted by the correct regulating agency.
The United States has three government agencies that regulate the re-export and import of protected species like Hoodia, they are the Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS], United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, now a division of Homeland Security or [DHS]. By law, each shipment of hoodia gordonii needs to have a CITES certificate and a permit issued by the USDA that allows the importation of outside nations plants. In the event that hoodia is being re-exported than a CITES certificate is also required.
Like many other health supplements and diet aids in general, hoodia gordonii has found its way to the world wide web. This make it very easy to purchase the product online and it is also hunting season for scammers and less than scrupulous online merchants looking to cash in on the hoodia craze. There are some precautions one should take to verify the authenticity of the hoodia product in question and the merchant selling it. Specifically there are six things to look for when searching for actual Kalahari Hoodia or at least hoodia gordonii from a natural habitat.
In its purest form, genuine South African Kalahari hoodia gordonii is a rare commodity, some say nearly as exceptional as diamonds. Hoodia is a highly restricted export from its country of origin and bona fide hoodia gordonii can only be found for export in the western cape of South Africa. Amazingly there are only five exclusive farmers who are approved to produce hoodia and of those five farmers only one is permitted to sell its genuine hoodia gordonii to the United States in its purest powder form.
The company in question must have in their possession all certificates required to import pure hoodia, which contains P57, and bring it to market. They should be from the country of origin which is South Africa and import – shipping and purchase certificates from the country of import allowing an endangered plant to be exported. Next there have been some independent scientific studies completed of hoodia gordonii and these results should be available and on display. These independent lab tests should show and inform that they were able to detect the active ingredient P57 substantiating that the hoodia in question is for real.
In response to complaints, criticism and charges of fraud by consumers the Federal Trade Commission began to scrutinize the hoodia health supplements industry motivating the American Herbal Products Association [AHPA] to produce a Hoodia Standard, which was to be made available late in 2007. There are four independent testing facilities trying to verify the presence of actual hoodia gordonii in currently marketed products. The following laboratories are involved in testing – Advanced laboratories, Inc., Alkemist Pharmaceuticals, Chromadex Labs and the University of Mississippi.
When someone is desperately trying to lose weight they may be an easy mark for the perpetrators of fraud in the hoodia market. Unfortunately common sense is sometimes lacking in individuals as much as hoodia is in certain commercial products. There are red flags that should alert you to the potential of a scam or deceptive advertising and promotion in the hoodia market. Remember the adage “if it’s too good to be true it probably is” since it qualifies here in spades!
One should avoid products such as hoodia diet patches or sprays, some liquids claim to contain hoodia but where is the proof? Extracts are always suspected. Ridiculous claims of hoodia coffee or hoodia in tea form are just as fake and should be avoided along with hoodia candy and lozenges and suckers that make fantastic claims. Where is the evidence that hoodia will be absorbed by the skin?
In addition, of course because of the popularity of hoodia gordonii there is the ever prevalent spamming of hoodia advertising via email. There have been emails claiming that hoodia is offered free of charge in conjunction with certain purchases or promotions. Think about it, a product that is so highly regulated in its purest form, which sells for more than $600.00 for a couple pounds, common sense should prevail.
The National television news station BBC in Britain aired a report on the Hoodia Gordonii plant and its effectiveness as a diet supplement. Millions of people who have tried the authentic hoodia swear by its effectiveness in controlling appetite, and scores of celebrity testimonials have been recorded about the appetite suppressant. Short of any actual government approval in the U.S. the hoodia craze has taken on a life of its own.
Many people having been swept up by the claims of successful weight loss and purchased authentic hoodia and some have not. Those who feel they have been scammed of their money are a testament to the real need to authenticate your purchase by all means necessary. Do your research before purchasing hoodia gordonii; avoid online purchases unless you are convinced of the authenticity of the website and manufacturer. Read product reviews online before any purchase and check for simple things like a secure website SSL shopping certificate, etc.
Finally, before you make a purchase online of a hoodia supplement, be prepared to lose your money just like pragmatic gamblers approach a gaming table. Ideally you should purchase your product from a reputable brick and mortar health food store and ask copious amounts of questions starting with does the product come with a money back guarantee? Ridiculous, maybe!