Hoodia Cactus Diet PIlls - Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q. What is Hoodia?

Hoodia is a Succulent botanical which resembles a "cactus" and is part of the Genus: Trichocaulon and belongs to the Family Name: Asclepiadaceae. There are many plants within the Hoodia genus, with Gordonii being the plant which has been identified as having qualities to tackle obesity - hence we refer to Hoodia Gordonii.

Hoodia has been used by the indigenous bushmen in Southern Africa as a natural appetite suppressant and thirst quencher during their long hunting trips for generations.

Q. Where should the best come Hoodia from?

The best Hoodia Gordonii powder comes from licensed growers in Botswana, Southern Africa. There has been no staisfactory testing on Hoodia grown in China, Texas or elsewhere.

Q. What part of the Hoodia should be used?

Firstly it is important to note that some manufacturers use the whole of the plant in their processing. There is no benefit in the outer skin which makes up to 40% of the weight of the plant. So it is important to check that the company you deal with ONLY uses the core of the plant.

Secondly, there is a lot of 'confusion marketing' by some Hoodia supplement manufacturers, with regards extracts v powder.

What is an Extract?
An extract is a concentrated from of a herb, that is derived after the crude herb has been mixed with water, alcohol, or another solvent and distilled or evaporated.

No one is selling Hoodia Gordonii extract, as it would be violating the patent held by South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (which has been leased to Phytopharm, who in turn have leased it to Unilever).

All Hoodia Gordonii supplements available are simply powdered plant.

Does this mean that it is less effective?
The previous company which was working with Phytopharm in the development of Hoodia Gordonii was Pfizer, who sold back it's licence due to the difficulty of obtaining an effective extract. Unilver and Phytopharm are now believed to be planning to use pure Hoodia Gordonii powder in their products.

In summary, only buy supplements that use 100% Hoodia Gordonii (Core) powder, as research points to it being the best source material to use if to realize the benefits that Hoodia Gordonii can provide.

Q. I thought Hoodia Gordonii was owned by one company and not commercially available?

The active ingredient in Hoodia Gordonii (called P57 by Phytopharm who identified it), was licensed exclusively by Phytopharm from the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1997. Phytopharm has since leased the exclusive global rights to the appetite-suppressing compound extracted from the hoodia Gordonii to Unilver for £21 million.
So no one can develop or sell compounds extracted from Hoodia Gordonii.

However the plant itself cannot be patented (it is impossible to patent a plant). So companies can legitimately process and sell Hoodia Gordonii powdered.

Q. Am I guaranteed to see a "appetite suppressing" effect by taking Hoodia?

The anecdotal evidence seems to confirm this, and research has shown significant reduction in average daily calorie intake, as well as a reduction in body fat content.

Having said this, everyone has a different metabolism and some people see an effect sooner than others.

Q. Are there any side-effects to taking Hoodia?

There are no known reported side effects to using Hoodia Gordonii that we are aware
of.

As acknowledgment to Hoodia Gordonii's safety, it is classified as a food supplement, not a drug.