Perfect Hoodia's FAQ -

What is Hoodia?
Where do you source your Hoodia from?
What type of Hoodia do you use?
I thought Hoodia Gordonii was owned by one company and not commercially available?
What ingredients are used in your Hoodia capsules?
Am I guaranteed to see a "appetite suppressing" effect by taking your product?
How should I take Hoodia?
Are there any side-effects to taking pure Hoodia?
Are your pure Hoodia Gordonii supplements EPHEDRA Free?
Who does your Hoodia analytical tests?

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 do you source your Hoodia from?

Our Hoodia Gordonii powder comes from licensed growers in Southern Africa. We buy through a registered exporter and make sure to obtain all necessary legal documentation, CITES and Phtyosanitary certificates. We insist on having all the Hoodia powder analyzed by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals before processing it, to ensure it is genuine pure Hoodia, plus the finished product is then re-analysed to absolutely guarantee it's authenticity.

Q. What type of Hoodia do you use?

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. Unilever and Phytopharm are now believed to be planning to use pure Hoodia Gordonii powder in their products.

In summary, we only use 100% pure 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.

NOTE: Our Hoodia Gordonii is independently verified to be pure Hoodia Gordonii, before and after manufacture.

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 Unilever 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. What ingredients are used in your Hoodia capsules?

100% pure Hoodia Gordonii (Core) powder which is encapsulated 400mg capsules.

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

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 we always recommend a minimum course of 15 days so that our pure Hoodia supplements can really make an effect.

Q. How should I take Hoodia?

We recommend starting out at the lowest dosage, and increasing it over a few days to reach the best level for you. Pure Hoodia supplements should be taken about one hour before meals, with a large glass of water. An instruction leaflet is sent out with all orders.

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

Q. Are your pure Hoodia Gordonii supplements EPHEDRA Free?

Our Hoodia Gordonii supplements are not detoxifying, amphetamine, diuretic, or Epherda pills. They are organic with no synthetic or artificial appetite control agents, and have no known side effects.

Q. Who does your P57 analytical tests?

There are only two companies that have a test to determine P57 content. Chromodex and Alkemist Pharmaceuticals use a patented test licensed from Phytopharm, who were the first to identify P57. By using a test that Phytoharm themselves have licenced for use, you are guaranteed that our Hoodia is genuine and effective.

We use Alkemist Pharmaceuticals to test our Hoodia before and after manufacture.

Further, we only use South African Hoodia Gordonii and follow complete GMP guidelines. We also perform in house Quality Control tests called, 'based on input.' This means that we know Hoodia Gordonii is there because we have certification to show that it is genuine Hoodia Gordonii, legally exported from Southern Africa.

All our products are manufactured in the USA, and as such we perform 5 quality control tests throughout production, exceeding guidance by the FDA, GMP and NNFA - as well as the fully independent tests by Alkemist.

You can see our Hoodia Gordonii Certification and Test Results here

If after reading this FAQ you have any questions, please feel welcome to email us here