You can evaluate products based on its content of hoodia. The list of criteria below should help you:

• The best product contains the authentic gordonii species of the plant. This is the only one that contains the P57 appetite suppressant enzyme.
• A source of this South African native succulent with no leaves, thorns, or other excess is the purest.
• Usually the stem of the plant is said to be best. This is the part that has in the past often been eaten like a cucumber.
• The best supply is from the South African and Namidia locations. This is where native Bushman tribes used to find their supply of it.
• The supplier who makes the products that are derived from this succulent plant have the proper license to export the raw material from South Africa.
• The supplier is properly licenses to sell authentic hoodia products.
• It has received rave reviews by both the media as well as the consumer.
• The products made from this special plant ingredient are as pure as possible. Supplements made with too many additives and too many additional ingredients are a very bad choice.
• The brand that is used to sell a specific product should be well-respected.

Health Benefits

The choicest supply of hoodia gordonii has its many health benefits. One of the number one advantages of it of course is the appetite suppressant quality of it.

Further research is being conducted which suggests this very valuable succulent (sometimes called cactus) species. So far, it is evident that this plant at least has a modest effect on the body’s ability to burn fat.

Concerns

Products made from this plant source can help curb hunger considerably. However, it does require some dieting adjustments.

However, no amount of hoodia can stop you from consuming too much white bread, sugary snacks, candies, sodas, white rice, and other heavy foods. Heavy lifting and intensive resistance training workouts may also affect use of this resource.

It may seem impossible to come up with a way to tell apart the “real” versus “fake” supplements such as pills, teas, and so on. However, the following list of clues can send you on your way to finding the right supplement:

• You might want to find a way to confirm that the product is marketed by a company that possesses a hoodia production permit. This information may be printed on the bottle, but in order to make extra sure you might want to visit reputable e-commerce bureau and consumer report sites.
• If you seek advice from reviews make sure you are aware of the source of the reviewer. You are likely to be provided less biased reviews from independent research teams not affiliated with any specific product.
• Beware that any product that claims that it has been approved by the FDA probably is not. Even as of 2007 hoodia has a long way from being approved by this very important agency.
• Notice any seemingly unrealistic weight loss claims. Evidence has suggested very strongly that this plant source does curb appetite, and even in some people a little too well. However, make sure you also know that a well-balanced diet is recommended.
• Of course, you can look on the ingredient list of the product. This is not a guarantee as some companies will not be totally honest about what is included in the supplement. However, you stand a better chance of finding the “real thing” if you look at the label.

The more research you conduct the more likely you are to find an authentic hoodia product. You might want to check FDA websites or you might want to research via various organizations that are supportive of safe distribution of quality herbal supplements.