There are a several kinds of Hoodia products or supplements available on the market today. Below we categorise the different types of dietary supplements that are made from the Hoodia Gordonii plant:
* Pills
The most popular and most common Hoodia supplements available today are the diet pills. These diet pills are manufactured in several different ways and have varying ingredients. Diet pills are usually swallowed with water, one or more times daily, dependent on the amount of Hoodia contained in them. There are so many different types of diet pills available that it’s nearly impossible to comprehend their true nature. The following are three classes into which most of these diet pills can be differentiated:
* Pure hoodia
A number of of the Hoodia diet pills flaunt themselves as 100% “pure” Hoodia products. This often means that these pills contain nothing else but natural Hoodia Gordonii. Nevertheless, it is essential to note that although a certain pill may be described as 100% Hoodia, its effectiveness is dependent on which particular part of the plant the pill is prepared from. It basically depends on how much of the pill is prepared from the core of the hoodia gordonii plant, which is more efficient in suppressing appetite than the skin, roots and the surface parts of the plant.
* Active Ingredient Pills
Some Hoodia Gordonii pills are advertised as being manufactured from “active ingredient”. This means it often refers to the P57 substance in Hoodia, which is known to possess the appetite suppressing properties. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy in mentioning that isolating the P57 from Hoodia is an exceptionally complex process. Even principal pharmaceutical companies such as Phytopharm and Pfizer were unable to do this successfully.
* Pills made from Extracts
Some Hoodia diet pills are made from extracts of the plant. These extracts could be advertised as “20:1″ or “10:1″ in strength. This basically means that every one gram of extract was produced from 20 grams of whole plant. A 20:1 extract also means that you are taking 20kgs of that material to make one, discarding all but the supposed active ingredient. That would make it appear like a very potent substance. However, when you extract you take away a lot of the supporting benefits like the aloe benefit of the plant. Some plants have wonderful supporting properties, but when these are extracted they disappear. There is no recognized proof that Hoodia extracts are more effective than pure Hoodia pills.
* Hoodia plus other ingredients
Some diet pills are not only made from Hoodia but other natural supplements such as green tea and guarana are added. Even though there is no harm in adding other natural supplements, the real effects of Hoodia mixed with these other ingredients is unknown. Ultimately, if you buy Hoodia diet pills because you just want to try out Hoodia, all that matters is how much of Hoodia the particular pill contains, irrespective of the other ingredients. The true effect of Hoodia on your eating pattern will only be recognized when pure Hoodia is taken.
* Liquids
Some Hoodia supplements are obtainable in liquid form. For these products it’s essential to find out the following:
* What is the base liquid used to manufacture the supplement
* How is the Hoodia dissolved in the liquid or is it of “pure” Hoodia plant juice.
It should also be noted that in the majority of the plants, eating them in their natural form is much better than simply taking their juice or extract.
* Others
There are a number of other types of Hoodia supplements offered either online or at herbal shops. These products are in general less popular and as a rule do not contain enough Hoodia to be efficient in suppressing the appetite. Nonetheless, if you go by the judgement that “something is better than nothing”, then they are undoubtedly worth the try. Some types of these “other” products you may find are:
* Hoodia Powder, usually mixed with other health products like green tea
* Hoodia Coffee/Tea
* Candy/Lollipops/Shakes, etc.
