Will Hoodia Be Banned?

Hoodia gordonii is a popular weight loss supplement that has helped many people control their appetite and lose weight. Unfortunately, it is at risk of being banned by the FDA. Is it unsafe? Are we facing another ban such as the ban with ephedra?

Not exactly — ephedra use was implicated in the deaths of a few young women who used this strong, stimulant type appetite suppressant. They suffered cardiac complications and died. After evaluation, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra in the United States.

Will the weight loss industry see another loss? If they do, it will not have much to do with safety. In fact, it has far more to do with greed and the popularity of hoodia. Rather than acting as a strong stimulant to control appetite, hoodia works more safely. Hoodia makes the brain believe glucose levels are normal, and since low blood glucose is the cause of the hunger sensation, hunger is not triggered.

Although diabetics should check with their healthcare providers due to this effect on blood glucose, most people who consume diets high in refined carbohydrates may benefit from taking hoodia supplements. Often times, the brain begins signaling hunger at higher than normal rates when a person consumes mostly refined carbohydrates. They become hungry even though they do not really need to eat.

So, if hoodia is relatively safe and effective, why would the FDA be considering a ban? The problem is with a segment of the weight loss industry that are selling fake hoodia or tricking consumers into signing up for an auto-shipment program.

The frenzy over hoodia created a situation where legitimate companies were selling pure hoodia supplements at a premium price, and other companies low-balled the pricing. Unfortunately, this was not a situation where companies were seeking to make revenue via higher quantity of sales with lower cost per unit. Their profit margin swelled due to the actual product they were selling: fake hoodia.

Hoodia is expensive. The demand for this cactus grown in South Africa led to a diminished amount of hoodia. It is difficult to grow conventionally, and farmers have been unable to produce enough to meet demands. In fact, the hoodia cactus does not seem to grow very well outside its native habitat. Those who have tried to grow their own have realized it has a rather unpleasant odor meant to attract flies for pollination. In addition, it takes three years for the plant to reach a point for harvest.

With the popularity of hoodia, the cactus became scarce which lead to black market trade. The South African government had to step in to preserve the species and attempt to regulate the trade. A C.I.T.E.S certification is necessary (allowing legal trade between an entity and South Africa) to obtain pure hoodia. All of this, of course, caused the price of hoodia to sky rocket.

If you want to benefit from hoodia while you can, you should expect to pay a fair price for the product; fair in this case meaning a bit pricey. If you find cheap hoodia, it probably is not the real deal, or it contains such low amounts of pure hoodia, it will not be effective.

Do you know which hoodia brand you can depend on? Go there and discover our preferred hoodia brand.