Hoodia gum is one in a line of specialty hoodia products that have hit the market in the past couple years. Other products that have hit the market include hoodia chews and hoodia pops. What all of these specialty products have in common is that they all claim to have the ability to be highly effective and almost instant appetite suppressants. The idea behind these products is that if you can control your appetite, you'll eat less and you'll lose weight.
While that sounds fantastic, I doubt these products have any affect on appetite and do very little for weight loss. For starters, I doubt that any of the hoodia gum products contain authentic hoodia gordonii. The hoodia gordonii plant is found only in South Africa and contains a molecule called P57. This molecule is the active ingredient in the hoodia plant that tricks the brain into thinking you are full. There are several varieties of hoodia, but only the hoodia gordonii variety has the ability to suppress appetite.
Hoodia gordonii is very scarce right now and there simply isn't enough to meet demand. As a result, it is very expensive. Hoodia supplements and products have been very popular the past few years so many companies have jumped on the bandwagon. You have everything from hoodia gum to hoodia tea available today. Unfortunately, many companies have tried to cut corners to reap the profits of this high demand herb by either diluting their products so there is very little hoodia gordonii in them, or simply not using any at all – but still claiming their product contains it.
The reason these companies have been able to get away with this is because hoodia supplements are not regulated. It is up to the consumer to get educated on the facts about hoodia products such as hoodia gum to make sure they don't get scammed. The majority of the hoodia supplements and products on the market today are fake - meaning they contain very little, if any, hoodia gordonii. One expert says that the percentage of fake hoodia supplements could be as high as 80%!
There are several things you can look for when buying hoodia gum and other hoodia products to ensure that what you are buying is real, but the two most important are CITES certificates and independent lab test results. You'll find these documents on websites that sell and market hoodia gums and other hoodia supplements. If you can't find them, then it is very likely the product doesn't contain authentic hoodia gordonii.
You will be hard pressed to find these documents on any hoodia gum website. I have researched many hoodia gum websites and have yet to find both of them clearly displayed. This is the primary reason why I doubt that any hoodia gum product can be a "powerful and fast-acting appetite suppressant" as many claim to be. If you can't find these documents, then the product probably doesn't contain authentic hoodia gordonii and as a result, has virtually no ability to effectively suppress appetite.
However, let's assume that these hoodia gum products contain authentic hoodia gordonii. I still believe they would be highly ineffective when it comes to suppressing appetite because they contain very little hoodia gordonii. Hoodia gum products typically claim to have anywhere from 20-150mg of it per stick of gum. That isn't going to be nearly enough to effectively suppress appetite.
Some experts and doctors say that it can take as much as 3,000mg of hoodia gordonii per day to effectively suppress appetite. At a minimum, most people need anywhere between 800-1,500mg per day to suppress appetite. Assuming you're able to get by with 800mg per day to suppress your appetite, you'd still need to chew several sticks of gum with each stick only containing 20-150mg of hoodia gordonii!
Finally, the other concern I have about hoodia gum products is that most claim to be made using hoodia concentrates, or extracts. These supposed concentrates contain only the active molecule in hoodia gordonii, P57. The problem is, the process to do this hasn't been perfected yet and only one company has the legal authority to do so and that company is Phytopharm.
Phytopharm is a British pharmaceutical company that was given the patent to extract P57 for use in weight loss products. They have spent several years and millions of dollars trying to figure out how to extract P57 to use in weight loss products on a mass scale. Despite the time and money spent, they still haven't been able to do it. How then can a hoodia gum product claim to use a hoodia extract?
The bottom line is I doubt that any of these hoodia gum products contain authentic hoodia gordonii, which is necessary to effectively suppress appetite. Furthermore, even if they do, they contain so little of it that it would probably do very little to suppress your appetite. If you are serious about trying hoodia supplements to suppress appetite, I strongly suggest you stick with traditional hoodia diet pills.
Latest Nutrition Articles
The Use of Antibiotics In Agriculture Is Undermining Our Food Supply
By: Phillip Paris | 16/05/2008
The practice of feeding animals low doses of antibiotics for profit is producing antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Some Tangy Facts About Oranges
By: Suzanne | 16/05/2008
A universal favorite, oranges offer a lot more than just a juicy flavor. Know more of this tangy fruit through some interesting facts disclosed in this article.
What You Should Know About Broccoli
By: Jim Brown | 15/05/2008
Broccoli comes from the Latin word "brachium" meaning "branch" or "arm." It has been around and grown by Americans in their gardens for more than 200 years. It is a green, fleshy stemmed food plant with a flowering head first grown in the Italian province of Calabria and was locally known as Calabrese. The first commercially grown broccoli was harvested in New York.
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet : 3 Fat Loss 4 Idiots Tips
By: Jason Oh | 15/05/2008
Discover why Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet is a ripper of a diet, and the 3 things you must know to ensure that your fat loss journey is a success. Follow the three guidelines and you will not lose with Fat Loss 4 Idiots.
Selenium and the Influence on Human Health
By: Sandra Prior | 15/05/2008
Low selenium concentration in the blood is associated with increase risk of spontaneous abortion, male fertility, increased risk of cancer and higher cancer mortality rates. An inverse relationship between blood selenium concentration and cardiovascular disease has also been reported.
Health of Green Vegetables
By: prabakar | 14/05/2008
Healthful eating is never so easy as it is in the spring. With fresh fruits and vegetables flourishing, you only need minimal preparation to bring out maximum flavor. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, at least two to three servings every day. They are loaded with the absorbable calcium, iron, and many vitamins that children need.
How to Stop Sugar Cravings - Understanding the Root Causes for Better Health
By: Michael Porteous | 14/05/2008
Those of us that crave sugar know just how addictive sweet foods are and how they can lead to weight gain and low self esteem as we continue to eat and eat even though we do not feel hungry. This craving for saccharin food has a number of different sources, some physical and some psychological and understanding these causes is key to understanding how to stop sugar cravings.
There are two physical reasons for sugar cravings:
How to Curb Sugar Cravings - Learning From the Root Cause of Cravings
By: Hengster | 14/05/2008
Sugar is all around us these days from obviously sweet candy and soft drinks to many other foods we may not even realize. We are bombarded with it on the food shelves and in advertising and of course... it tastes good even though too much is very bad for us! Many people simply believe that our society has lost its willpower to find out How to curb sugar cravings so we can be rid of these urges. Recently however medical science has discovered many things about sugar and how it affects our system.
More from Allison Jacobs
Free Hoodia Sample? Beware Most Free Hoodia Trials Aren't What you Think
By: Allison Jacobs | 30/08/2007 | Health
Free hoodia trials are very popular these days thanks to the demand for hoodia gordonii. Unfortunately, accepting a free hoodia sample isn't always what it's cracked up to be. You need to fully understand what you are getting before you agree to these offers.
What's in your Hoodia Diet Pills?
By: Allison Jacobs | 08/08/2007 | Fitness
Yes, it's true that the majority of the hoodia diet pills sold today are fake, but that's not what this article is about. There may be another issue consumers need to think about – the potency of the supplements they're buying.
Are Hoodia Diet Pills a Waste of Money?
By: Allison Jacobs | 16/06/2007 | Health
There has always been a debate over the effectiveness of hoodia diet pills. The main concern with hoodia has always been making sure you get real hoodia – until now. A report from a major hoodia importer indicates that soon hoodia diet pills may be worthless.
The Supposed Hoodia Oprah Connection Exposed
By: Allison Jacobs | 25/05/2007 | Nutrition
If you've shopped around for hoodia online you've likely read about the supposed hoodia Oprah connection. You'll be surprised to learn that there may not be any truth behind the supposed connection.
Hoodia Weight Loss Results From Three Real-life Hoodia Success Stories
By: Allison Jacobs | 22/05/2007 | Nutrition
The weight loss results of three real-life hoodia success stories are revealed by a NBC television station in Louisville, KY.
The Truth About Hoodia, 60 Minutes, and the Bbc Reports
By: Allison Jacobs | 09/05/2007 | Nutrition
Despite what you may have read and heard about hoodia, 60 Minutes and the BBC, these well-known media programs did not feature or endorse any specific hoodia supplement. In fact, they didn't feature a hoodia supplement at all.
You're Looking for a Free Hoodia Sample But Does Free Hoodia Exist?
By: Allison Jacobs | 13/04/2007 | Nutrition
Before you accept any free hoodia sample offers, you'll want to read this article carefully. As the old saying goes, nothing in life is free. Hoodia is no exception!
Finding Authentic Hoodia Gordonii and the Cites Certificate
By: Allison Jacobs | 03/04/2007 | Nutrition
Anyone who has done research on hoodia knows the importance of the CITES certificate to identify authentic hoodia gordonii, but does anyone really know what it is?
Health 
