If you've been shopping around for hoodia diet pills lately to help you with your weight loss efforts, you've probably noticed those free hoodia sample offers. Before you accept any of them, you’ll want to read this article carefully. As the old saying goes, nothing in life is free – and hoodia is no exception!
What most consumers don't realize is that none of those free hoodia trial offers are free at all. They all charge a fee of some kind usually under $10 and it's usually for shipping and handling. In return you get one bottle of hoodia or a small supply of hoodia patches. You may be thinking that even if you have to pay $10 for a hoodia product, you're still getting a good deal. That may be true, but the point is you are not getting free hoodia because it costs you something.
I'll agree I'm splitting hairs, but here's where I think you'll agree that these free hoodia trials are actually very costly. When you sign up to accept these free hoodia offers, they require a credit card to pay for the nominal shipping and handling fee. You usually have around 15 days to try the hoodia product they send you. If you don't cancel within 15 days, then you are automatically enrolled in a monthly auto ship program. Every month after that initial free hoodia trial, you will be sent a month's supply and your credit card will be charged the actual price of the product. I've seen the charges as low as $50 and as high as $80. That doesn't sound like free hoodia to me!
If that’s not bad enough, most of these hoodia products that are being offered for free don't contain authentic hoodia gordonii! I have not been able to find one free hoodia offer that can provide proof that the product contains authentic hoodia gordonii. Even if some of them do, they contain so little of it that it would make no difference in your appetite.
There are two things you want to look for as you consider these free hoodia samples. You want to look for a CITES certificate clearly displayed on the website and independent lab test results. The CITES certificate is required by all companies that export hoodia gordonii from South Africa, where the plant is grown. If a company doesn't have a CITES certificate, then they can't legally export and sell authentic hoodia gordonii.
Independent lab tests provide scientific proof that the material used in the product contains authentic hoodia gordonii. Companies that sell real hoodia gordonii diet pills have these tests done on a regular basis and proudly display the results on their websites. The funny thing is, you will be hard pressed to find any of these tests on these free hoodia trial offers!
The other important point is that free hoodia doesn't even make smart business sense because of the price of the raw material itself. Hoodia gordonii is scarce right now because there is more demand than there is supply. As a result, it is very expensive. Supplement companies couldn't possibly afford to give away authentic hoodia gordonii for free or they'd go out of business very fast. The cheapest you'll find a bottle of authentic hoodia gordonii diet pills is around $32, with the average price hovering around $50 per bottle. There is no such thing as free authentic hoodia that I have been able to find.
The next time you see a free hoodia sample offer, do yourself a favor and keep on shopping! These offers are not only free, but the quality of the product you are getting will not help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Latest Nutrition Articles
All The Truth About Fat
By: Jerry Leung | 26/07/2008
Everyone talks about fat nowadays. It seems that it become the focus of most people these days. When we are still small children, our parents and teachers will tell us that fat is not good for us.
Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Better Managed With Low Glycemic Diet
By: Jackie Khor | 25/07/2008
When you eat healthy low glycemic food that does not spike your blood sugar, develop a modest, consistent exercise regime, and take high quality, complete and balanced nutritional supplements, you can significantly improve your sensitivity to your own insulin.
Special Vitamin Needs for Children
By: John Spencer Ellis | 25/07/2008
Children's bodies are growing at a rapid rate and getting the proper vitamins is vital. Here are some tips on what to consider when looking for a supplement.
Multivitamins- to Take or not to Take
By: John Spencer Ellis | 25/07/2008
One's daily health regime can be significantly enhanced by taking a multivitamin. With so many choices available, it is important to know what you should be looking for when selecting a supplement.
Fat and Water Soluble Vitamins
By: John Spencer Ellis | 25/07/2008
The difference between fat and water soluble vitamins are laid out in this article. They are both necessary for general nutrition, but knowledge of their differing functions is necessary for general knowledge of nutrition.
Real Achievers
By: Sandra Prior | 25/07/2008
As my self confidence increased, I lost my fear, and decided to change my whole life by losing weight and eating correctly. This simple decision was the best I ever made.
Instill Healthy Eating Habits in Children
By: Lyla Feldman | 25/07/2008
Toddlers are inhaling French fries, pizza, candy, and soda in record numbers because they are mimicking adults eating habits. This is counterproductive because the best time to teach dietary habits is during those early, most impressionable years. Poor diets in adults are linked to chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Weird Eating Habits Revealed
By: Lyla Feldman | 25/07/2008
Do you have weird eating habits or do you know someone who does? What’s strange for one person might be perfectly normal for the next. For example, one of my friends is a health nut when it comes to food. That is fine, but she indulges in other things such as alcohol on a daily basis. Too much of anything is never a good thing.
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.
Can Hoodia Gum Really be an Effective Appetite Suppressant?
By: Allison Jacobs | 25/04/2007 | Nutrition
Hoodia gum is one in a line of specialty hoodia products that have hit the market in the past couple years to help in suppressing appetite. Despite the marketing hype I doubt hoodia gum actually works.
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 
