Will Hoodia Be Banned?
Many consumers have been able to control their appetite through the use of hoodia
Ephedra was linked to the deaths of some young women who habitually took this strong, stimulant type appetite suppressant. Their use of ephedra lead to cardiac death and the sale of ephedra in the United States was banned by the FDA.
Now hoodia supplements have come under speculation, but it is not about safety issues; at least not directly. Hoodia is a relatively safe appetite suppressant because it is not a stimulant. Instead it fools the brain into thinking you do not need to eat even though your blood glucose levels have dropped to a level where the brain normally signals hunger.
Unless you are diabetic, this effect usually helps you surpass an appetite that became out of control over the years. Diabetics need to monitor their blood glucose levels, so hoodia is not advised for diabetic patients. Hoodia is rather innocuous for the rest of us. In fact, some proponents of stimulant type appetite suppressants feel hoodia is too mild.
So, hoodia is relatively safe, but may still be banned due to weight loss companies who offer their customers fake hoodia at low costs. There are also a few companies offering “free trials” and then signing people up for automatic shipments for which they are charged on the credit card given for the shipping costs.
Why do companies do this? Hoodia is a very popular supplement, so why do not companies just sell pure hoodia supplements legitimately? It has to do with the cost of pure hoodia and the ability to obtain it coupled with the company’s quest to low-ball their competitors.
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.
All of this drove the pricing up, and the eventual regulation of its sale due to illegal black markets. South Africa now requires a C.I.T.E.S. certification to obtain hoodia. Hoodia is also difficult to grow conventionally, so this also lends to the high price.
If you are buying pure hoodia supplements, expect to pay a premium price. The cheap hoodia supplements are likely fake or contain such small amounts of pure hoodia that they are virtually useless. If the FDA bans hoodia, we may only have our never-ending quest for “cheap” products to blame.
Do you know which hoodia brand you can trust? Go there now and discover our preferred hoodia brand.