My extensive investigation into Hoodia diet pills and Hoodia liquids with obese and overweight patients has led me to form a definitive opinion about Hoodia in general and about the notable effectiveness of one brand in particular. In all, I have tested 35 different Hoodia products. Of the 35 ONLY HOODOBA proved worthy of my commendation. Why

Professor P. Ivanov,MD
NewLife Health Institute

Oprah Winfrey's O Magazine Hoodia Diet Review

Oprah's reviewed Hoodia in the July issue of O magazine where she talked about it being the "Next Generation Diet Pill", and-why experts are excited about its coming. The article went on to discuss how, "Deep in the heart of Southern Africa's Kalahari Desert may lie the secret to weight loss..." Other articles and news stories such as Hoodoba® Hoodia Seen on 60 Minutes - The REAL Story. The BBC Hoodia Gordonii review, the National Geographic Investigative Report on Hoodia (by Leon Marshall); and the ever essential Desk Reference Hoodia Buyers Checklist, which is geared towards helping ensure that you buy ONLY the best Hoodia gordonii product(s) available!

Rule # 1: (most important rule) Make sure the vendor you buy from allows ongoing, random, anonymous testing of their Hoodia products by Alkemists Pharmaceuticals. Also, make sure they don't just merely send in a batch sample with a lot number to be tested. Why?

Vendors proudly publish their lot numbers and results from this highly respected lab as if it is ultimate proof that their product is genuine. However, this is a very iffy premise upon which to base one's purchase. The only possible indisputable PROOF is that which is provided through ongoing, random, verifiable testing of the actual products sold. The testing must be fully confirmable, and performed WITHOUT the vendor's knowledge of when, or by whom the products to be tested are purchased. View The Latest Certificate.

Strictly Health's Hoodoba® PURE products consistently score high in ongoing random testing by Alkemists. You can see our latest test results here.

Rule # 2: PURITY-Make sure the Hoodia you buy is truly PURE, and that the seller does NOT employ the O.I. (Other Ingredients) label trick. Is the product made ONLY from 100% PURE, unadulterated South African Hoodia gordonii-without fillers and additives? (Strictly Health's Hoodoba® PURE is the only product in the US that can make this claim). How can you tell?

Don't take our word for it. Federal law dictates, this statement can only be made if it's true. Simply, look the Supplement Facts section of the label. Does it explicitly declare the absence of additives by displaying the word "None" in the "Other ingredients" block? If it says anything other than "None", IT IS NOT PURE!

Take look at all the other "Pure" Hoodia labels around. Then, take a look at the labels below. You'll immediately see that Hoodoba® PURE is the only American-made Hoodia gordonii product that contains only 100% PURE Hoodia gordonii, with absolutely NO other ingredients, fillers, additives, or adulterants added.

How can this happen?

Shockingly, unless a manufacturer explicitly declares "Other ingredients," as "None", it can simply list any fillers and additives as "Other ingredients" and legally declare the product's full gross weight as being Hoodia gordonii!! Yes, the government does allow it. In the diet supplement industry, these additives known as "flow agents". They help make the manufacturing process easier. True, they shouldn't still be able to call the product "Pure", but they do anyway-simply by declaring the "flow agents" and fillers (usually, silica, cellulose, magnesium stereate, etc.) on the labels. Therein lies the gaping loophole which the average consumer have no knowledge of. We got sick of all the Hoodia scams we see going on and thought it was time to "let the cat out of the bag"-so, we DID!

We wanted you to know you're being cheated in ways you may never have imagined. We also wanted to draw up the contrast by letting you know that:

Strictly Health goes the whole nine yards. We are the only U.S. company selling 100% additive-free, pure Hoodia gordonii products that allows Alkemists to anonymously purchase and test our sealed products. This erases the common "Bait and Switch" practice in which disreputable vendors spoon-feed the lab a genuine sample, but then sell the public a counterfeit or watered-down product. With HOODOBA®, the product you buy is always identical to the product tested.

For this reason alone, avoid any brand of Hoodia capsule padded with fillers or additives. Not only are additives (such as magnesium stearate, silica, cellulose, sawdust, stearic acid, etc.) unnecessary, but some can damage your health. Believe it or not, some fraudsters have even been filling their capsules with common flax seed powder material.

All Hoodoba PURE products contain only 100%, PURE South African Hoodia gordonii. Furthermore, Strictly Health consistently over delivers, so every Hoodoba® PURE capsule contains at least the stated amount of 100% PURE Hoodia gordonii.

Rule # 3: CORRECT SPECIES-Make sure the Hoodia you buy is made from the correct species: Does the product claim to be Hoodia gordonii of South African origin or just Hoodia?

Of the more than 30 varieties of Hoodia available on planet earth, only the gordonii species from South Africa has been proven to reduce caloric intake in humans. So-called "Chinese" Hoodia, for example, is fake and often tests as being the cactus opuntia.

All of our Hoodoba® products contain 100% pure, biologically active, South African Hoodia gordonii.

Rule # 4. ACTIVE PART-Make sure the Hoodia you buy is made from the biologically active part of the Hoodia gordonii Succulent. Does the vendor use only the peeled stem of the Hoodia gordonii plant?

HOODOBA® PURE products use only the P57-active part of Hoodia gordonii-the peeled stem NOT the bark, NOT the flowers, and NOT the root. For appetite suppression, the San people and their ancestors have always eaten only the peeled stem-never the "whole plant."

The San people knows that the appetite suppressant is concentrated only in the peeled stem. This is because, the P57 molecules are found mainly in the peeled stem. Although they make use of several species of Hoodia, they rely only on the gordonii species to suppresses appetite.

Never buy Hoodia gordonii from companies using the "whole plant" or anything other than the peeled stems; such a product would automatically contain at least 50% less of Hoodia gordonii's active constituents necessary for effective appetite suppression.

On this basis alone, milligram for milligram, the Hoodia gordonii powder used in all HOODOBA® products starts out being at least 50 percent stronger than had we used the "whole plant." Add to that the fact that we use NO additives or fillers, and you'll see why no other product comes close to Hoodoba® PURE!

Rule # 5. POTENCY-Make sure the Hoodia you buy is of the highest potency possible. Does the company or its farmers patiently cultivate the Hoodia succulents for at least 3-1/2 years before harvesting the stems?

Hoodia milled from immature plants may test "positive" for Hoodia gordonii but lack sufficient P57 to suppress the appetite.

Additionally, Hoodia loses its strength when exposed or dried in open sunlight, or in kilns above a certain temperature; or when milled above certain microns.

That is why, from selection of seeds through planting, cultivation, harvesting, drying and milling, we oversee and adhere to special proprietary methods to maximize P57 content. We wait at least 3-1/2 years before harvesting the stems used in all HOODOBA® products. By allowing enough time for P57 to saturate the succulent part of the plant, our customers receive the most potent Hoodia gordonii possible.

Avoid companies that harvest the Hoodia gordonii succulents too early. This indicates they're more interested in your money than your achievements. Buy only from a company that patiently waits until at least 3-1/2 years have passed before harvesting the plant's mature succulent stems.

Rule # 6. PRICING-Make sure the Hoodia product you buy is priced within a believable range. Does the price make sense? At $300-$400 per kilogram products being sold cheaply are not the real thing.

Trust your instincts: According to NewsTarget.com, Alkemists Pharmaceuticals estimates that at LEAST 80% of Hoodia sold today is "either adulterated or counterfeit."

Genuine Hoodia gordonii is increasingly scarce. Fortunately, our exclusive 20-year contract with the largest South African supplier of Hoodia gordonii, coupled with our own South African Hoodia farm, insures that HOODOBA® products will be available to reduce your appetite for at least the next two decades.