Hoodia Gordonii grows naturally in the desert regions of South Africa. Exporters need to get a CITES certificate before Hoodia Gordonii can be exported from South Africa. Once this is issued, they have up to 6 months to export it out. The country of origin is stated in the CITES certificate. The CITES certificate would guarantee the quality of Hoodia. Hoodia that comes from other parts of the world like China and USA tend to be of an inferior quality. Consumers need to be aware of fake or falsified CITES certificates that are not clear or have some parts blanked off.

What is a CITES Certificate?

CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Hoodia is covered under CITES for Wild Fauna and Flora to ensure that trade involving Hoodia does not threaten Hoodia with extinction. Due to its high popularity in recent years of Hoodia diet pills, over harvesting has caused Hoodia to be an endangered species.

Where to Buy Certified Hoodia Gordonii

Besides having a CITES certificate that it is South African Hoodia Gordonii, UniqueHoodia also have an Organics Annex Certificate that proves no middle men were involved who could have affected the quality and a Certificate of Analysis that confirms that their supplement has been tested under HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) to prove it is genuine Hoodia. Their certified Hoodia Gordonii has also been tested by reputable laboratories Alkemist Pharmaceuticals and CNL to prove it is 100% pure Hoodia Gordonii.

To view the Hoodia certificates, click here.

In 2003, BBC news reporter Tom Mangold traveled deep into the Kalahari Desert to get a first hand experience of Hoodia Gordonii. Till today, his report remains the most credible and accurate media reports that have been done about Hoodia Gordonii.

The African tribesmen of the Kalahari desert have been know to consume Hoodia to suppress their appetite while on long hunting trips in the desert. Tom Mangold took on the challenge to unravel the truth behind this very popular appetite suppressant. Their findings revealed the important facts that would help bring confidence to the effectiveness of Hoodia diet pills.

What the BBC Report discover:

• That Hoodia Gordonii originates from the Kalahari Desert and is rare.
• How Hoodia Gordonii works – Hoodia makes the brain cells believe that you are full when you are not. It is 10,000 times more powerful than glucose.
• The Clinical trials that had so far been conducted on the supplement (at that time)
• How P57 was discovered by Phytopharm.
• How Hoodia can actually reduce a person’s daily calorie intake by as much as 1,000 calories.
• That Hoodia Gordonii is free of side effects.

But the most important point they touched on was fake Hoodia products. With a high number of low quality or Hoodia fakes in the market, it is best to check out the product certification to ensure that it is real 100% pure Hoodia Gordonii.

There are thirteen species of the Hoodia plant, but the fact is that only the Hoodia Gordonii plant contains the active ingredient  P57 which is responsible for suppressing your appetite. The Hoodia plant takes 5 years to mature and harvest; hence its limited supply. With its unique dietary value, low supply and high demand, inevitably such low quality or impure Hoodia products enter the market.

Obviously, you want to be assured that you are getting what you are paying for – the real deal, which is 100% pure Hoodia Gordonii. For a review of genuine certificates, you can go to the UniqueHoodia website to peruse their certificates. On their website, you can find the following:

·    Organics Annex Certificate – this certificate proves that there were no ‘middle men’ involved who could have interfered with the product while it was being exported to UniqueHoodia.
·    Certificate of Analysis – this certificate is issued to the Hoodia Gordonii supply certifying it is 100% pure Hoodia Gordonii before it enters the country. It also shows that it was tested under HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography).

So the next time you come across a cheap Hoodia product, you should be aware of the quality and effectiveness of a cheap product. Has it been tested by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals? Check to see if the product is medical backed by authentic certificates. Check the products certificates to see if it is tested by an independent company. For the CITES Certificate, check what is its country of origin? Only South Africa grow and export the best quality certified Hoodia Gordonii. Hoodia grown in any other country would be less effective.

You can check out the authentic certificates at UniqueHoodia here.