There are dozens of Hoodia products in the marketplace today, hence it is very important to take a look at some of the common guidelines to avoid the chances of buying an inferior product and maximize the chances of getting the best product for your money.

To select a good Hoodia product you must know the following facts about Hoodia:

* There are many types of Hoodia plants, but only the Hoodia Gordonii species have appetite-suppressing effects. The main point is to note that you should not buy the product with label "100% natural Hoodia." Of course you are buying natural Hoodia but not Hoodia Gordonii. The only exception is when you see that the product contains Hoodia Gordonii but the information page uses just the term Hoodia.

* If you are buying Hoodia Gordonii online then you must see CITES certificate issued by International trade laws. Only then you can be confirmed that you are buying natural Hoodia Gordonii.

* Many Hoodia products are prepared by using the whole plant.
The Hoodia Gordonii plant has fibrous material, skin, leaves, flowers, etc., which have no active ingredients that assist in weight loss. So do not look just for quantity. The active ingredients are found in the core. Look for product concentration.

* On some products you will read 10:1. That means 10 grams of plant was used to prepare 1 gram of Hoodia Gordonii powder to fill pills or capsules of Hoodia product. If you consider this, you will note why it is better to buy 500 mg product than buying 1000 mg Hoodia Gordonii of other brand name if first one contains only concentration and the second is prepared by whole plant. If you choose a liquid Hoodia product, look for a 20:1 concentration.

* The last and final thing to remember is that many of the Hoodia products contain metabolic boosters that increase metabolic rate of your fuel burning body. This is sometimes a plus as Hoodia itself cannot speed up metabolism. Hoodia only reduces amount of food you take. Remember however, that once you add these stimulants you lose many of the important qualities of Hoodia, such as not raising blood pressure or keeping you awake at night.

If at all possible avoid products with extra stimulant type ingredients unless they do not affect you negatively, but always remember to check with your health care provider first.

Hoodia Gordonii is 100% natural and herbal and it has no known side effects. When purchasing Hoodia always read the ingredient label, look for the CITES certificates and make sure that it contains true Hoodia Gordonii from southern Africa.

If you follow these guidelines you will be satisfied that you are getting your money's worth.

About the author:
Patricia has been interested in weight loss and health products since the early 70's and knows how to seperate hype from fact. Patricia's personal Hoodia Gordonii choice