It is no real secret to anyone who has been watching the weight loss industry that Hoodia gordonii is perhaps one of the most lucrative products available on the market today. It has history backing it, as well as scientific studies and promotion by celebrities. Therefore, It should come as no surprise that many unscrupulous sales people are taking advantage of the Hoodia name, selling products which are either not Hoodia, or an extremely low quality version of it.
As a consumer, your goal is to avoid becoming a victim of these scams. To do this, it is first important to understand a bit about how scammers operate, and how to know for certain that the Hoodia product you’re purchasing is the real thing.
First, con artists will often mix a small amount of Hoodia with a bunch of filler material that dilutes it, reducing its purity. This is very similar to what many drug dealers do with illegal drugs. Some of the materials which could be mixed with Hoodia include silica and leaves, making it appear as if the Hoodia is pure.
The fact of the matter is that Hoodia gordonii plants can take as long as five years or more to fully mature, so this obviously means that the large quantities of Hoodia being sold on the market today can’t all be genuine. There are a number of different ways in which you can be scammed when attempting to purchase Hoodia, and I won’t go into them all in this article, since there are too many to mention.
In reality, it is not necessary to list all the ways in which you can be scammed. Just like a bank teller who can quickly flip through dollar bills and immediately pick out the fakes because they know what a “real” dollar feels like, you can avoid falling victim to Hoodia scams by knowing what real Hoodia is.
First, the producer who is selling Hoodia should be certified by a recognized authority which shows that the product comes from southern Africa. Any legitimate Hoodia product should come with documentation when you buy it.
You must be able to verify this documentation, and it should show that the product and organization which sells it is certified by a recognized authority. If is is not, this is your first red flag that more than likely, you’re buying something that isn’t Hoodia, or has an amount of Hoodia in it which is so small it is not even effective.
Greed is the reality in any money making industry, and scams are a natural consequence of that. Being wise and understanding the difference between real Hoodia and fakes will take you a long way.