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Search Term: " Hoodia "
What Is The African Mango Diet?   
Date:
September 16, 2014 08:16 PM
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3158) Hoodia For Weight Loss 
Date:
September 18, 2009 10:20 AM
The Hoodia plant is a leafless, spiny plant. It is a succulent in the milkweed family. Hoodia can be found growing in South Africa and Namibia. The plant thrives in very high temperatures, taking years to mature. Bushmen from the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa have used Hoodia for centuries to help fight off hunger during long treks in the desert. This ancient band of nomadic hunter-gatherers eats bite-size chunks to stave off thirst and curb their appetites on long hunting trips in the wilderness. In early 2004, the first supplements containing a Hoodia compound were introduced in the United States. These supplements were intended to be an aid for obesity and weight loss. Hoodia contains an appetite-suppressing component that is similar in molecular structure to glucose, only stronger. This component is known as P57. It is responsible for sensing a signal to the hypothalamus which tricks the body into thinking it is no longer hungry. The P57 compound seems to increase the amount of ATP in nerve cells of the hypothalamus, which is the brain’s control center for regulating thirst, hunger, and temperature. ATP is an energy-producing molecule that is created from glucose. When ATP levels are increased in hypothalamic nerve cells, those nerve cells fire as if you had just eaten, even if you haven’t. Some people claim that Hoodia works immediately for them, within twenty to thirty minutes of taking the capsules. However, more often, people require up to two weeks of taking regular doses before they start noticing significant results. These results include a reduced interest in food, a prolonging of time after a meal before being hungry again, feeling full more quickly, and a general sense of well-being. Studies that have been done on the effects and safety of Hoodia are continuing in the United States and abroad. The prospects for the future development of this herb look very promising. Don’t make the mistake of believing that all you have to do is take a supplement of Hoodia everyday and the fat will just disappear. While some claim that has been the case for them, the majority of dieters need more help than solely diet pills. It should be remembered that the only thing the Hoodia does is suppress appetite. It does not improve a bad diet or address problems of overeating. It you have a terrible diet and ten to overeat even when you are not hungry, you will not receive any benefits from Hoodia. If these things describe you, you first need to tackle those issues before considering Hoodia. This herb will not build muscle or burn fat. Your muscles are fat burning machines and responsible for burning fat all day long, even when you are resting. The more you have the more fat you’ll burn. Your metabolism also plays a huge role in burning fat. The only way to build muscle and speed up your metabolism is to exercise. The stem of the Hoodia plant is used to provide anorectic, aphrodisiac, and mood enhancer properties. Primarily, this herb is extremely helpful in treating diabetes, obesity, and weight loss. For more information on the many beneficial effects of Hoodia, please feel free to contact a representative from your local health food store.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2082) Hoodia
Date:
January 29, 2009 03:52 PM
Some companies are already manufacturing a blend of cheaper ingredients with Hoodia, and claiming it is better than Hoodia alone. This means that you might find a product that contains 1,000 mg of total ingredients, but it could contain as little as 50 mg of Hoodia. As a general rule, the other ingredients are only included to make the product cheaper. All Hoodia supplies are the same strength worldwide. The stems of the plant are picked, dried, and milled, leaving a powder about 5 percent of the original weight, which is why some quote it as a 20:1 extract. However, don’t be misled. Despite what a label may lead you to believe, you’re only getting 50 mg of Hoodia. The minimum dosage that is necessary to have a usable effect is about 800 to 1,200 mg of actual Hoodia each day. This amount will help to reduce your appetite so that you can eat smaller meals and, consequently, lose weight. If you think you’d like to try Hoodia, look for a product that has been naturally extracted and grown or ethically wild crafted without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or preservatives, preferably in a vegetarian capsule. Make sure that the product you use is a true standardized full-spectrum herbal supplement that does not include any fillers, binders, or common allergens. Also, keep in mind that even though safety reports to date are encouraging, no long-term safety studies have been performed. Additionally, there is no data on the possible interactions Hoodia may have with other drugs. Hoodia is a non-stimulating herb, which makes it more suitable for a large range of people. Herbal stimulants such as guarana or kola nut, which both contain caffeine, can cause a large range of side effects such elevated heart rate and blood pressure, nervousness, and sleeplessness. P57, the active ingredient in Hoodia, has no sedative effects. Losing weight and maintaining an ideal weight also requires changing attitude and lifestyle. If your main goal is to quickly lose weight so you can fit into your bathing suit, you may be able to achieve that lighter weight, but without exercise, you’re still going to look flabby. Even though the subjects in the Hoodia clinical study did not exercise, you should, as exercise plays an important role in losing and managing weight along with overall health. Weight loss should be about your overall health. Without the proper eating habits, especially nutrition and exercise, you won’t be able to accomplish much. It’s true that less weight puts less stress on your cardiovascular system, but you need to exercise to strengthen your heart muscles. Proper nutrition and exercise also helps to prevent many other health problems, which includes fighting off many digestive ailments. If you’re considering trying Hoodia for weight loss, experts suggest that you supplement with 800 to 1,200 mg a day, divided into two doses and taken with water. For best results, follow the manufacturer’s dosage instructions since products may vary. You should also follow a reduced-calorie diet of natural, unprocessed foods. Even though you can probably lose weight on a diet like this without supplementing with Hoodia, adding Hoodia may help you to stick to your diet better.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1962) Hoodia Gordonii
Date:
December 10, 2008 10:48 AM
Hoodia Gordonii is a South African succulent plant of the family Apocynaceae. They are remarkable similar in appearance to cacti, although they are totally unrelated to them and grow predominantly in the region of Central Namibia in the south west of Africa, up to the southern regions of Angola. They are most commonly found in rocky ground and on the plains. There are several species of Hoodia, some of them grown domestically, and it is Hoodia gordonii that is used as an appetite suppressant in Hoodia weight loss pills. Although the plant has historically found use in the treatment of infections and gastric problems, most interest is displayed in its use by the bushmen of the Kalahari Desert to suppress their appetite during long hunting trips when food and water are scarce. The active ingredient was isolated in 1977, and given the name P57: the product is therefore often referred to as Hoodia P57. It was patented by its discoverers, the CSIR (South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) and a license granted to UK company Phytopram, who worked together with Pfizer to isolate the active ingredients and manufacture them synthetically. This was found to be very difficult, if not impossible, since any synthetic form of the extract failed to display any hunger-suppressant properties. Finally, the rights to the main ingredient were released by Pfizer in 2002, thus indicating that it was of no commercial benefit to them. The main problem they admitted with synthesizing P57 was not only the difficulty in doing so, but also that there were side effects of the extract on the liver caused by other components that could not be removed. No synthetic form of Hoodia is therefore available, and only the natural plant is used in current Hoodia 57 preparations. The rights of the San Bushmen to the plant were recognized by the CSIR in 2002, and not only do they receive a proportion of the profits of marketing Hoodia, but also the plant is protected with wild-harvesting licenses provided to only certain individuals and companies. Due to the rising popularity of the Hoodia weight loss industry, the plant has been named as an endangered species in the wild. It is believed that the active ingredients are steroidal saponins that can fool the body into believing it is full. This theory is based upon the effect on appetite of glucose concentrations in the blood. Your appetite is controlled by the amount of unconverted glucose in your blood, and glycogen in the liver. When you eat carbohydrates, they are digested and converted into glucose which is absorbed into the bloodstream. Under normal conditions your blood glucose levels increase to a level where a signal from hypothalamus stops you feeling hungry. Insulin is then secreted from the pancreas to prepare your cells to use that glucose in the mitochondria to create energy by means of the Kreb's Cycle, or Citric Acid Cycle as it is also known. This reduces the concentration of glucose in the blood, and once it reaches a certain level the body begins to use its emergency energy supply, glycogen, that is stored in the liver. A signal then informs the brain that more glucose is needed. You then feel hungry again, and this cycle is repeated several times a day in a normally healthy person. This cycle is controlled by certain hormones in the brain, specifically in the ventromedial center of the hypothalamus, where it is believed that the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) availability controls the release of the hormones involved. ATP is the molecule of energy, and as the concentration of blood glucose and of glycogen drop, then the amount of ATP produced also drops and this is detected in the hypothalamus, which reacts by releasing ghrelin. Increased leptin increases the feeling of satiety and ghrelin increases the feeling of hunger. Serotonin acts on the brain to increase the effect of leptin in the hypothalamus, and therefore make us feel less hungry, or more satiated. It is believed that Hoodia gordonii, or the Hoodia P57 component of it, fools the brain into believing that your blood glucose or glycogen levels have reached the point at which it should trigger a satiated response, so that you stop eating even though your ATP levels might be low. The steroidal saponins that it contains is believed to be ten thousand times more effective than glucose in stimulated the secretion of serotonin. Hoodia has also been found to contain a number of glycosides, including pregnane glycosides that some studies have indicated to help control appetite of the subjects tested. Most of these tests have been carried out on animals, although Hoodia weight loss preparations are offered in a form standardized on both steroidal saponins and pregnane glycosides. Hoodia gordonii is becoming so popular as a weight loss product that its export is being monitored by the South African government. It has become so endangered that, since 2005, only Hoodia grown on commercial farms is permitted an export license, and exporters must obtain a license from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Importers also require a permit from the US department of Agriculture, and a CITES certificate is also needed to re-export the finished product. Because of this, more Hoodia weight loss pills are being sold than there is Hoodia gordonii to produce them. It is not uncommon for cacti such as the prickly pear cactus from Mexico, to be used, or for low concentrations of Hoodia to be bulked up with fillers. Neither of these is of any use as an appetite suppressant, the former having no active ingredients whatsoever and the latter containing only traces. If you are purchasing Hoodia, therefore, be aware of this. Request sight of the CITES certificate and USDA permit, and also the analysis results by an authorized laboratory to confirm that the product is what it purports to be. Otherwise, there is some evidence that Hoodia gordonii can help you reduce weight, although to date there are only four recognized analytical laboratories registered to analyze the active content of Hoodia weight loss products. Finally, check for the analysis certificates. All Hoodia weight loss products should be analyzed by each of three methods: Microscopy, High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) - all there are needed. The four authorized laboratories are: the University of Mississippi, Chromadex labs in Irvine California, Alkemist Pharmaceuticals and Advanced Laboratories, Smithfield, NC. No others will do, so if your Hoodia weight loss preparation has not been analyzed using the three methods by one of these laboratories, don't buy it, even if it can show the CITES and USDA documentation.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1946) NOW® Introduces Genuine Whole Food™ Labeling
Date:
September 27, 2008 01:23 PM
NOW is excited to highlight our line of Genuine Whole Food products with a new icon. These existing products include a wide range of items, including NOW® Flax, Alfalfa Juice, Blue Green Algae, Kelp, Spirulina, Aloe, Hoodia, Colostrum, and Chlorella. One of the most exciting to join this new product category is an Organic Red Yeast Rice that is sourced right here in the United States. In order to provide you and your customers with the finest possible product, these items undergo a delicate process that helps retain the highest concentrations of nutrients and other beneficial extracts. They are minimally processed without adding or creating new isolates, and we do not spike our active ingredients. This results in safe ingredients that provide nutrients in their original form. NOW® Genuine Whole Foods are concentrated using only deionized water; no harsh chemical solvents are used at any stage during the process. When it comes to the products that enter your body, natural is always better. Not only are natural products free of potentially dangerous chemicals, they also contain a wide range of nutrient compounds that cannot be recreated in a laboratory. All NOW Genuine Whole Food supplements are 100% natural and free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. Our new Genuine Whole Foods icon identifies this commitment made to product quality. Each product delivers a ratio of nutrients similar to that found in natural food sources. This results in greater nutrition that your body can use in the most effective manner possible. Unlike other companies that offer only a small selection of Whole Food-based products and ingredients, or none at all, NOW has a diverse selection of 68 SKUs that encompasses a wide range of health and wellness needs.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1903) Hoodia Extract And Appetite
Date:
September 26, 2008 11:36 AM
Hoodia is a plant that belongs to the milkweed family and consists of about twenty different species. It is a leafless, spiny plant, with fleshy finger-like stems. Along the stems, there are rows of thorns, while the plant bears flesh-colored flowers. Flies are attracted to the flowers by the strong smell of decaying meat, causing the flies to lay their eggs and pollinate the flowers. Sometimes spelled hootia, hodia, hoodie, and hudia, Hoodia has recently gained a great amount of attention in the United Kingdom and America after being featured on BCC and CBS. Often growing in summer rainfall areas in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, along with winter rainfall areas in Nambia, Hoodia gordonii is the only species that contains the chemical component that suppresses appetite. Hoodia has been used for thousands of years by San Bushmen, as it populates the arid territories of South Africa and Namibia. Because San Bushmen needed to remain active in order to survive, they had little need for dieting, but this plant provided them with stamina and a curbed appetite during long periods without food. Along with reducing or eliminating the desire for food, many people believe that Hoodia also increases energy and can act as an aphrodisiac on the user. The appetite-suppressing ingredient found in Hoodia is a molecule that is similar to, but stronger than glucose. The active compound that was isolated to be responsible for appetite suppression is P57, which works by sending a signal to the hypothalamus of the brain, tricking the body into thinking that it is no longer hungry, and resulting in a complete lack of appetite. P57 is a steroid like molecule that is chemically bonded to a chain of three sugar molecules. The appetite-suppressing and mood-enhancing properties of P57 go directly to the mid-brain, where it causes neuron cells to fire as if you were full. The hypothalamus is the region of the brain that contains several important centers which control body temperature, thirst, hunger, water balance, and sexual function. Additionally, the hypothalamus is closely connected with emotional activity and sleep and also functions as a center for the integration of hormonal and autonomic nervous activity through the control of pituitary secretions. In short, the hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system. The pituitary gland is often thought of as the mater gland in our bodies, as the anterior and posterior pituitary secrete a variety of hormones that influence all cells and affect almost all physiological processes. The pituitary gland is powered by the hypothalamus, as some of the neurons in the hypothalamus secrete the hormones that are responsible for controlling the secretion of hormones from the anterior pituitary. The inhibiting and releasing hormones of the hypothalamus are carried directly to the anterior pituitary where hypothalamic hormones bind to receptors on anterior pituitary cells.
The P57 hormone that is found in Hoodia works by increasing the amount of ATP in nerve cells found in the hypothalamus. ATP is an energy-producing molecule that is formed from glucose. When there are increased levels of ATP in hypothalamic nerve cells, those nerve cells fire as if you had just eaten, even when you haven’t. Hoodia is a safe herb taken for hundreds of years, have you tried Hoodia lately?
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1900) What is Hoodia?
Date:
April 08, 2008 08:52 PM
1. What is Hoodia? Despite its similar appearance, the cactus-like Hoodia is characterized as a succulent plant, which is a member of the milkweed family. Though there are about 20 species within the family, the active ingredient of Hoodia is found only in the gordonii variety native to South Africa's vast Kalahari Desert 2. What assurances can be made that Source Naturals Hoodia Extract is authentic? Experts in succulent horticulture have helped ensure that the raw material Source Naturals uses to make Hoodia Extract is gathered from authentic Hoodia gordonii sources. From there, our supplier has an independent laboratory test the raw material, which is then issued with a certificate of analysis qualifying it as true Hoodia gordonii. Once Source Naturals receives the certified Hoodia gordonii from our suppliers, we hold it to our own high standards and Total Quality Assurance. By putting it through stringent testing procedures in our quality control lab, we've carefully scrutinized the material. Before it ever reaches the hand of consumers, our high-quality Hoodia is put through High Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) analysis for authenticity, and microbiological screening for contamination, as well as other rigorous laboratory protocols. 3. Could you explain the 20:1 ratio? 20:1 refers to the "wet to dry" ratio of the whole plant to concentrated powder. Hoodia gordonii contains an abundance of excess moisture that needs to be removed in order to make an effective, concentrated powder. The process by which that moisture is removed to yield the powder is an extraction. Basically, 20 pounds of whole plant is concentrated to one pound of the high-quality powder used to make our product. What this means is, we've made a supplement with 20 times more functional Hoodia than had we ground the plant up water and all. When you buy Source Naturals Hoodia Extract, you're getting all of the usable plant parts of the Hoodia gordonii times 20, because we've packed a greater amount of the quintessential Hoodia ingredients into a powerful, concentrated powder. 4. Is a 20:1 concentrated extract more effective than 1:1 Hoodia powder? We at Source Naturals certainly believe so. Unfortunately, the Hoodia landscape has been unnecessarily clouded recently thanks to the misinformation circulating about concentrated extracts and so-called "100%" (1:1) Hoodia powder. Most of the information is highly subjective, with no studies whatsoever to support claims that so-called "pure" powder is more efficacious than 20:1 concentrated extracts. The common selling point for those propagating a 1:1 Hoodia product is the notion that "more is better" - which, when you think about it, actually benefits a 20:1 concentrated extract. Because the logic behind using the 20:1 concentrated extract is that, in supplementation, it's not practical to ingest as much of the whole plant parts of Hoodia as the San did to get the potential benefits of the plant. In using the concentrated 20:1 ratio, we're able to pack 20 times the amount of usable Hoodia into our Hoodia Extract. How much more could you need? 5. Where was the Hoodia in Hoodia Extract grown? On an approved farm in Northern Cape, South Africa. 6. Who is our supplier? Due to obvious business considerations, we don't want to specifically name our supplier and alert competitors to our source. However you can be assured that we receive our Hoodia gordonii from one of the industry's top suppliers, who was among the first and only importers of Hoodia licensed to sell and import the plant into the United States. 7. I've heard there are sustainability issues with the plant. Is it endangered? It is true that the resources for Hoodia gordonii are limited due to early irresponsibility on those seeking to exploit the plant's benefits. However, Source Naturals Hoodia Extract has been produced with environmental sustainability in mind. We've made absolutely sure that only materials safely cultivated from the stems of seedlings grown on approved farms in South Africa have been used in making Hoodia Extract, not material indiscriminately picked in the wild. 8. How should it be used? Take one to two tablets or capsules with an 8 ounce glass of water about an hour before eating a meal. 9. Why does the label warning recommend consulting your health care professional before using this product if you are taking any prescription medication? This is a standard warning included on most Source Naturals product labels because generally it's a good idea to double check with your physician if you're taking prescription medication to make sure there aren't any special precautions you need to take while on the medication. 10. Does it contain caffeine? No. There is no caffeine in Hoodia gordonii, and Source Naturals Hoodia Extract does not contain any added caffeine. 11. Are there any side-effects? There are no known negative side-effects to taking Hoodia products.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1746) Hoodia gordonii Standard from South Africa!
Date:
April 16, 2007 12:48 PM
Hoodia gordonii, for very good reasons, has attained a high degree of popularity in the United States. There are standard laboratory tests that prove whether a Hoodia product is true Hoodia gordonii and if it contains a significant amount of the active compound Oxypregnane, sometimes called P-57. Source Naturals tests every lot of Hoodia gordonii according to a standard provided by the government of Namibia in southern Africa, one of the main exporters of Hoodia. Source Naturals runs HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatograph) testing against the raw material that we purchase, and we subject the raw material sample to LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectroscopy).
Above are two chromatograph pictures of true Hoodia gordonii. The picture on the left is the standard approved by the Namibian government. The image on the right is from a batch of Hoodia purchased by Source Naturals. Every plant extract has a unique identifying chemical signature that can be tested in a chromatograph. The bands represent the various chemicals in the compound. As you see above, the Source Naturals sample has the same bands in the same position as the standard, proving that it is true Hoodia gordonii. The band marked by the star represents the active constituent, P-57. As you can see, there is a strong presence of P-57 in the Source Naturals Hoodia Gordonii raw material. Unless a compound can be tested to show a similar chromatograph with similar banding, it may not be pure, 100% Hoodia gordonii.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1511) NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
Date:
February 08, 2006 05:20 PM
Hoodia Liquid Extract Hoodia Gordonii 20:1
Ingredients: 2 ml (approx. 1/4 teaspoon) contains: Suggested Use: 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon, one hour before a meal. May be taken with an 8 ounce glass of water.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1203) Hoodia Extract - Discover the Contemporary Use for a Traditional Food Source
Date:
June 29, 2005 09:59 AM
Hoodia Extract - Discover the Contemporary Use for a Traditional Food Source The San Tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa have known for millennia what we’ve only recently discovered; that the cactus-like Hoodia gordonii plant can be used as a healthy alternative food source. Because Source Naturals is dedicated to your good health, we’ve fused ancient San tradition with modern science to develop Hoodia EXTRACT. The sustenance the San derived from the Hoodia plant as a main food source allowed them to travel lightly without the burden of extra food to hinder their journey on long hunting trips. With the introduction of our high quality Hoodia EXTRACT, Source Naturals offers you a safe, natural solution to achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and the chance to discover the contemporary use for the powerful nutritional supplement everyone’s looking for. Hoodia EXTRACT underlines Source Naturals commitment to bringing you the highest quality dietary supplements in your steps toward good health. An Age Old Tradition Life in southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert could be cruel. But even without modern research, the San Tribesmen knew their nutritional needs could be met with a remarkable botanical. For more than a hundred thousand years the San thrived as hunter-gatherers; their success dependant on their ability to locate food. Their treks across the Kalahari would last for months, even years, with the men hunting for antelope, and the women foraging for what became the main staple in their diet: fruit, nuts, and plants. None of their traditional food sources were more important than the phenomenal Hoodia gordonii plant. The Hoodia plant became their chief source of sustenance while roaming the desert. Fruit and meat spoiled, nuts never lasted, but the stems and roots of that plant were special. A Special Plant Despite its similar appearance, the cactus- like Hoodia is characterized as a succulent plant, which is a member of the milkweed family. Though there are about 20 species within the family, the active ingredient of Hoodia is found only in the gordonii variety. Experts in succulent horticulture have helped ensure that the material Source Naturals uses to make Hoodia EXTRACT is gathered from authentic Hoodia gordonii sources. A Potent Extract The secret of Hoodia EXTRACT lies in the plant’s active ingredient; a substance containing previously unknown molecules discovered by South African scientists, and found to interact with the hypothalamus. Through painstaking chemical testing to assure quality and potency, Source Naturals has gone to great lengths to develop an extract that is best for the supplemental needs of its consumers. Every bit of the certified material Source Naturals receives is put through high tech chromatographic analysis to verify the purity of the active constituents needed to make Hoodia EXTRACT. A Responsible Company Hoodia EXTRACT has been produced with environmental sustainability in mind. Using only materials safely cultivated from the stems of seedlings grown on approved farms in South Africa, Source Naturals has made certain those materials were gathered with the knowledge and help of the San people to better preserve the Kalahari’s natural resources. A Wellness Revolution in Nutritional Health With today’s people faced with a multitude of nutritional problems, it is increasingly critical for us to take charge of our own well-being. Source Naturals is devoted to providing the highest quality products designed to supplement your diet and aid in your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Hoodia EXTRACT is available at your local health food store in 250mg capsules or tablets. Source Naturals - providing nutritional benefits offered only in the natural products marketplace.
References
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=518) Hoodia Gordonii - 20:1 Extract VS 1:1 Powder – The Whole Story
Date:
June 29, 2005 09:51 AM
Hoodia Gordonii - 20:1 Extract VS 1:1 Powder – The Whole Story The Hoodia landscape has been unnecessarily clouded recently thanks to the misinformation circulating about concentrated extracts and socalled “100%” Hoodia powder. Most of the information is highly subjective, with no studies whatsoever to support claims that socalled “pure” powder is more efficacious than 20:1 concentrated extracts. In fact, purporting to offer 100% Hoodia powder is a dubious claim at best, with some groups offering little in the way of solid evidence that theirs is actually authentic Hoodia gordonii grown in South Africa and imported to the United States legally with proper permits. Propagating the false notion that “more is better” is a risky, uncertain gamble if you’re not precisely sure what exactly you’re getting more of! At Source Naturals, a trusted company with years of experience and demonstrated excellence in nutritional supplements, we believe that nothing tops quality assurance. Extraction – The Bottom Line Much of the misunderstanding surrounding Hoodia extracts directly corresponds to a common misperception that the word extract is mutually exclusive to standardization – a method of extraction that isolates and removes a constituent part of an herb or botanical for use in supplements to control potency. Unfortunately the ambiguity of the term “extract” in relation to Hoodia products has led to uninformed claims that Hoodia extracts somehow contain less essential Hoodia gordonii plant parts, which is patently false, and underscores the inherent confusion as to how high-quality concentrated Hoodia powder is actually produced. Simply put, many of the truly effective Hoodia products on the market are, by their very nature, extracts – whether they claim to be or not. That is because the concentration process by which the whole parts of the Hoodia plant become dried powder is an extraction. Calling it anything but an extract would be, frankly, disingenuous. The Process Hoodia gordonii is a succulent containing excess moisture that needs to be removed in order to make an effective, concentrated powder. The process by which that moisture is removed to yield the powder is called an extraction. This process, however, is different from standardized extraction. This process does not remove a single component from the plant; rather it separates the water from the solid parts of the plant, making a concentrated powder for a more powerful, effective product. The End Result The raw materials used to make Hoodia EXTRACT have not been added to, nor have we attempted to specifically extract any constituent parts of the plant to regulate potency. What we have done is taken high-quality, authentic, certified material from one of the industry’s most respected suppliers of Hoodia gordonii and held it to our own high standards of Total Quality Assurance (TQA™) in making a supplement with 20 times more functional Hoodia than had we ground the plant up water and all. By putting it through stringent testing procedures in our quality control lab we have assured our product’s quality and efficacy. The Hoodia gordonii we receive is carefully scrutinized; put through High Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) analysis for authenticity, and microbiological screening for contamination, as well as other rigorous laboratory protocols. Quality = Results When you buy Source Naturals Hoodia EXTRACT, you can be assured that you’re not just getting an effective, natural dietary supplement, you’re getting part of an almost 25- year old tradition in providing quality products that support your good health. So before you buy into “more = better,” remember the Source Naturals edict: Quality = Results. Source Naturals – dedicated to excellence, committed to you.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=517) What is Hoodia? 
Date:
June 09, 2005 10:39 AM
1. What is Hoodia? Despite its similar appearance, the cactus-like Hoodia is characterized as a succulent plant, which is a member of the milkweed family. Though there are about 20 species within the family, the active ingredient of Hoodia is found only in the gordonii variety native to South Africa's vast Kalahari Desert 2. What assurances can be made that Source Naturals Hoodia Extract is authentic? Experts in succulent horticulture have helped ensure that the raw material Source Naturals uses to make Hoodia Extract is gathered from authentic Hoodia gordonii sources. From there, our supplier has an independent laboratory test the raw material, which is then issued with a certificate of analysis qualifying it as true Hoodia gordonii. Once Source Naturals receives the certified Hoodia gordonii from our suppliers, we hold it to our own high standards and Total Quality Assurance. By putting it through stringent testing procedures in our quality control lab, we've carefully scrutinized the material. Before it ever reaches the hand of consumers, our high-quality Hoodia is put through High Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) analysis for authenticity, and microbiological screening for contamination, as well as other rigorous laboratory protocols. 3. Could you explain the 20:1 ratio? 20:1 refers to the "wet to dry" ratio of the whole plant to concentrated powder. Hoodia gordonii contains an abundance of excess moisture that needs to be removed in order to make an effective, concentrated powder. The process by which that moisture is removed to yield the powder is an extraction. Basically, 20 pounds of whole plant is concentrated to one pound of the high-quality powder used to make our product. What this means is, we've made a supplement with 20 times more functional Hoodia than had we ground the plant up water and all. When you buy Source Naturals Hoodia Extract, you're getting all of the usable plant parts of the Hoodia gordonii times 20, because we've packed a greater amount of the quintessential Hoodia ingredients into a powerful, concentrated powder. 4. Is a 20:1 concentrated extract more effective than 1:1 Hoodia powder? We at Source Naturals certainly believe so. Unfortunately, the Hoodia landscape has been unnecessarily clouded recently thanks to the misinformation circulating about concentrated extracts and so-called "100%" (1:1) Hoodia powder. Most of the information is highly subjective, with no studies whatsoever to support claims that so-called "pure" powder is more efficacious than 20:1 concentrated extracts. The common selling point for those propagating a 1:1 Hoodia product is the notion that "more is better" - which, when you think about it, actually benefits a 20:1 concentrated extract. Because the logic behind using the 20:1 concentrated extract is that, in supplementation, it's not practical to ingest as much of the whole plant parts of Hoodia as the San did to get the potential benefits of the plant. In using the concentrated 20:1 ratio, we're able to pack 20 times the amount of usable Hoodia into our Hoodia Extract. How much more could you need? 5. Where was the Hoodia in Hoodia Extract grown? On an approved farm in Northern Cape, South Africa. 6. Who is our supplier? Due to obvious business considerations, we don't want to specifically name our supplier and alert competitors to our source. However you can be assured that we receive our Hoodia gordonii from one of the industry's top suppliers, who was among the first and only importers of Hoodia licensed to sell and import the plant into the United States. 7. I've heard there are sustainability issues with the plant. Is it endangered? It is true that the resources for Hoodia gordonii are limited due to early irresponsibility on those seeking to exploit the plant's benefits. However, Source Naturals Hoodia Extract has been produced with environmental sustainability in mind. We've made absolutely sure that only materials safely cultivated from the stems of seedlings grown on approved farms in South Africa have been used in making Hoodia Extract, not material indiscriminately picked in the wild. 8. How should it be used? Take one to two tablets or capsules with an 8 ounce glass of water about an hour before eating a meal. 9. Why does the label warning recommend consulting your health care professional before using this product if you are taking any prescription medication? This is a standard warning included on most Source Naturals product labels because generally it's a good idea to double check with your physician if you're taking prescription medication to make sure there aren't any special precautions you need to take while on the medication. 10. Does it contain caffeine? No. There is no caffeine in Hoodia gordonii, and Source Naturals Hoodia Extract does not contain any added caffeine. 11. Are there any side-effects? There are no known negative side-effects to taking Hoodia products.
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