While a fierce war for the markets rage between manufacturers of weight loss products based on the ever popular cactus plant from South Africa, the Hoodia Gordonii, consumers are ever left in total confusion on how to differentiate the genuine ones from the fake.

Strange as it may seem, only one question triggered this controversy. Is it possible for an authentic Hoodia Gordonii to exist as an extract? Some say it is possible and some say it is not. What then is the real truth?

The truth is if a weight loss product carries the label displaying it as an extract, it is probably not made from pure and unique Hoodia Gordonii itself.

In most cases you get only about 60% of the original plants, the rest may be anything including substances that although could not harm you, yet they have no function at all. In fact they may contain parts of other species of the plant (about 13 of them) but only the Hoodia Gordonii species have been proved to offer effective weight loss and appetite suppression since the P57 which is the active ingredient is found only in it.

Bare in mind that companies would go to any length to sell their product so a watchful eye may safe you time, money and a lot of fuss. So be sure to check the label carefully before you even think of investing your money of these type of herbal weight loss capsules.

The only one other thing you should expect on the genuine product package should be gelatib since these are used used to make the body of the capsule itself.

There is no harm for the gelatib to be among the listed ingredients since their presents neither affects the effectiveness nor the authenticity of the Hoodia Gordonii plant or its purity levels. Their only job is to make sure the powdered form of the plants core is more accessible for you to use.

If you find anything else on the label or you read phrase that contain the word "extracts", that is a clear sign that the product in question does not contain 100% Hoodia Gordonii.

To make the controversy worse is the research conducted by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals which showed that more than 80% of capsules labelled "Hoodia Gordonii are in reality not authentic.

This is not to say however that there are no genuine Hoodia Gordonii to be found, most of them have the CITES certificate and clinical results backing their claim but one has to watch out and make sure its the right one.