Hoodia gum is one in a line of specialty hoodia products that have hit the market in the past couple years. Other products that have hit the market include hoodia chews and hoodia pops. What all of these specialty products have in common is that they all claim to have the ability to be highly effective and almost instant appetite suppressants. The idea behind these products is that if you can control your appetite, you’ll eat less and you’ll lose weight.

This might sound great, however I have my concerns. I doubt these hoodia gum products will actually have any effect on your appetite because I doubt the contain authentic hoodia gordonii. The hoodia gordonii plant is native to South Africa and contains a molecule called P57 which tricks the brain into thinking you are not hungry. Even though there are many varieties of the hoodia plant, the P57 molecule is found only in hoodia gordonii.

There is a worldwide shortage of hoodia gordonii at present because the supply simply cannot meet the demand. This means that genuine hoodia gordonii is very expensive. Hoodia supplements have been increasing in popularity over the past few years, with many manufacturers deciding to jump on the bandwagon offering everything from hoodia gum to hoodia tea. Many companies though have cut corners to increase their profit margins by either diluting the amount of hoodia gordonii their product contains, or by using a different form of hoodia, so they can still claim to be a hoodia product.

You may be wondering how so many companies have been able to get away with behaviour like this? Well the answer is because hoodia products are not regulated. Therefore, it is up to the consumer to be educated about the facts to ensure they don’t get ripped off. It’s sadly the case that the majority of hoodia products and supplements, like hoodia gum, are in fact nothing more than fakes. They contain very little hoodia gordonii, and most don’t contain any at all. In fact, experts estimate that the number of fake hoodia products sold on the market today could be as high as 80%.

You can help protect yourself by looking for two important pieces of information to ensure that the product you are buying is really genuine. You should look for CITES certificates and independent lab test results. The companies selling hoodia products should display these documents on their websites. If you cannot find these, then the product on sale is highly likely to be a fake which does not contain authentic hoodia gordonii.

I have researched numerous websites selling hoodia gum and have struggled to find either of these documents displayed. This is the main reason that I doubt the authenticity of their products, even though the websites are marketing them as highly effective appetite suppressants. If you cannot view these documents then the product probably doesn’t contain any hoodia gordonii, and will therefore have absolutely no affect on your hunger or appetite.

Just for a minute let’s suppose that these products did actually contain authentic hoodia gordonii. I still doubt they would be effective at reducing your appetite because they simply would not contain the amounts of hoodia needed. Hoodia gum products usually state that they contain between 20-150mg of hoodia per stick. That’s nowhere near enough to suppress appetite.

Experts and doctors agree that in most cases to be an effective appetite suppressant a product must deliver about 3,000mg of hoodia gordonii each day. It’s true that some people can get away with taking as little as 800-1,500mg of hoodia per day, and still experience appetite suppression, but even if this is the case with you, you would still need to get through a number of packs of hoodia gum before you reached this level.

One final concern I have about all of these hoodia gum products is that the majority of them state that they were made using concentrates or extracts from the hoodia gordonii plant, and that these concentrates only contained the active ingredient P57. The problem with this is that the process of extracting this molecule has not yet been fine tuned and there is only one company in the world, called Phytopharm, who have the legal rights to do this.

Phytopharm is a British pharmaceutical company that was given the patent to extract P57 for use in weight loss products. They have spent several years and millions of dollars trying to figure out how to extract P57 to use in weight loss products on a mass scale. Despite the time and money spent, they still haven’t been able to do it. How then can a hoodia gum product claim to use a hoodia extract?

I honestly do doubt that any of the hoodia gum products that are marketed today contain any genuine traces of hoodia gordonii and therefore I seriously doubt that they would be able to have any effect on your appetite or hunger levels. If you are really desperate to try a hoodia supplement to help in your weight loss, then I seriously advise you to stick to the traditional, proven hoodia diet capsules.

Learning all you can about treadmills before you purchase one is a good idea. Treadmills come in all price ranges. The differences in cost are based on the machines’ performances, warranties, space allotments, as well as features and components.

Just like most other products, the more expensive treadmills are higher quality machines. Yes, it is easy to find cheap treadmills that are appealing to the wallet. But, most people end up wishing they hadn’t purchased them. Cheaper machines don’t live up to workout expectations, and they often break down. A high quality treadmill will cost at least $1000. While that may sound like a lot of money for a piece of exercise equipment, these high end machines give better workouts and are less likely to break down. Keep the following things in mind when you go treadmill shopping.

The type of warranty that comes with a treadmill should be one of the main deciding factors on whether you will purchase the machine, or not. Manufactures that produce quality machines will offer lifetime warranties on their machines. If you are looking at machines that have a short warranty period, beware. The manufacturer isn’t standing by the equipment long term. This means they aren’t confident in their machine. If they aren’t putting faith in it, why should you?

If are torn between two treadmills and the warranties seem similar, look for any differences in the warranty. Read all the small print on the warranties. Find out if one offers in-home servicing, or if there are any hidden charges or loop holes in the warranties.

Many people choose folding treadmills because they take up less space. It is crucial that you test out how the deck folds on any treadmills you are considering. Some decks are heavy, while others come with a push button fold. Also, if you plan to store your machine between workouts, test out how easy it maneuvers around. If it is too awkward and heavy, don’t purchase it.

Take a stroll or light jog on any treadmill you plan to purchase. This test drive can tell you a lot about a machine. Listen for any irregular or strained noises in the motor. Is the motor powerful enough to keep up with your routine? Does the machine incline and go as fast as you would like?

Learn all you can about the different components and features on treadmills. Become familiar with what to look for in tread belts, belt rollers, motors, decks and frames. Consult a buying guide to steer you in the right direction.

Reading treadmill reviews and visiting forums is also a great way to find out about various treadmill models. Talking with people, and getting first hand accounts of how machines are working for people, often answers those remaining questions you may have about specific treadmills. In fact, these first hand accounts can be more beneficial to buyers than even reading reviews and buyer’s guides.