The main concerns when purchasing hoodia supplements are the purity and the amount of hoodia in the supplements you are considering. According to research done by Mike Adams, a health and nutrition expert, “the vast majority of the hoodia gordonii sold in the United States and around the world is counterfeit.”

Alkemist Pharmaceuticals, located in Costa Mesa, CA, has been conducting lab tests on hoodia samples submitted to them for verification. They are getting about a 60 percent failure rate for hoodia. That means 6 out of 10 hoodia samples are failing – and these are samples coming from companies who voluntarily submit them and who believe they have genuine hoodia.

The failure rate of hoodia is likely higher than 60 percent if you consider many companies selling hoodia don't care if what they’re selling is genuine so they don’t bother with verification. Furthermore, there are companies who know what they’re selling isn’t authentic so they don’t bother with verification either.

Mike Adams estimates that, "as much as 80 percent of the hoodia being purchased by consumers is either adulterated, which means cut with other ingredients, or contains no hoodia gordonii whatsoever."

That’s an eye-opening statistic – that 8 out of 10 hoodia supplements are essentially fake or at the very least, seriously compromised. During the lab tests in 2005, Alkemist identified six hoodia supplements that contain 100% pure hoodia gordonii. They were Desert Burn, Hoodoba Pure, Dr. Wheeler's Afrigetics, King Hoodia, Hoodia Max, and Ethno Africa.

We thorough researched and compared all six of these products and while they all sell genuine hoodia gordonii, our top pick was Desert Burn. Their hoodia supplements are consistently verified by Alkemist as containing 100% pure hoodia gordonii. You can view the actual lab test results on their website.

In fact, Desert Burn provides more documentation on their website than any other reseller of hoodia. You can view their CITES certificates, growers and sellers licenses, and the lab results from Alkemist. You’ll also notice a scrolling news ticker on the left side of their home page which provides updates on the hoodia market.

What I'm also impressed with is that Desert Burn provides a customer service telephone number that you can call to get more information on their products or to place an order. Most resellers of genuine hoodia only have an online option for customer service and to place orders. What’s also nice about Desert Burn is that their shipping rates are cheap. They charge a flat $5 for any order. Their competitors start at $8 and go up from there.

What we also like about Desert Burn is that they don’t tell you their products are miracle weight loss pills. They stress the importance of a balanced diet and regular exercise when trying to lose weight. They don’t try to scam you into believing that all you have to do is take their products and you’ll lose weight effortlessly. This straight forward, honest approach says a lot about a company.

The only complaint I have about Desert Burn is that their website plays this annoying sound. I had my speakers turned up when I visited their website for the first time and the obnoxious sound practically startled me out of my chair. I'm not sure why they feel the need to play sound because I have to believe it irritates many visitors (me included). Thankfully, you can shut the sound off by clicking on a link in the upper right hand corner of the website.

Desert Burn has three core products: 750mg capsules, 400mg capsules, and liquid hoodia. They offer 3 bottle specials and various combo packages. In addition to their core products, they offer hoodia tea and coffee. Here are the prices of their core products:

Desert Burn ZA 750 (60 caps): $59.95/bottle or $149.95 for 3 bottles

Desert Burn ZA 400 (60 caps): $37.95/bottle or $99.95 for 3 bottles

Desert Burn Desert Juice: $39.95/bottle or $99.95 for 3 bottles

To learn more about Desert Burn and their products, visit their website: www.DesertBurn.com