You've heard all about the wonders of hoodia gordonii and how it could help you finally reach your weight loss goals. The current popularity of this powerful and natural appetite suppressant can be traced back to a BBC documentary and a 60 minutes report that aired in the early 2000's. Ever since then, dieters across the globe have been using it to stave off hunger and to help them with their weight loss.

Should these dieters be concerned about any hoodia gordonii side effects? At the time of this writing, the answer is no. There have been no reported side effects from taking hoodia diet pills. However, there are still a few precautions to keep in mind.

The San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert have been eating this cactus-like plant for centuries to stave off hunger during long hunting trips without any known hoodia side effects. However, they use it sparingly. Scientists and researchers don't know what the long term side effects are of daily use.

Although hoodia gordonii is very familiar to the Bushmen, it is relatively new to the rest of the world. And unlike other natural weight loss supplements that have been around for a while, it doesn't have a lengthy track record so the potential dangers over the long-term are unknown.

While there are currently no known hoodia side effects, daily use of hoodia diet pills may prove to be dangerous over the long term as we learn more about them and their effects on dieters. If you recall, when ephedra was first introduced it was considered completely safe until adverse side effects were discovered and it was ultimately banned. Granted, hoodia is much different than ephedra as ephedra is a stimulant. The point is it could prove to be harmful in the future. Today that seems unlikely, but hoodia supplements haven't been around long enough to say that they are completely safe for long-term use.

Hoodia gordonii side effects on women who are pregnant or nursing have not been determined. If you are pregnant or nursing, you should probably avoid taking any products that contain it. If you insist on trying any hoodia products, you should exercise extreme caution and consult your doctor first.

There are really only two potential hoodia side effects at this time: loss of money and starvation. Authentic hoodia gordonii diet pills cost about $60 per bottle and will only last two to three weeks if taken regularly. You could easily spend up to $120 for a one-month supply and it doesn't seem likely the prices will come down anytime soon.

When I talk about starvation, I don't mean literally starve, but rather eating so little food that your body goes into starvation mode. Hoodia appetite suppressants can be very effective if used properly. If you over do it, your appetite could be so severly suppressed that you don't eat as much as you should. Most dieters make the mistake of believing that less food (less calories) is the key to weight loss. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When you deprive your body of calories, it goes into starvation mode to protect itself. It slows down its metabolism to conserve what little calories you give it. The result is you burn less calories and what little calories you consume are stored as fat. It's important you continue to eat a regular, healthy diet while taking hoodia diet pills so that your body gets the calories it needs to keep your metabolism burning.

Other than taking a hit in the wallet and running the slight risk of not eating enough, these are currently the only known hoodia gordonii side effects.