As noted before, Chris Woolston’s ”Healthy Skeptic” column in the LA Times is pretty good.  Here he is on the subject of diet patches…

Some day, scientists might develop an effective weight-loss patch, says Dr. Howard Eisenson, executive director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. But, to his mind, that day is probably still far off. The patches on the market today “are beyond ridiculous,” he says. “The more hyperbolic the claims, the more people can quickly dismiss the product.”

Eisenson says there’s no evidence that bladderwrack, a common ingredient in weight loss patches, can encourage weight loss or suppress appetite. The seaweed hasn’t been thoroughly tested orally, let alone through the skin, he says.

So far, no diet patch has passed muster in a published, peer-reviewed study, says Dr. Michael Steelman, past president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians.

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Bodybuilding.com has recalled 65 products containing suspected anabolic steroids as part of a cooperative arrangement with the FDA. According to Functional Ingredients Magazine:

The FDA has informed the Company that it believes that the Recalled Products contain ingredients that are steroids. Specifically, the FDA has advised the Company of its concern that the Recalled Products may contain the following ingredients that are currently classified, or the FDA believes should be classified, as steroids: “Superdrol,” “Madol,” “Tren,” “Androstenedione,” and/or “Turinabol.” While the Company has not had an opportunity to independently confirm the FDA’s concerns, the company is undertaking this voluntary recall in an abundance of caution.

Click here to read the rest of the article (inc. the list of recalled supps).

As most of you already know, UltimateFatBurner.com has a “sister” site, called RealCustomerComments.com.  The name explains it all: it’s a place where visitors can discuss their experiences (good or bad) with the supps we review.  I’m not directly involved with it at all, although I think it’s a great idea… between the science-based reviews on UFB and the user feedback on RCC, potential purchasers can get a pretty clear picture of the pros and cons of various products.  The two sites complement each other beautifully.

Now, most of the comments on RCC concern the fat loss supps that Paul reviews.  And – needless to state – user comments on these supps vary… some folks agree with Paul’s conclusions and some don’t.  This is to be expected, of course… even the most useless supp in the world will have its defenders (thanks to the placebo effect, if nothing else); likewise, top quality, scientifically-validated supps may not work well for a minority of users.  It happens.  This is why ALL legit user feedback is welcomed – Paul’s not looking for a cheering section.  As we all know, ads can be pretty deceiving: the goal is to provide information viewers can use to make purchasing decisions.  It’s all there: the good, the bad and the ugly.  That way, they can buy whatever products they choose with eyes wide open.

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It’s time for another round of congressional and agency posturing over dietary supplements… particularly those that – in the words of this New York Times article - “illegally contain steroids.”

Now Congress is investigating whether laws, health agency resources and manufacturing guidelines are adequate to protect the public from products that illegally contain steroids but masquerade as dietary supplements.

…Testifying on Tuesday at a Senate hearing on bodybuilding products, Travis T. Tygart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, estimated that hundreds of illegal products containing steroids were now available in the United States. As evidence of the problem, Mr. Tygart introduced Jareem Gunter, a former college baseball player who said he suffered acute liver failure after taking a bodybuilding product called Superdrol.

“Jareem had no way of knowing that a regulatory scheme designed over 15 years ago for a few companies selling a limited number of simple vitamins and mineral supplements has been hijacked by unscrupulous profiteers,” Mr. Tygart told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs at the hearing on bodybuilding products.

…Mr. Tygart, of the Anti-Doping Agency, recommended legislative changes that would give the agency greater power over dietary supplements both before and after they go on sale.

There’s really only one word to describe this song and dance: it’s horses**t.

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As y’all know, I moderate two private fitness forums: one focused on fat loss, the other on building muscle.  Thus, I frequently field questions about supplements: both individual ingredients and branded formulas.

Here’s the deal: every so often, a new member will join one of the forums, and proceed to ask question after question about supps.  They almost never ask for feedback on their nutrition or workouts…just supps.  And as soon as I give ‘em a reality check on one brand, they’re back with another.  And then another… wash, rinse, repeat.

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Not too long ago, I received a query on the “Fat Loss Revealed” forum about quercetin. 

Article in 9/09 Men’s Journal suggests “Quercetin is the best energy supplement ever–research is now suggesting it works so well, it’s certain to get banned”.

Uh-huh.  I was politely skeptical, since - despite certain advertising claims - the existing research on quercetin and exercise just isn’t that stellar… for example, quercetin ingestion by athletes,

• does not protect against exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation
• does not affect ratings of perceived exertion
• does not enhance plasma antioxidant capacity or oxidative damage
• does not alter the production of inflammatory cytokines

On the flip side, there’s some positive animal data, along with a study on untrained individuals, but truth is, the picture isn’t nearly as glowing as the ads (and magazine “advertorials”) would have us believe.

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First, Oprah… according to the Chicago Tribune:

Alleging Internet marketers are using her name without permission, Oprah Winfrey–through her corporate vehicle, Harpo Inc.–on Wednesday filed a federal trademark infringement suit against 40 peddlers of dietary supplements.

…Last year, Oz praised the anti-aging properties of the acai berry.

Not long after, Internet marketers began to sell acai products with implications that they had been endorsed by Winfrey or Oz, said Marc Rachman, an attorney for Harpo. But neither has ever sponsored such a product, he said.

The same phenomenon has occurred involving the health benefits of other substances aside from acai berries. “The subject is discussed on the show, then the scams start. It’s brazen,” Rachman said. But acai berries have been a particular magnet for alleged misdeeds.

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I’ll be curious to see how this one plays out…

The Food and Drug Administration is being sued. (Not for the first time.) This time, it’s by supplement companies who don’t like the way the agency denies or waters down the “qualified health claims” they can put on their wares.

…You can see why the companies don’t like the way the FDA alters the qualified claims they allow. One claim cited in the lawsuit started out as “Vitamin E may reduce the risk of bladder cancer. The scientific evidence supporting this claim is convincing, but not conclusive.”

It was changed to: “One small study suggests that vitamin E supplements may reduce the risk of bladder cancer. However, two small studies showed no reduction of risk. Based on these studies, the FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that vitamin E supplements reduce the risk of bladder cancer.”

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… For selling “designer steroids”.

The supplements, Tren Xtreme and Mass Xtreme, are manufactured by American Cellular Labs and marketed as a “potent legal alternative to” steroids. But authorities alleged in search warrants executed on Thursday that the supplements contain illegal man-made steroids, also known as designer steroids. One of the substances is Madol, which was first identified six years ago during the investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative.

ACL isn’t the only one, either.  I expect more companies and supps will be targeted in the near future.

That’s the title of this LA Times article.  I think it overstates things a bit - the info presented is a lot less ominous than the heading suggests.  But that’s par for the course for the mainstream media: when it comes to supps, there simply HAS to be something sinister going on - regardless of the facts.

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Hell will freeze over before I shed any tears for Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals.  The company and its execs just don’t seem to “get” that producing questionable supplements, making deceptive claims and committing outright felonies might not be the best way to run a business.

The latest problem?  Supps adulterated with prescription drugs.

[Posted 06/19/2009] FDA and Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals notified patients and healthcare professionals of a nationwide recall of all product sold under the name Stamina-Rx. FDA lab analysis found that the product contained the undeclared ingredient ? benzamidenafil ? a drug in the same therapeutic class of active pharmaceutical ingredients that include the PDE5 inhibitors sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil, that are FDA-approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Benzamidenafil is not FDA-approved, and poses a threat to consumers because benzamidenafil may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates and may be most susceptible to adverse effects from this product. Stamina-Rx is sold predominantly in health food and drug stores nationwide. Consumers who have this product in their possession should stop using it immediately.

These guys have been under a “Consent Decree of Permanent Injunction” with the FDA since September, 2003.  Think they’ll ever figure it out?

Nah, me neither…

That’s what Paul wrote on the e-mail he forwarded to me this morning.  He was being sarcastic, of course, but I could hardly blame him.  Here’s the message he received:

I would like to introduce UltimateFatBurner.com, and your valued customers, to Cellulean, the most effective Active Cellulite Solution on the market.  I believe Cellulean is a perfect complimentary product to be utilized with all your weight loss and fat burning products. Your clients are motivated and focused to improve their overall body image and appearance; Cellulean will help.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience so we may discuss this opportunity in more detail.  I look forward to hearing back from you and helping you to become an authorized Cellulean Wholesaler.

Can anyone tell me what’s wrong with this picture?

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Nice little article from “The Healthy Skeptic” on a supplement called “Heliocare”, which is a photoprotective extract from Polypodium leucotomos.

No supplement could ever replace the need for sunscreen, but the idea of sun protection in a pill isn’t as far-fetched as it may sound, says Dr. John Murray, a professor of medicine in the dermatology department at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C.

…There is solid evidence from the lab and human trials that extracts of Polypodium leucotomos – Heliocare’s active ingredient — can offer at least some sun protection, says Dr. Salvador Gonzalez, a dermatology researcher at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City who has co-authored at least 17 studies on the plant.

For example, he co-wrote a study published earlier this year that found that a Polypodium leucotomos extract blocked skin-damaging enzymes and helped build up collagen in human skin samples exposed to UV rays. Gonzalez is a paid consultant for Industrial Farmaceutica Cantabria S.A., the Madrid-based parent company behind Heliocare.

“It’s important to keep in mind that Heliocare is not a magic bullet against sunburn,” Gonzalez says. He estimates that the supplement provides a sun protection factor of 3, which would put it roughly on par with a weak sunscreen. It’s certainly not enough to completely prevent sunburn, he adds, but any burns would be slower to develop and less severe.

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According to this Orange County Register review of the case, it’s a mystery…

World-record-setting swimmer Jessica Hardy kept a decidedly low profile in the months after a positive drug test knocked her out of the 2008 Olympic Games. Neither Hardy nor her family spoke publicly about the case in which the Orange native was banned from competing for two years after testing positive for clenbuterol.

Which is why Hardy said she was blindsided by a defamation lawsuit that dietary supplements maker AdvoCare filed against her in U.S. District Court in Texas Jan. 16.

AdvoCare officials said they filed the suit after learning two drug testing labs, hired by Hardy’s family, had found clenbuterol in a supplement drink mix the company had provided Hardy.

The lawsuit was the opening shot in a high stakes legal battle for Hardy and AdvoCare that promises to be closely watched the international sports community and a supplements industry that reports nearly $20-billion in annual U.S. sales, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.

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I published this article in a recent newsletter. It is of sufficient importance that it warrants a reprint, here on the blog. Enjoy!

Just a few years back, I could count the number of prominent web sites entirely dedicated to reviewing supplements on one hand. Now, a search for just about any product – especially those dedicated to weight loss – brings up dozens of sites. Many have names like “consumer-something or other”, and give the impression they offer a “consumer advocate” type service in the genuine best interests of their visitors.

Most don’t.

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Sigh…

Just got through eyeballing an LA Times article “Here’s what’s in those weight-loss supplements“.  As is often the case, it’s one of those semi-factual hatchet jobs we’ve all come to know and expect from the mainstream media.

This para was a real standout…

The labels rarely clarify the contents. Where details and dosages are provided at all, they are frequently presented as a bewildering mix of Latin plant names, trademarked monikers for a company’s own mix of ingredients and, often, invented words that sound scientific but mean nothing to chemists or pharmacologists. Hydroxycut’s “Hardcore,” for instance, touts its “norepidrol intensity focus blend” as an aid to focus and attention. Another supplement, TheraStress, declares that its active compound of “adaptogens” helps fight weight gain brought on by stress.

For consumers seeking full disclosure, these labels may as well declare the product is made of genuine atoms.

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The article speaks for itself…

FDA has received a consent decree from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, to destroy prohormone products worth $1.3 million. The decree included more than 23,300 bottles of three products distributed by LG Sciences LLC, of Brighton, Mich., marketed for use by body builders and distributed on the Web and at retail under the names “Methyl 1-D,” “Methyl 1-D XL,” and “Formadrol Extreme XL.” On behalf of FDA, U.S.Marshalls seized the products back in early April 2008, but the company was fighting the action, saying the products were DSHEA-compliant.

FDA said lab tests showed the products, which were marketed as dietary supplements, contain one or more unapproved food additives and/or new dietary ingredients (NDIs) and lacked scientific support for safe use. They found Methyl 1-D and Methyl 1-D XL contained 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione, also known as “ATD” or 1,4,6-etioallocholan-dione; Formadrol Extreme XL contained ATD and 3,6,17-androstenetrione, also known as “6-OXO”—the substance at the center of the legal battle between suspended Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero and several supplement makers and retailers.

FDA stated both of these substances are steroids that inhibit the activity of the enzyme aromatase; they can be found in dietary supplements marketed as testosterone boosters.  Also, 6-OXO was created by Patrick Arnold, the chemist behind many of the BALCO products involved in the Major League Baseball steroid scandal, which involved Barry Bonds and other key players.

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Sometimes even I get surprised at how sloppy some supp makers can be, when it comes to designing and marketing their products.

A case in point arrived in my inbox this morning from a bud – pointing me to a product called “2 Methyl 13-C” from Iron Tek.  It’s a pre-workout/NO-booster-type product containing creatine.

It was the creatine component that caught my eye: Creatine Methyl Ester.

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Iovate just released a consumer Q & A on the Hydroxycut recall, which is posted on a special site: HydroxycutInformation.com.  I instinctively rolled my eyes at this para:

We conduct internal analyses of individual ingredients, and undertake extensive medical, scientific and toxicological literature reviews on the safety of the ingredients during the development stage of each product. Additionally, third-party experts from the leading independent scientific firm specializing in ingredient assessment, toxicology and product safety for the nutritional and pharmaceutical industry review the safety of Iovate’s ingredients and formulas before products are introduced in the marketplace. Only after this external review is completed does Iovate release a formula.

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The FDA warning and Hydroxycut recall are all over the news now, and the major retailers appear to have pulled the products from their inventories.  While the reports of liver injury are limited (23 so far), they’re still not easy to dismiss. Nor is it a good idea to do so, especially since there are some “take home” lessons from the current situation.

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