Tag Archives: Food and Drug Administration

Are You Taking a Weight Loss Supplement?

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Runner crossing a metal bridge at sunrise during morning traininIn a quest to stay or get slimmer, many people will take a weight loss supplement.

Do you really know what you are taking? What if I told you that one of the substances could me a close cousin to amphetamines?

Take a look at the ingredient list of a weight loss supplement like Jet Fuel t300, a weight loss supplement easily found on Amazon or in places like the Vitamin Shop. If you read the ingredients list you will see lots of really big words. Two of the words you may see are Acacia Rigidula.

More than a year ago, the FDA concluded that products labeled as having Acacia Rigidula, a perennial shrub found in south Texas and Mexico, instead contained a synthetic chemical cousin to amphetamines called BMPEA.

Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and lead author on this study states, “Acacia Rigidula is code in the industry for a potent synthetic stimulant, they are using the name as a cover.”

BMPEA has not been studied in humans, however, in dogs and cats it has been shown to raise blood pressure and heart rates. The World Anti Doping Agency classifies it as a doping agent due to its close relation to amphetamines.

Amphetamine use has been shown to trigger stroke, heart attack or even death according to Dr. Cohen.

While the American government has not taken formal action yet, Britain and Canada have both spoken out about the product, with the Canadian government recalling products like Jet Fuel Superburn.

If you have any questions about supplements you are taking please feel free to contact us and we will work with you to look at all the ingredients.

Sunburns and Sunscreen

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As someone whom is, shall we say, pigment challenged I am fairly close to an expert on sunscreens. Nothing and I truly mean nothing ruins my day more than not having sunscreen on and feeling my skin burn.

This is the first summer that new federal rules require the sunscreen companies to include more information on their labels. If a company wants to say their sunscreen is “broad spectrum”, they must block both UVA and UVB, two of the more harmul types of rays the sun produces. In order to be considered broad sprectrum the SPF must be at least 15.

If a sunblock is not “broad spectrum” it will only prevent sunburns, it will not provide protection from UVA and UVB rays.

Products that boast high SPF levels — claims critics contend are misleading and dangerous — will still be allowed. The FDA says it has no evidence that sunscreens with an SPF above 50 provide any greater protection than those with a lower SPF, but declined to ban the higher ratings, saying more study is needed.

The issue with the higher ratings is that people are more likely to no reapply the sunscreen often enough. A study also showed that people thought they could stay in the sun for longer periods of time if they used the higher SPF. This is a huge mistake!

Apparently Europe has different chemicals in their sunscreens that are much more effective than the American ones. Unfortunately the FDA has not approved these chemicals and appears to be dragging it’s feet in the approval process.

The agency’s new rules for sunscreen labeling prohibit manufacturers from claiming sunscreens are waterproof or sweatproof — claims not backed by science. If a sunblock is water resistant it must state when you need to re-apply for max protection. Currently there are only two options; 40 minutes of 80 minutes.

 

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