Tag Archives: Supplements

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.

Could the Sun Help You Fight the Flu?

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Vitamin D, a powerful, natural antibiotic

Vitamin D, a powerful, natural antibiotic

Skin cancer is a huge topic of concern for lots of people.  As someone who is, shall we say, pigment challenged, I make a point to use sunscreen when I am out and will try to avoid spending too much time in the sun in the middle of the day.  While this is for sure keeping my skin healthy, is it helping me with the flu?

The sun is a huge source of Vitamin D, a key vitamin for health that is not readily available in the diet.  Yes you can get get some Vitamin D from drinking milk, however, the amount is so paltry it is almost a waste of time.

Recently there was a study published in Nature Journal where a group of scientists from UCLA confirmed two recent studies the showed we have a naturally occurring steroid hormone that in short is a powerful antibiotic.  This antibiotic increases the body’s production of a certain protein that is instrumental in destroying the cell walls of lots of bad stuff, including the flu virus.  Oh the name of this steroid hormone, yes Vitamin D.

Ever notice that tons of people get sick in the winter?  Ever wonder why?  What do we do in the winter, we stay inside.  We limit our exposure to sunlight.

The elderly die much more in the winter than in the summer, is this a coincidence?

So what do we do about  it?

There are several options.  First is spend a LITTLE time in the sun.  15 minutes a day every other day will do the body a ton of good.  If you can do this, most likely you won’t need anything else.  If getting outside is not an option, diet is the next step.  Food high in Vitamin D include…well nothing you really want to eat, let’ s be honest here.  If you are willing to ingest a bunch of cod liver oil, well let’s say you are a better person than I am.

Lastly you can go the supplement way. Just a word of caution there is a small chance that you can overdo it with the supplements, although a recent expert had this to say, “Worrying about vitamin D toxicity or Overdose of vitamin D is like worrying about drowning when you are dying of thirst.”

If you choose to go the supplement route, make sure you check with your doctor as to any contra-indications that may be present.  There is discussion as to how much you should be taking.  Most agree that 2,000 units per day is a decent amount.  Make sure that you look for vitamin D3, or cholecalcifero if you are shopping for it.

Any questions?  Leave me a comment and I will see if I can help you.

Bummer About Ginkgo

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In case you missed the news today, it has been widely reported that a study on Ginkgo Boloba and Alzheimers (AZ) did not turn out as favorably as hoped.  It had been hoped that by taking GB, you could prevent or delay the dementia that is associated with AZ.

3069 people had participated in the trial.  Just about 1/2 were given GB and 1/2 were given a placebo.  Neither the people or the doctors doing the testing knew who was taking what.  A double blind study, as explained prior, and the number of participants lends a lot of credibility to the study.

There is some question if the study followed the exact GB protocols.

As with any study, one does not mean anything is cast in stone.  There is another study going on in France with 2800 participants.  I think it is safe to say the GB community is certainly looking forward to a favorable report.