by Dan-N on March 9, 2010
We love fish oils. Omega 3 fatty acids have some incredibly strong health benefits and we believe everyone can benefit from increasing their intake of Omega 3s. So, it is very troubling to learn that a number of Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements have been found to have carcinogenic chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.
PCBs, Fish Oil, California… Smells like a Lawsuit!
Yes, last week a lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco. The lawsuit targets eight supplement manufacturers or distributors – CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid, General Nutrition Corp., Solgar, Twinlab, Now Health, Omega Protein and Pharmavite – for alleged violations of California’s Proposition 65, which requires that consumers be warned about chemical exposures.
The plaintiffs claim that their initial testing found that levels of PCBs in supplements in popular fish oil products varied wildly, from about 12 nanograms per recommended dose in to more than 850 nanograms. They claim that Proposition 65 requires disclosure of all non-zero PCB levels, so they are all in violation of the law.
Is this Really a Big Deal?
Yes – in a number of different ways! First, Omega Protein – named in the lawsuit – is the world’s largest producer of fish oil, so this effects a huge amount of products. Second, it really brings to the forefront one of the big secrets about the supplement industry – labels do not show exactly what is in the supplement!
You can make the argument that 12 nanograms of PCB is not harmful and the benefits of Omega 3s outweigh the dangers of 12 nanograms of PCB – but this misses the bigger point. The issue is, should consumers know exactly what they are putting into their body. We firmly believe consumers should know exactly what is in their supplements and then they can make their own choices based on the facts.
Omega Protein Has Many Issues With the Lawsuit
Not surprisingly, Omega Protein disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit. You can read their Press Release -
Omega Protein Comments on Lawsuit
There are very valid points about how you test for PCB and exactly what Prop 65 requires. In addition, a number of independent groups have stepped forward to say that their testing shows that fish oil supplements are completely safe and free of contaminants.
Fish Oil is too important of a supplement to see washed away with a lawsuit. Our hope is that this lawsuit puts the spotlight on testing and labeling requirements more than on the safety of fish oil. Anything that makes supplement labels more open and honest is a major step in the right direction.
by Dan-N on February 25, 2010
Forget Resveratrol. Forget Acai Berries. No, if you want to turn back the clock on aging you need something new, something exotic, something like…. Whey Protein !?!? Yes this sounds crazy and maybe it is, but we recently read a piece that got us thinking there may actually be something to plain old whey protein helping with aging.
Telomere, DNA, Aging and Whey Protein – What is The Connection?
There are many theories of why we age. One popular theory is that as our cells age, we age. Cells are made up of chromosomes and DNA. At the end of the DNA is something called the Telomere. We start with a telomere that is about 15,000 bases long and by the time we die our telomere is 5,000 bases long. This is an amazing oversimplification, but the concept is – as our telomer shortens (less bases) we age and eventually die. So, if we could decrease the rate of telomere shortening we could slow the aging process.
The Whey Protein Connection
We think whey protein is a great way to increase protein intake and terrific for people looking to put on muscle mass. We never considered whey protein an anti-aging superfood until we read Dr. Mercola’s article (link at the bottom). It turns out that some studies have shown that
The theory is, if you feed your body whey protein – you give your body what it needs to release an enzyme that stops the telomere from shortening.
1 Part Science and 1 Part Science Fiction
We want to be clear that this is just a theory, which while based on some sound science, could still turn out to be science fiction. There are a few to many “ifs” and “maybes” for us – but it is interesting. As whey protein is already considered a very strong supplement for many other health benefits, this would just be an incredible bonus to an already strong supplement.
Additional Resources:
Read the Entire Dr. Mercola Piece and Video Here. We have greatly simplified things here and he even has pretty pictures and a video! The end of the article is basically a commercial for his whey protein, but the rest of the article is very interesting reading.
by Dan-N on February 9, 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thejimmer/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
The Acai Berry is a beautiful little purple berry that grows in the Amazon Rain Forest. Resveratrol is a natural component of grapes that may help you live longer and healthier. Many people choose to use Acai and Resveratrol because they believe in natural foods over man made prescription medicines. This is why it is so sad to report that over 90% of the Acai and Resveratrol supplements on the market are probably made with genetically modified material!
One of the Darkest Supplement Industry Secrets – Magnesium Stearate!
As this blog is called Supplement Secrets Exposed, it seems only right that we are the ones to expose one the best kept secrets in the industry – the magnesium stearate secret! Go ahead and grab a bottle of any supplement you have in the house… don’t worry, we will wait….
Got it? Now take a look at the “Other Ingredients” listed toward the bottom of the label in tiny print. There is a 95% chance you are holding a supplement that uses magnesium stearate as a other ingredient.
What is Magnesium Stearate?
So what is this funny ingredient in almost every supplement on the market?
“Magnesium Stearate is the magnesium salt or stearic acid from plant or animal sources, which is a saturated fatty acid used as an anti-caking agent and as an emulsifier.”
-Don’t Eat Database
Wow, there are a few disturbing words in there – animal sources and saturated fatty acids. If you are a vegetarian and/or trying to limit saturated fatty acids – pretty disturbing to find out the magnesium stearate in your supplement may be made from animal fat! But it only gets worse…
Why Would Magnesium Stearate be Genetically Modified?
“This substance (magnesium stearate) is most likely made from genetically modified soy or corn. In the US over 80% of the soy and corn crops have been genetically modified.”
-Don’t Eat Database
Yikes! What this means is that while the Acai or Resveratrol in a supplement may be Non-GMO – the magnesium stearate can be genetically modified and therefore the whole supplement contains GMO.
Of course this is not limited to just Acai and Resveratrol supplements – any supplement that has magnesium stearate is going to have these same issues.
Avoid Magnesium Stearate – You Do Have a Choice!
The take away from all this – avoid supplements that have magnesium stearate. The only reason that supplement companies use magnesium stearate is that it makes it cheaper to encapsule the ingredients – there is absolutely no advantage for the consumer.
The good news is, if you look around you can find supplements that do NOT use magnesium stearate. One of the reasons we love the Perfect Acai and the Perfect ResGrape Resveratrol is that they have NO magnesium stearate.
Well, now you know the dirty little secret about Magnesium Stearate – let’s pass this along, let everyone know and let’s all say NO to Magnesium Stearate!
by Dan-N on January 5, 2010
We have an Obesity issue in this country – so Weight Loss Supplements are sold as the solution to our weight problems.
We have an issue with drug addiction and crime associated with drug use, so the War on Drugs is our solution to our drug problem.
We have an issue with global warming and oil dependency, so Hybrid Cars are the solution to our energy problems.
Weight loss supplements, The War on Drugs and Hybrid Cars are all connected because they are presented as solutions to real problems, but they are actually flawed and failed solutions!
Why Our Solutions Don’t Address the Problems and Just Treat the Symptoms
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