When you think of whey protein you tend to think of body builders and people looking to “bulk up”.  The idea of drinking down 50 grams of protein shakes a day does not bring up images of people looking to lose weight.

New Study Shows Whey Protein May Help Overweight People

A new study done by Associate Professor Sebely Pal and colleagues from Curtin University and funded by Dairy Australia, evaluated the effects of whey protein supplementation on a number of health risk factors in a group of overweight or obese adults. What they found was that whey protein improved a number of health risk factors in overweight or obese adults.

“The subjects – 70 overweight or obese men and women – were randomly allocated to replace a portion of their normal diet with whey protein, casein or glucose for 12 weeks.

After the 12 weeks, the researchers found that the whey protein group showed improvements in their cholesterol levels, insulin levels, blood pressure and artery stiffness.”

- Dairy Australia Study – May 10, 2010

Is Dairy Australia Really An Objective Source?

We are with you – we had the same reaction when we read the story, however, the study looks like it is for real.  The study is set to be published in two peer-reviewed journals – Obesity and the British Journal of Nutrition.  Yes, it was only done with 70 subjects, but it does show that whey protein has more health benefits then we may have imagined.

Whey Protein – Not Just For Body Builders Any More

Is Whey Protein really some diet miracle  – no.  The study does not show people lost weight when using whey protein, but it did show that overweight and obese people who consume whey protein have less health issues.   It does seem that if you are looking to lose weight the idea of replacing a high calorie meal with a good whey protein shake can help you shed some pounds and reduce some of the health risks associated with being overweight.

It turns out Whole Foods must have a soft spot for whales, seals and penguins – as they have decided these animals deserve to eat their Krill!  Yes, seals and penguins are cute animals we can all connect with – those tiny, creepy shrimp like Krill – not so much.

Omega 3’s Good – Penguins and Seals Dying So We Can Eat Omega 3’s – Not Good

If you are reading this blog it is probably safe to assume you already know all about the positive health benefits from Omega 3 Fatty acids.  Omega 3’s can come from fish oils and they also come from Krill.  Krill are tiny little shrimp like animals that sit way down on the food chain.

Manufacturers in recent years have started to make Omega 3 supplements using Krill.  The advantage is that Krill does not have the mercury contamination issue that you can have when using fish for Omega 3 supplements.  In fact, Krill Supplements have become so popular that the krill population is being depleted.  As whales, penguins and seals basically survive by eating krill, there is a belief that Krill supplements are starting to hurt the whale, penguin and seal populations by drying up their food supply.

Whole Foods Bans Krill Oil Supplements

Whole Foods has decided to take action to protect the whales, penguins and seals of the world…

“Krill are an important source of food for marine animals including penguins, seals, and whales in the Antarctic. Declines of some predator populations in the areas where the krill fishery operates suggest that fishery management needs to better understand how to evaluate the prey requirements of other marine species in order to set sustainable catch levels for krill.

Consequently, at present we are choosing to discontinue the sale of krill supplements as we continue to evaluate this emerging research. Please consider alternatives to krill oil supplements such as fish oil or astaxanthin supplements.”

-Whole Foods Statement

In The Least Surprising Move of the Day – Krill Industry Denies There Is A Problem

Guess who disagrees with Whole Foods?  That’s right, companies that make Krill Supplements.  The industry points out that some Krill supplements are made with farmed Krill – so this has no impact on the food chain for other animals.  Others in the industry argue that Krill is harvested in a sustainable matter and is not having a negative impact.

We are not sure how this will play out,  perhaps Whole Foods is using its leverage to get more accountability for how Krill is harvested and to make sure it is done in a responsible and sustainable way.  If this is the case we say… way to  go Whole Foods!

Krill Say – “Looks Like a Lose Lose For Us.  We die either way!”

It must suck to be a Krill!  Whole Foods cares about penguins, seals and whales – but what about the Krill?  Let’s see, the supplement industry wants to kill Krill to make supplements.  Whole Foods says – don’t kill the Krill… let the penguins, seals and whales kill them!  I guess that is life (a very short life) on the bottom of the food chain.

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.

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 increasing glutathione levels will actually slow telomere shortening.

As our cells need to produce glutathione, we can not just take a glutahione supplement. However, Whey Protein has the sulfur amino acids that your body needs to synthesis glutathione! 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.

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!

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

We humans, we are a complicated bunch. We often do things that we know are not healthy (smoking, over eating, excessive drinking, drugs, driving too fast, etc) because there are deeper reasons why we are indulging in something we know is not healthy. I don’t think I am breaking any news here, we all know we sometimes act in a way that benefits us short term, but hurts us long term.

The problem is that when we come up with solutions to our problems, we only address that short term issue – and this misses the whole root of the problem. Let’s take a look at our examples again…

The War on Drugs

We have been waging a War on Drugs for over 30 years and addiction rates are still very high. The War on Drugs looks to address the short term issue – make it harder to buy drugs by reducing the supply of drugs on the street. The problem is, the real long term issues – why people turn to drugs, the issues in their lives that force them to want to do drugs (even when they know they are bad) and of course the chemical addiction – are not addressed by this War on Drugs Solution. In the end, the War on Drugs is a failed solution to drug abuse because it fails to address the deeper issues of why we use drugs in the first place.

Oil Dependency and Global Warming

If reducing our Oil Dependency was as simple as making hybrid cars, then we could cure obesity by making only small size clothes. Again, making Hybrid cars is great, but the solution has to lie in figuring out what it is in humans that makes us WANT to drive high powdered, gas guzzling cars. Short term – we know driving a gas guzzler is bad, but many of us still do even as hybrids enter the market. It is hard, but we need to dig deeper and figure out the root of our problems and not just treat the symptoms of our problems.

Weight Loss Supplements

This is a nutrition blog, so let’s look a little deeper at the whole weight loss supplements issue. Let’s assume that weight loss supplements actually were very effective and helped you lose some amount of weight. A major assumption, but let’s run with it. The problem is, dealing with getting our body to burn more calories is only a small part of the problem. The real problem is why we want to eat more than we should, or eat the wrong foods, or not exercise. It may be because we are depressed and food is a comfort to us. A weight loss supplement will not address the real problem – why we are depressed, why we are eating too much and why we are not exercising.

You might argue that it doesn’t matter why we are eating, if a weight loss supplement helps us lose weight, then we have a solution to obesity. I would argue at best we have a very short term solution to obesity. Once we realize we can pop a pill and lose weight, we will eat more – because we can and because we have done nothing to address the issue of why we are overeating. In addition, all the issues that come with overeating – diabetes, heart disease, etc – will still be present.

Obesity is a symptom of a larger problem – we need to address the larger problem.

2010 New Year’s Resolution – Figure Out Why You Eat

I get it – this sounds silly, but it really is more important than just saying you want to lose 10 pounds. We have sold weight loss supplements over the years and some really do help you lose weight – but strangely the results are very temporary. People lose their 10 pounds (treat the symptom), but the larger issue or why they are eating more than they should or why they don’t exercise is not addressed. Eventually their body adapts to the supplement, they don’t continue to see the same weight loss results and since they have not figured out why they eat, the weight goes right back on.

We really are not making light of this, it can be very hard to figure out why you eat more than you should or the “wrong” foods. In addition to mental aspects, there are real biological and chemical reactions at play in the body. However, once you can resolve the real reasons for your weight gain, you will have a much easier time solving the problem.

Let’s make 2010 the year we stop looking for quick fixes and start moving toward real long term solutions.

There is an old corny joke -

Q- How Do You Stop An Elephant From Charing?
A – Take Away His Credit Cards

Well, it looks like Visa has finally seen the giant Elephant in the room – All the Free Trial Acai Berry Scammers – and true to the joke, they have taken away their credit cards!

Visa Inc. Cuts Off 100 Merchants Who Have Been Deceiving Consumers

On December 17, 2009 Visa Inc. announced they cut off 100 scammers who used bogus marketing techniques to dupe consumers in the past six months. The scam involves what is called “negative option” or “forced continuity”. This is a process where the consumer signs up to get something for free (such as Acai or Resveratrol) and is just asked to enter a credit card to pay for shipping. What the consumer does not see is that there is tiny print buried pages deep in the site that says they give the company the right to charge them upwards of $90 a month and continue to bill them for products every month.

“The game here is to get people hooked, keep them on the hook for monthly charges as long as you can, and only stop making those charges when you’re forced to,” said Stephen Salter, vice president of BBB Online. BBB has received thousands of complaints about the problem, with multiple companies to blame. “The product is irrelevant to getting the charges on the card.”

Let’s All Welcome Visa Inc on Board the Stop Acai Scams Bandwagon – What Took You So Long!

Any regular regular of this blog knows that we have been calling for authorities to shut down these Acai scam sites for close to a year now. We have seen Attorney Generals from various states bring actions, The Better Business Bureau issue warnings and Oprah bringing a massive lawsuit against the scammers. Still, we have always felt the best way to stop these acai scammers was to hit them in the wallet and cut off their ability to accept credit cards. So, while Visa Inc is a little late to the party – we definitely welcome them and applaud their actions.

100 Merchants? Is That All the Acai Scammers Out There?

No – just a small drop in the bucket. The good news is this sends another signal to any company who practiced deception online that deceit does not pay. Maybe they were not caught in this round by Visa Inc. Maybe they were not named in the Oprah Lawsuit. Maybe the FDA and FTC has not filed charges against them today. Maybe the Attorney General in their state has not shut them down yet… but tomorrow is another day and they might be next.

We really believe the way to stop these Acai scams is to create an environment where the risk outweighs the reward. These scammers are all about making money and not getting caught. As they start to see more legal action taken, their risk of getting caught increases. Let’s hope everyone keeps applying more pressure so we can all believe in the old adage again – crime does not pay!

Additional Resources:

Black Belt Course In Spotting Acai Berry Scams

Visa Inc Information on Negative Option and Deceptive Marketing

Visa, FTC and BBB Press Release on Avoiding Online Scams

When it comes to superfruits like Acai, muscadines and resveratrol – you often see claims about how these fruits can help with cardiovascular function or cholesterol levels. What is interesting is that very few sites actually get into the science of how these fruits can work their magic. Let’s dig a little deeper…

I Guess Scientific Names Sound Better than “Fruit Filling”

You know all that stuff that make up a fruits – we call it pulp, fruit filling or fruit stuff – but that is not very scientific and way too easy to pronounce. Here are some technical terms for all the good stuff in fruit…

• Plants and Fruits are made up of stuff! The broad term for the top level components in plants and fruits are Polyphenols. There are over 10,000 different Polyphenols in the plant kingdom.
• Because biologist love to classify things, there are groups that fall under Polyphenols. Flavonoids are a large group of components in the Polyphenol class. So, while there are thousands of different flavonoids, all flavonoids are part of the larger Polyphenol grouping.
• You like words you can’t pronounce? How about Proanthocyanidins (or oligomeric proanthocyanidins or OPC) or Anthocyanins? These are things that fall under the Flavonoid group. Isn’t biology fun?

We will stop there – not because the classifications end, but just because we realize your finger is probably just about to hit the close button on your browser!

Going to a party and want to impress everyone with your knowledge of Resveratrol? Try this one out on them –

Resveratrol is a phytoalexin. Phytoalexins are flavonoids. All flavonoids are Polyphenols. So, Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, flavonoid and polyphenol!

What Does Any of This Have to Do With How Fruits Help With Cholesterol?

Sorry, the boring biology lesson on terms that no one can pronounce is now over. What is important to take away from the above is that fruits, and especially superfruits like Muscadine and Acai, are packed with all these nutrients and antioxidants. Many of the polyphenols in Acai and Muscadine are powerful antioxidants. Resveratrol, anthocyanins, OPCs – all powerful antioxidants.

How Do Antioxidants Help With Cholesterol?

I am sure you have hear about the “good and bad” cholesterol. It is generally accepted that LDL Cholesterol is the bad cholesterol and HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol. While on a simple level this is true, it is actually a little bit more complicated when it comes to when LDL Cholesterol starts causing real health issues.

Oxidized LDL Cholesterol – The Really Bad Cholesterol

What is worse than having high levels of LDL Cholesterol? Having high levels of Oxidized LDL Cholesterol! Oxidized LDL Cholesterol is exactly what its name suggests, LDL cholesterol that has been attacked by free radicals and becomes oxidized. Numerous studies have found a strong correlation between high levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol and heart disease. In fact, the correlation between Oxidized LDL Cholesterol and heart disease is much stronger than the correlation between LDL cholesterol (not oxidized) and heart disease. Clearly, you want to do what you can to avoid Oxidized LDL Cholesterol.

How All Fruits (including Acai and Muscadine Grapes) Can Help

Nobody eats food that has Oxidized LDL Cholesterol. We eat foods with LDL Cholesterol and the oxidation happens inside our body due to free radicals. Fruits are high in antioxidants and superfruits like Acai and Muscadine Grapes are really high in antioxidants. It is the antioxidants in fruits that can help battle the free radicals and give you the best chance of keeping LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and becoming really bad cholesterol!

People often think of antioxidants helping with skin tone, the immune system or general energy levels and while this is all correct, they can really help on a much deeper level. Oxidation does not just lead to skin spots and other skin issues, oxidation works on a cellular level and can cause serious health issues. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants is one of the best ways to keep oxidation in check, keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sure, it can help your skin look better to!

Our Standard Disclaimer – We Are Not Giving Medical Advice

Nothing we say here should be taken as medical advice. We are not making any health claims about what a fruit can do for you. Simply, we believe a healthy diet, rich in fruits, can provide benefits. If you have any specific medical questions you should consult with your doctor. High oxidized LDL Cholesterol levels and heart disease are very serious issues and you should work with your doctor to correct any issues you may have.

We sure like to put the word “super” in front of anything in this industry. Superfoods, SuperFruits, SuperSize …whoops – that one is for the fast food industry! Around this time of year you hear a lot of talk about what will be the top SuperFood of 2010. Of course, that question would be easier to answer if we could all agree on a definition for superfoods.

What is a SuperFood Anyway?

Here is how Wikipedia defines a SuperFood -

Superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may confer health benefits as a result.

That clears it all up, right? No, such a broad definition of SuperFood would make almost any fruit, by definition a SuperFood. When every fruit can fall into a definition, that definition loses any significance. If every fruit is a superfood or superfruit, what makes one fruit more super than the next???

How Does the FDA Define SuperFoods and SuperFruits

They don’t! It is important to understand that there is no legal definition of SuperFoods or SuperFruits. There is no science to apply to a food and determine if it is a super food. As far as the FDA is concerned, all this talk about Superfoods is just marketing.

What About Acai, Muscadines, Resveratrol, Noni, etc. – I thought they were SuperFoods?

We do believe that Muscadine Grapes, Acai Berries and Resveratrol all have super nutritional profiles and some impressive health benefits. So, it seems fair to call these elite fruits SuperFoods – and almost everyone does. However, if you twist our arm and ask us what scientific formula we use to determine if a food makes it to SuperFood status – we have a one word answer – Oprah!

Oprah Gets to Decide What is A SuperFood???

Yes – but don’t worry she has help. People like Barbara Walters, anyone from 60 Minutes, The Today Show, any doctor with a book to sell, a staff writer at People Magazine and the list goes on. Yes, in the end it is really mainstream media that ends up (often very unintentionally) pushing a food or fruit to Super Food status.

Acai was a popular fruit until Dr. Perricone went on Oprah and declared it the top superfood. Resveratrol was an interesting component of grapes until Dr. Oz started talking about it on Oprah and 60 Minutes did a piece – now it is a SuperFood. I wish I could tell you that foods became superfoods based on exhaustive clinical studies and research – but the fact is a lot more people watch Oprah than read things like the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology.

Rhodiola Rosea – Proof That SuperFood Determination is Not Based Solely on Science

Rhodiola Rosea is an adatogen herb that has truly incredible health properties (click here to read our whole special report on Rhodiola Rosea). Once you read the 40 years of research on Rhodiola, it clearly has high nutrient content and strong health benefits. However, Rhodiola has not been a feature in the mainstream media – so it is generally not called a SuperFood. Note to Oprah if you are reading – do a story on Rhodiola! It really should be a SuperFood!

The Last Person Who You Should Trust When it Comes to SuperFood Status

Here is an industry secret – ask an ingredient supplier what is the top superfood and he will tell you the ingredient he has the most of in stock!

Take with a large grain of salt any superfood predictions made by an ingredient supplier. Ask someone who sells Maqui what the top superfood of 2010 will be and guess what? They will say Maqui! It is almost like asking the CEO of a pencil company which is better pens or pencils. Is it really news when she declares pencils?

We only bring this up because it seems that many of the media stories on SuperFoods tend to quote predictions from the companies that make the foods that want to be SuperFoods. When reading a news story, just be aware of the source.

SuperFoods, like beauty, are In The Eye of the Beholder

I may like Muscadine grapes, you like Acai – it really doesn’t matter. Trying to come up with exactly what makes something a better or more super superfood than the next one, really is pointless. So, while we don’t love the lose definition of SuperFoods, we do like the concept.

It is great if we all start thinking more about what we put into our bodies. Food should have nutrition and provide some health benefits. Let’s take baby steps first. To start, maybe we should worry less about getting one or two superfoods each day and try to make everything we eat at least “GoodFood”. A day filled with “GoodFood” is much better than eating 3 SuperSized Big Mac Meals and then trying to balance that out with the latest SuperFood of the day.

Call it H1N1, call it Swine Flu – call it whatever you like but it looks like we are heading for a very bad flu season this year. While there is lots of talk in the media about treatment, vaccines and shortages – there is no shortage of marketing companies trying to prey on your fear!

Swine Flu – Sure We Have A Cure for That!

You know those Apple iPhone commercials that say “We have an app for that” – it feels like some of these marketing companies have the same approach for any disease or illness you may have. The only difference is they replace the word “app” with “cure”. I can just hear them saying – “Swine Flu, sure we have a cure for that”

The FDA and FTC Get Nasty With their Swine Flu Hall of Shame

We have knocked the FDA and FTC in the past for being very slow to shut down the numerous acai scams and the resveratrol scams . So, we now need to give credit, where credit is due. The FDA and FTC are moving quickly to make sure that companies do not take advantage of people’s fears when it comes to H1N1 or Swine Flu. The FDA has sent hundreds of warning letters and even created a searchable, public online database of all the products that have received warnings from the FDA.

Click Here for the FDA Database of Products that may be fraudulently claiming to help with Swine Flu

You see they have them all – gloves, masks, air purifiers, shampoo and of course supplements.
So, before you waste your money on some product that claims to help with swine flu – you might want to do a quick search on the FDA site.

Dr. Andrew Weil caught in the wide FDA Swine Flu Net

Many of the products on the list will not surprise you. Acai Burn, who is no stranger to deception, made the list. What is surprising is that Dr. Andrew Weil was cited for his immune supplement line.

Here is the FDA/FTC Warning letter to Dr. Weil

This has set off a debate on many online forums – is the FDA and FTC going to far in terms of limiting a person’s right to free speech. This is a very tricky subject – on one hand we applaud the FDA/FTC from protecting consumers from companies that are trying to capitalize on our fears. On the other hand, if well respected doctors can not give their opinion on the best immune boosting natural products – that is a heavy price to pay.

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think. Do you think the FDA/FTC went too far with the Dr. Weil warning letter?