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 12, 2010
If you have been reading our blog for anytime you know that we are not surprised by confusion in the supplement marketplace. The fact that people are confused as to which Resveratrol Supplements work, what are the side effects of Resveratrol and the correct Resveratrol dosage – this is not surprising. What is surprising is that no one knows how to spell Resveratrol!
Reservatrol, Resveratol, Resveritrol or Resveratrol??
We are the first to admit, Resveratrol is hard to pronounce and even harder to spell. Apparently we are not alone in our confusion. For the record the correct spelling is Resveratrol! A quick look at the searches done at Google shows that Resveratrol (correctly spelled) is the most searched for resveratrol term – that is the good news. Guess what #2 is? Reservatrol. The #3 term? Resveratol. The #4 term? Resveritrol. Okay, you get the picture.
Normally we would expect the #2 – #4 most searched resveratrol terms to be things like “resveratrol supplements” or “resveratrol benefits”. No, it looks like people are struggling away with 4 different ways to spell resveratrol.
Anyway You Spell It – People Are Interested in Resveratrol… or is it Reservatrol.. or Maybe Resveratol…
We are having some fun here, but the trend that these searches show is clear – there is great interest in Resveratrol. We do think that Resveratrol is a fascinating polyphenol and expect to see Resveratrol Supplement sales for 2010 at an all time high. If you are interested in learning more about this anti-aging substance be sure to check out our Resveratrol Special Report. Don’t worry, there will not be spelling test at the end!
by Dan-N on December 18, 2009
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
by Dan-N on December 7, 2009
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.
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