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 December 8, 2009
Update: 12/09/09 – After you read this post, please read our next post – Acai Berry Supplements Found to Contain Dangerous Prescription Drugs – which probably explains this whole side effect mystery.
Over the past few days we have received a number of questions regarding the acai berry and potential side effects. It turns out a number of our readers were using an acai supplement and seeing some nasty side effects. We heard reports of upset stomachs, rashes and increased blood pressure and what felt like a “racing heart”. We decided to dig a little deeper…
What Happened to Acai Berry Being Side Effect Free?
As the Acai Berry is a fruit, it is generally considered to be free of side effects (unless you have a food allergy to Acai). In following up with our readers who had problems, we quickly located the issue. People using acai supplements with other ingredients added were the ones having the side effects.
Correction – Pure Acai Berry Supplements Are Side Effect Free
A product like the Perfect Acai, which is 100% Pure Organic Freeze Dried Acai – and absolutely nothing else added – is generally going to be side effect free. The problem is that many of the Acai products on the market mix in a wide range of other ingredients. The “Weight Loss Acai Supplements” are the worst when it comes to mixing in potentially unsafe ingredients. We have seen acai supplements loaded with caffeine and other thermogenic ingredients.
In emailing with the people who thought they were having side effects from Acai, it became clear that the side effects were mostly likely caused by the other ingredients in their Acai supplements.
To Avoid Acai Berry Side Effects, stay Pure and Organic!
We highly recommend that people looking to use Acai, stick with a pure and organic product such as the Perfect Acai. It is highly unlikely you will have side effects from a pure Acai berry product, and if by some chance you do, you will at least know your issue is with Acai and not some other ingredient.
Our Standard Disclaimer – We Are Not Giving Medical Advice
Nothing we say here should be taken as medical advice. If you have any specific medical questions you should consult with your doctor. While most fruits, including Acai, tend to be free of side effects – you should consult with your doctor before starting any new supplementation program.
by Dan-N on November 16, 2009
There is no question that Resveratrol supplements are very popular. If you are new to Resveratrol, you can read our Special Report on Resveratrol, Learn about Resveratrol Health Benefits, See Resveratrol in the News and discover what goes into a Resveratrol Supplement.
With Great Popularity Also Comes Great Deception
The supplement industry would love for you to think that all resveratrol supplements are the same. If you are busy trying to find the best resveratrol supplement you are missing a more important question – do you even want Resveratrol in your Resveratrol Supplement? Yes, we are starting to sound a little like Yogi Berra here (one of our favorites – “Baseball is 90% mental — the other half is physical.”) – let’s explain…
Trans-Resveratrol the Real Deal Resveratrol
Resveratrol actually has two parts to it – Trans-Resveratrol and Cis-Resveratrol…
While the components in Trans-Resveratrol and Cis-Resveratrol are the same, the structure and bonds are different. The science gets a little complicated, but research has consistently shown that only Trans-Resveratrol is stable and has positive health benefits.
Why Your Resveratrol Supplement May Only be 50% Trans-Resveratrol
Resveratrol is 50% Trans-Resveratrol and 50% Cis-Resveratrol. So take a look at these two labels -
While it may look like Label A is a better Resveratrol Supplement – it is not! Label A actually only has 175mg of Trans-Resveratrol (the other 175mg is Cis-Resveratrol). Label B is a much smarter choice with 198mg of Trans-Resveratrol.
Now you know the Secret – when shopping for Resveratrol Supplements, make sure you see 99% Trans-Resveratrol listed in the ingredients!
by Dan-N on October 19, 2009
You may have tried various Acai Berry Supplements. Maybe you had some Acai with Yogurt this morning or a nice glass of Acai Juice. Well, using your mouth to take Acai is soooo yesterday - today it is all about smearing the Acai Berry all over your body!
Kiehl’s Brings the Acai Berry To Your Face
Kiehl’s has introduced not one, not two, not three – but four Acai based skin care products. If you have been waiting for an Acai mist, serum, moisturizer or cleanser – your wait is finally over…
“Kiehl’s Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare collection is comprised of Performance-Proven, 100% Natural Origin Super-Antioxidant Organic Açaí Berry
This collection helps skin repair the visible effects of both physical and environmental damage, while helps to stimulate skin’s natural renewal process and restore skin’s tone, texture, and elasticity due to environmental oxidation, sun exposure and other external skin stressors”
- Kiehl’s Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare Collection
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