Move Over Chef Jay
December 17, 2009
By: Scott Welch BASc (Nutrition), CAAP (Advertising)
Amongst the “food bars” that make up the bar market, one of my longstanding favorites has always been the TRI-O-PLEX bars made by Chef Jay (pictured with me on the left). No, we don’t REALLY go to the same barber). My fav is the peanut butter chocolate chip flavor but the banana walnut version also tastes great. When I get my hands on these, I eat two in a row sometimes. Back to back baby! Sometimes one on top of the other like a giant sub! Ya, I’m a savage. I’m not hungry for about 8 hours afterwards (but of course I eat anyway!! Ha Ha!) But I think there’s a new kid in town Jay so take off your over mitts, set down your chef’s hat, put the apron back on the counter and stuff the whisk in the dishwasher and pay attention. Just kidding big guy!
Ultimate Nutrition Gets In Bar Biz
Ultimate Nutrition which has never been known as a “bar company” they’re more powder focussed, has decided to throw their hat in the “bar ring” and develop a food bar called “Iso Meal Xtreme” and the taste 
kicks ass! I mean this thing’s even got icing on it! It contains 31 grams of protein and 470 calories per serving. But don’t let that sway you because the thing is HUGE! It weighs 120 grams which looks almost double the size of traditional bars and will fill up even the hungriest lumberjack (don’t ask me where I came up with that stupid expression). Anyways, I don’t want to go on and on but this one tastes great. As with the OhYeah! and Supreme bars, the taste on these is addictive but keep in mind that all the calories add up. If you eat these and still eat like a pig, you’ll get fat in no time. If you eat these bars instead of a meal (when you’re busy or something) you’ll do fine.
Vitamin Price Fixing Lawsuit
December 17, 2009
By: Johnny Justice
A $25.03 million lawsuit has been launched involving a vitamin price fixing conspiracy! The settlement is on behalf of consumers and businesses that purchased certain vitamins between 1988 and 2000 and reside in Nevada or 22 settling states. This settlement follows an earlier $225 million settlement reached in 2000 involving the same vitamins but different vitamin manufacturers.
“Many competing vitamin manufacturers agreed to fix the prices of vitamins they sold, which artificially raised those vitamins’ prices,” said Masto. “This conduct will not be tolerated, especially when essential health products are involved. I am pleased to work with other states to help secure this settlement.”
The vitamins affected by this alleged price fixing conspiracy are: vitamin A, astaxanthin, vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B4 (choline chloride), vitamin B5 (calpan), vitamin B6, vitamin B9 (folic acid), vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamine pharma), beta-carotene, vitamin C, canthaxanthin, vitamin E, and vitamin H (biotin), as well as all blends and forms of these vitamins. Also included is Premix, a product that contains one or more these vitamins in combination with other substances.
The companies that sold these vitamins and subject to the $25.03 million settlement are:
- Akzo Nobel Inc.
- Bioproducts Incorporated.
- Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
- Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.
- Chinook Global Limited and Chinook Group, Inc.
- Evonik Degussa GmbH, successor to Degussa AG.
- Evonik Degussa Corporation
- Lonza AG
- Merck KGaA, E. Merck and EM Industries, Inc.
- Nepera, Inc.
- Sumitomo Chemical America, Inc.
- Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation and Tanabe U.S.A., Inc.
- UCB Pharma, Inc.
- Vertellus Specialties Inc. and Vertellus Chemicals SA.
A motion for preliminary approval of the settlement has been filed. Court approval of the settlement is pending. Once the settlement is approved, businesses in the settling states that indirectly purchased any of the above vitamins between 1988 and 2000 may make a claim to obtain money from the portion of the settlement allocated to businesses. Given the extraordinary size of affected consumers, each Attorney General will distribute the settlement funds allocated to consumers in their state to government or not-for-profit organizations as approved by the Court.
SOURCE: Mesquite Local News
Church Employees “Spike” Children’s Candy With Melatonin
December 16, 2009
By: Johnny Justice
In a bizarre supplement story, workers at a church day care were supposedly caught putting Melantonin in candy to help children sleep at nap time! Of course, these employees are now under investigation! Although the police did not give ages of the children, CBS affiliate WKRC-TV in Cincinnati reports some workers from the Covenant Apostolic Church told police that they saw fellow employees give the hormone melatonin to children as young as two months old. Parents and guardians of children who attend the day care have recieved letters from police, informing them of the investigation, and advising them to contact their primary physicians with any concerns. Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the pineal gland at the base of the brain. It’s important in regulating sleep, and may play a role in maintaining circadian rhythm, the body’s natural time clock.
Melatonin Use
The use of melatonin supplements became popular in the mid-1990s as a way of treating insomnia and. Melatonin is not generally recommended for use on a regular basis since its long-term consequences are not known. The proper dosage is not known, but it appears to differ greatly depending on the individual and extent of the sleep disorder. Studies suggest melatonin can constrict blood vessels, which can raise blood pressure. Therefore, persons with hypertension or cardiovascular problems should consult with their doctor before taking the hormone.
Women Proceed With Caution
Women who are on estrogen or estrogen replacement therapy should not take melatonin without consulting their doctor. Also if you’re trying to get pregnant you should avoid using it since some research suggests it may have a contraceptive effect.
SOURCE: Examiner
SUPPLEMENT RADIO Wants YOU To Pick Their Logo
December 16, 2009
By: Scott Welch
Dear friend, although we’ve never met before, we still consider you a key part of our team. If you like what we do, you’ll say great things about us and our web traffic will go up. But if we suck, you won’t come back ever again! We understand that you’re ultimately in control of the sites you visit and whether we’ll gain your trust or not. But we’re going to work our asses off to keep you coming back!
New Supplement Radio Show Coming
A few weeks ago, we told you about a new radio show we’re coming out with in early 2010 called “Supplement Radio” and the response we received from you was overwhelming! Within hours, we received emails from 231 of you asking for more info on the show! We’re currently producing the first 2 shows but we now need a kick-ass logo! To do this right, we had to go big or go home so we hired John Gleneicki - the legendary illustrator behind the world famous MUSCLEHEDZ cartoons! Yes, it did cost us a fortune but John is THE best illustrator in the business and he was well worth every penny!
We Want YOU To Pick OUR Logo!
Unfortunately, John Gleneicki outdid himself this time and designed 5 logos that were too good and we now can’t pick just one, we love them all! So to make the logo one you’ll also love, we want you to choose it! Yes, we’re turning the job over to YOU because your opinion is that important to us, but we’ll reward you for your efforts…
WIN A FREE T-SHIRT
Below are 5 logos we’d like you to vote on. So take a break for a minute and stop reading this. Go mix yourself a protein shake because we want you to be in a muscle-building state while you vote! Come on, come on, you didn’t stop reading this so this time for real, STOP. Go get that shake. Okay, so you’re not going to stop reading but that’s okay. Now at least put your feet up as you study each logo below. There will be ONE logo that really stands out to you and looks “cool” to you for some reason that you won’t be able to explain. This one will really catch your eye and make you stare at it above the other 4 logos. BINGO! That’s the one we want you to vote on.
The first 500 people to email their vote to genius@supplementgenius.com will receive a FREE Supplement Radio T-Shirt for their troubles!
Thanks very much for your help.
Scott Welch
Inner Armour Then & Now
December 15, 2009
HISTORY OF INNER ARMOUR
Inner Armour is a supplement company owned by a guy named John Morin. Those that have been in the supplement industry for some time may remember John best when he owned PROLAB Nutrition which at one point was a significant player in the industry (especially in Canada and Britain). John sold PROLAB to supplement giant “Natrol” for a whack of money and disappeared completely from the supplement scene! He started a family with his wife Debra and moved to a massive house on a quiet lake in Connecticut (I stayed at his house a few years ago and it’s an amazing place). After many years, John got the itch to get back into the 
supplement game so he started Inner Armour. The formulas and product positioning at first were very similar to his original PROLAB company, whey protein, glutamine, a gainer - just the basics. The labels and packaging (seen on left) were very simple. The price was very reasonable and the quality was good. He immediately had success with this recipe outside of North America where he still had great relationships with key international distributors. In recent years, he’s made inroads into the US (via now defunct distributor BOSS) and Canada (via distributor True North).
NEW LOOK & NEW PRESIDENT
Over the last year, John hired a guy named Steve Marada on as his President to help him expand. Steve 
had an extensive sales background and was working at MHP before coming aboard. They put together a new division of his company called “Inner Armour Black” that’s even more high end, has better packaging (in my opinion that is), formulations etc. The most notable change is in the cool new packaging. With all black bottles, sliver labels, and many products now in cartons, it definitely stands out on a shelf and has more impact than the original “blue bottles” and looks very more premium. I’ve seen their products distributed at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe and hear they’re selling well. One major benefit in this new line is that it’s guaranteed to be free of banned substances. This is a point that is very appealing to athletes that are subject to testing and other measures but it’s also appealing to bodybuilders that just want to know what their’ putting into their body! Can you blame them?
Free Of Banned Substances?
I was on the phone with Dr. Ann De Wees Allen last Thursday and she told me that as many as 1/3rd of all supplements may have banned substances in them! She introduced me to a supplement testing lab I wasn’t familiar with called HSP that’s very popular amongst elite competitive athletes. This company tests products to ensure that if you use them, you will not fail a drug test. Now on our home page, we’ve added an index for “SUPPLEMENT TESTING” where you’ll find the 3 companies we are aware of that test supplements for banned substances. They are: HSP, Informed Choice, and NSF. If their symbol is on your product, you’re covered. I’m not sure which lab is testing John Morin’s Inner Armour product line but if it’s any of the above he’s in good hands.
Optimum Nutrition Signs 3 New Athletes
December 14, 2009
By: Martin Pillmajer
Optimum Nutrition has now signed 3 NPC athletes to its roster. They include Corey Hancock, bikini champ Diane Rudholm, and musician turned bikini competitor Janaee Adams (pictured on left). Each of these athletes brings something unique to the ON Team,” said the company’s Tradeshow and Athletes Manager, Bob Corbett.
“For example, Diane Rudholm wants to use her knowledge of diet and fitness to promote healthy lifestyles to teens and young women living in the Pacific northwest, and Janaee Adam’s training in the garage of her home led to a very impressive placing in a local show, which was her first competitive experience. Now she has set her sights on entering the bikini competition at the 2010 Arnold Sports Festival which is a very prominent national event.”
SOURCE: Inside Bodybuilding
Ocinna Ultimate Bodydurability
December 14, 2009
When you’re dieting and training all out, you make it really difficult to recover because you’re taking in less nutrients than your body truly needs which often leads to nutritional deficiencies. Supplementing with vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, EFAs and other compounds are ways to help prevent this from happening. A company you may not have heard of before called “FORTIS VITA” has come out with a new EFA supplement made specifically for triathletes to help aid their recovery.
“An athlete can take the best performance enhancing supplements that allow them to run faster, or a piece of equipment that allows them to bike longer, but if their body is not durable enough to tolerate the added stress, everything else is useless…period,” explains Joseph Weissenburger, President of Fortis Vita. “Taking performance enhancers without enhancing Bodydurability is like putting a race car engine into a car that has bad brakes, rusty suspension, and leaking fluids; it just doesn’t work. The body must be durable enough to tolerate the added work that one wants it to do and Ocinna Ultimate Bodydurability helps with just that. It helps to make an athlete’s body durable enough to fight off the negative effects that come along with intense training.”
Ocinna Ultimate Bodydurability comes in an easy-to-swallow soft gel and contains Omega 3 Fish Oils from sardines and anchovy with Vitamin D and Cinnamon for added recovering boosting and to help stabilize blood sugar. One thing that’s cool that I didn’t expect when I first looked at this formula is that the cinnamon they’ve added completely gets rid of that awful “fish stink” that EFA supplements usually have. You can actually taste the cinnamon on your breath if you burp (not that the supplement genius ever burps of course) which is definitely a plus - who needs gum right? Just kidding. Currently, a number of athletes are using this product including Steve Donaldson, Joe Abouata, and strength coach James Wilson. Directions tell users to take 1 to 3 capsules per day.
About Fortis Vita, LLC
Fortis Vita, LLC is located in Bernardsville, NJ, specializing in all natural, cutting edge supplements, designed for athletes looking to improve their health, performance and Bodydurability.
Ajinomoto Announces Amino Acid Initiative
December 14, 2009
Ajinomoto (or “Aji” as they’re ferred to in the industry) is the leading supplier for amino acids in the world. These are the guys that actually make the aminos that are in most of the supplements on store shelves in one way or another. In fact, in some cases supplement companies just buy aminos from Aji, put their label on them, and then sell them to you!
Ajinomoto To Start Making Cystine & Cysteine
The company in doing a new initiative to develop a new fermentation technology for producing cystine and cysteine (two amino acids used in pharmaceuticals, flavorings, and cosmetics). The largest portion of the cystine and cysteine on the market are made from “raw materials” of animal origin. However, Aji has figured out a way to make both cystine and cysteine by microbial fermentation of starches and/or sugars!
“Our customers around the world are more and more sensitive to the nature and quality of raw materials used in food, pharma and cosmetic production,” said Mike Lish, Director of Sales and Marketing at Ajinomoto … As the global leader in the amino acid fermentation production, adding this capability is a natural extension for Ajinomoto.”
After the expansion, Ajinomoto will continue to manufacture some cystine and cysteine using its current chemical synthesis process, carried out by Nippon Protein Company, a wholly owned affiliate of the company. Ajinomoto does not use sources of animal origin in its cystine and cysteine production.
SOURCE: Ajinomoto
GNC Supports Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
December 12, 2009
Here’s some good news from GNC to make you all warm and fuzzy! When the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s HB4Life (Healthy Behaviors for Life) Center officially opens, visitors will see a state-of-the-art fitness center for the hospital’s caregivers. But they will also see the ongoing contribution to the quality of life for the greater Pittsburgh community of one of Pittsburgh’s best-known companies, GNC through the GNC Live Well Foundation. The facility will be managed by the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh.
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Working in partnership with the Children’s Hospital and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, we are pleased to be able to help make this dream a reality,” said Joe Fortunato (left), CEO of General Nutrition Centers, Inc. “We share Children’s commitment to the health of our children. At the same time, the HB4Life Center supports Children’s caregivers in a tangible way that addresses the stress of caring for sick children. In doing so, this facility also provides a world-class facility to help attract and retain the very best team for this important Pittsburgh institution.”
The HB4Life Center offers workout areas for group and individual exercise, free weights, circuit training equipment, an evaluation room for fitness consultations, and locker/shower facilities for men and women. GNC has supported Children’s since 2004 through its corporate charitable arm, the GNC Live Well Foundation. Its anchor fundraising event is the GNC Charity Golf Outing, which is sponsored by GNC each fall.
“The new Children’s Hospital was designed as a healing environment that enhances the health and well-being not only of our patients, but our caregivers as well. When our employees are
healthy, they can focus their attention on helping our patients get better, and an on-site fitness center is a very important part of creating a healthy environment for them,” said Christopher A. Gessner (left), president, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. “We’re extremely grateful to the GNC Live Well Foundation for their ongoing support of Children’s Hospital and proud to have partnered with them in opening the HB4Life Center.”
Should I Stop Drinking?
December 12, 2009
By: Scott Welch BASc (Nutrition) CAAP (Advertising)
QUESTION: I love drinking beers on the weekends with the boys and picking up the ladies! I train all week for the ladies. Work my ass off doing a stupid job for the ladies. Go through traffic jams to work every morning for the ladies. Spend money on expensive clothes for the ladies. When Friday night comes, I can’t wait to go chase the ladies for phone numbers and panties. The weekend is my time to take it to the max but I’ve heard that alcohol lowers testosterone levels which has me worried. Should I stop drinking?
ANSWER: It sounds like you could use a lower testosterone level dude! In fact, I think if you stopped drinking your testosterone levels would rise a bit too high and you’d end up getting locked up for being such a sexual deviant on the loose! Just kidding. It turns out that there actually may be some good that comes with drinking beer! A natural compound derived from hops called “Xanthohumol” may have longevity effects in men. It actually may block the effects of the male hormone testosterone and demonstrate the potential for it to be used for the prevention of prostate cancer!
“We hope that one day we can demonstrate that xanthohumol prevents prostate cancer development, first in animal models and then in humans, but we are just at the beginning,” said Clarissa Gerhauser, Ph.D. at the German Cancer Research Center, in Heidelberg, Germany.
For the study, the researchers stimulated hormone-dependent prostate cancer cells with testosterone, which led to a massive secretion of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Cells were then treated with testosterone and xanthohumol, and the effects were examined.
“Xanthohumol prevented the receptor from translocating to the cell nucleus, thus inhibiting its potential to stimulate the secretion of PSA and other hormone-dependent effects,” Gerhauser said.
So to answer your question, NO! I would not stop drinking if I were you. The ladies love guys who drink, act wild and are the life of the party! But seriously now, if you drink too much you’ll make no progress in the gym, get fat and mess up your liver. You could also get way too drunk and pick up a girl that’s not up to your standards! But then again as an old friend once said, if they don’t meet your standards, just lower them!
SOURCE: Food Product Design