BSN Donates 132,000 Bottles of SYNTHA-6
February 11, 2010
The earthquake that struck Haiti was a catastrophic event that’s taken a disastrous toll on the people of Haiti and whose long-term consequences will be felt for years. The heartfelt response this tragic event has elicited has been overwhelming, and everyone who has contributed on any level deserves to be commended for their efforts. For its part, BSN® has announced that they are deeply saddened by the suffering of the Haitian people, and they’re donating its own unique and creative contribution to the country’s relief efforts. BSN® will be sending 132,000 bottles of its ready-to-drink high-protein beverage SYNTHA-6™ RTD to the people of Haiti, as well as the doctors and nurses working around the clock to save lives who barely have a chance to eat! BSN®’s hope is that the RTDs will be a small blessing to those in need, from the victims themselves to the relief workers sacrificing to ensure Haiti’s survival. Great job BSN!
Will Other Supplement Companies Join BSN?
It will be interesting to see if CYTOSPORT, EAS, VPX, ABB, WORLDWIDE, MET-Rx, LABRADA, ISS RESEARCH or ALL MAX step up and send some of their RTDs to this cause? And while you’re at it guys, send a palate of chocolate to my doorstep as I’m catabolic as I write this! In all seriousness, congratulations to BSN for selflessly giving to a cause that may not improve their bottom line but that will enrich other peoples lives.
SOURCE: BSN
Blueberries Boost Memory
January 27, 2010
QUESTION: I party a great deal and do “E” once a month. I’m in college and can really notice that every time I drop “E” I seem to get stupid the next day! What do you think of smart drugs like Modafinil?
ANSWER: Dude I think you have to STOP doing drugs if you ever want to graduate! Modafinil has been used to increase productivity but its long-term effects have not been assessed in healthy individuals. Stimulants such as methylphenidate and atomoxetine are being used on college campuses, and by an increasingly younger group. One survey found that 7% of students had used stimulants for a cognitive edge in the past year, and on some campuses the number is as high as 25%. I prefer a natural approach. According to a recent study, a daily drink of about 500 mL of blueberry juice was associated with improved learning and word list recall.
“These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration,” wrote the researchers. “Interpretation of our findings should be tempered because of the relatively small sample size and the absence of a blueberry-specific control, although comparison with the analogous placebo beverage data provides some assurance that the observed changes in memory performance were not attributable to practice effects,” they added.
The beneficial effects are thought to be linked to their flavonoid content (anthocyanins and flavanols). The exact way in which flavonoids affect the brain are unknown, but they have previously been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after you eat them. Maybe they exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration. Nobody knows for sure but it’s worth a try. I would also recommend that you stop taking Ecstacy of course, but I don’t want to sound like your mom!
SOURCE: Nutringredients
Liver Care
January 13, 2010
By: Duane Keizs
QUESTION: Do liver detox products have any place within the sports nutrition world? If so, what reputable products and brands can I trust?
ANSWER: Herbal detox supplements definitely have a place in the world of creatine, protein, nitrates, aminos etc. You’ve all heard of the expression, you can’t build a house unless you have a foundation? Well, 
many herbs as well as vitamin and minerals, are part of that foundation. In this instance, herbs that help cleanse and keep the liver healthy. Your liver performs a multitude of functions including the creation of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Everything we consume must bypass the liver, so it’s critical we keep it healthy. When it comes to athletes, especially body builders, we consume up to 5 times more protein than the average person. So you need a clean liver - know what I mean? Most people know about Milk Thistle, but talk to pro bodybuilders who’ve used “prohormones” and you’ll see them later use liver detoxifying supplements to help them clean their liver up! One very popular liver detoxifying supplement is called LiverCare (a.k.a. Liv.52) by Himalaya Herbal HealthCare. This is a bit more expensive but with supplements, you always get what you pay for. What I like most about this product is that it has over 198 published clinical trials backing it’s ingredient profile which is extremely rare for a product in our industry. In terms of brands, I always prefer to go with companies that have the science backing their products, those that manufacturer their own products and they must always have a solid name in the industry. Ask around and you’ll quickly get a snapshot on them. Himalaya has over 1,200 published clinical trials, own 700 acres of organic farmland and have been in the herbal business for 80 years! They also have an 80,000 sq ft in-house research facility that employ over 100 physicians and scientists. It’s hard to argue with that track record.
Ginkgo Biloba Does NOT Prevent Memory Loss
January 11, 2010
The Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study examined whether a twice-daily 120-mg dose of the supplement affected the rate of cognitive change over time in older adults. U.S. researchers conducted randomized clinical trials of 3,069 participants aged 72 to 96 years, between 2000 and 2008. They found no evidence that Ginkgo Biloba might slow mental decline in healthy, aging individuals, or in people already showing the first signs of cognitive impairment. The researchers found that the results remained the same regardless of sex, age, race or education. The study, led by Dr. Steven T. DeKosky, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, was published last week on The Journal of the American Medical Association.
SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press & The Canadian Press
How Is Honey Made?
January 11, 2010
Last week I heard a trainer at my gym touting all the benefits of honey and recommending it to be added to protein shakes, cereal, pasta, tuna - you name it, she’d put the sweet stuff on it! So it got me thinking, how the hell is honey made anyway? Like you, I remember my grade 1 teacher me that bees don’t just sting your sorry ass when you piss them off, they actually make honey which is good for you and tastes great etc. But have you ever wondered how the stuff is actually made by the bees? And when it’s in their bodies, do they shit it out or spit it out into the honeycomb? Ya, it’s disgusting to think about and that’s why your teacher never mentioned that part of making honey did they! So here goes:
Honeybees Collect Nectar
Honeybees need nectar to make honey. Nectar is almost 80% water with some complex carbs. In North America, bees get nectar from flowers, dandelions, berry bushes and fruit trees. They use their long, tubelike tongues like straws to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their second stomach which I’m told is actually called a “honey stomach”. The honey stomach holds almost 70 mg of nectar and when full, it weighs almost as much as the bee! When they’ve gathered a full load of nectar, the bees flap their wings and return to the hive and prepare for the gross part of making honey…
How The Bees Transfer Nectar Out Of Their Body
Like good friends, the bees help each other out by once again using their long, tubelike tongues like straws to suck the nectar right out from each others stomachs! The bees keep the nectar in their mouths and chew it for about half an hour. During this time, enzymes in their mouths break the nectar down into simple sugars which makes it more digestible for the bees and less likely to rot while stored within the beehive. The bees then spit the sugary liquid out of their mouths and then spread it throughout the honeycombs with their feet where water evaporates from it, making it a thicker syrup that we refer to as “honey”. The bees help the honey dry by fanning it with their wings! Once the honey is gooey enough, the bees use their feet to seal off the cell of the honeycomb with a plug of wax. The honey is stored until it’s eaten by the bees or stolen by the honey farmer!
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
Vitamins Reduce Allergen Risk In Children
November 18, 2009
By: Scott Welch BASc (Nutrition), CAAP (Advertising)
Scientists from the Karolinska Institute report that multivitamin supplements had no effect on the incidence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, or atopic sensitization in 8 year old children. What’s interesting though is that when scientists limited their analysis to kids who started taking supplements before the age of four they found that the kids experienced a 39 per cent decrease in the risk of sensitivity to food allergens. That’s some good Preventive medicine if you ask me!
“Our results show no association between current use of multivitamins and risk of allergic disease but suggest that supplementation with multivitamins during the first years of life may reduce the risk of allergic disease at school age.”
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition via Nutraingredeints.com
SCOTT WELCH CONTACT INFO:
genius@supplementgenius.com
http://www.Twitter.com/WelchScott
http://www.Facebook.com/Scott.Welch1
Testofen Increases Libido
October 27, 2009
By: Scott Welch BASc (Nutrition), CAAP (Advertising)
A new human clinical study was recently completed in Australia on the well known testosterone-boosting herb “Testofen” which is licensed to supplement companies by Gencor Pacific. Testofen is a proprietary extract of fenugreek. This study evaluated its effect on libido in healthy males. The randomized, double blind, placebo-study tested sexual function, performance and libido levels in 60 healthy males aged between 21 and 50 years during a six week period. Results showed Testofen produced a significant positive change in all parameters of libido, including sexual cognition, sexual arousal, sexual experience and orgasm. Scientists speculate that the effect may be a result of interaction with testosterone via alpha-5 reductase activity. Fusion Bodybuilding’s “ZEUS” product, All Max Nutrition’s “TESTO Fx Hardcore” and Isatori’s “ISA-TEST” products contain Gencor Pacific’s clinically proven Testofen ingredient.
SOURCE: Natural Products Insider
SCOTT WELCH CONTACT INFO:
genius@supplementgenius.com
http://www.Twitter.com/WelchScott
http://www.Facebook.com/Scott.Welch1
Prostate Supplements Pass Testing
September 22, 2009
Prostate Cancers
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than half of men in their 60s and as many as 90% in their 70s and 80s have some symptoms of enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These symptoms include frequent urination, difficulty in starting urination, and fullness in the bladder after urination. U.S. sales of saw palmetto supplements were $125 million in 2007 according to Nutrition Business Journal.
Prostate Supplements
Saw palmetto remains one of the most popular herbal supplements due to its ability to improve urinary symptoms in men with prostate enlargement. Beta-sitosterol is also beneficial in some people. ConsumerLab.com did lab testing and found most supplements to provide their claimed amounts of saw palmetto or beta-sitosterol and to meet other quality measures. One supplement appeared to contain none of its claimed saw palmetto; one provided only 69% of its beta-sitosterol, and two saw palmetto products failed FDA labeling requirements by not indicating the part of the plant used.
SOURCE: Nutraceuticals World
Whey Protein Helps People With PKU
August 25, 2009
Phenylketoneurea (PKU) is a metabolic disorder which prevents people from being able to breakdown the amino acid “Phenylalanine” which unfortunately is found in almost all protein containing foods. When this happens, toxic levels of this amino build up in the body and severely impact health. For these people, just eating is a constant struggle since they can eat virtually no protein without getting sick! They live off pharmaceutical-grade amino acid supplements prescribed by their doctors.
Glycomacropeptides From Whey Protein
Well help may be on the way for folks with PKU. Scientists are now using a unique protein derived from whey protein called “Glycomacropeptide” (GMP) to treat patients with this metabolic disorder. GMP is not anything new for bodybuilders, in fact the levels of GMP have been listed on the Supplement Facts panels of most of whey protein supplements for over 10 years.
Research Backs GMP For Patients With PKU
The results of a recent study that gave GMP to patients with PKU have been astonishing. In fact, researchers say this protein will revolutionize the diet of patients with PKU where they’ve been getting their daily dose of protein/nitrogen by drinking a bitter-tasting mixture amino acids.
“It’s so important to individuals on the PKU diet to have new options, to have their diet liberalised. It’s a quality-of-life issue,” said lead author of both studies Denise Ney.
Researchers conducted an 11-person trial on PKU patients receiving care from University of Wisconsin’s Waisman Center. In the study, subjects adhered to the amino acid formula diet for 4 days, and then switched to the GMP diet for the following 4. In the end, no adverse health problems were found, and 10 of 11 subjects claimed to prefer the GMP diet, making the bottom line of this study the same as the first — that GMP is safe and acceptable. Variations were seen among individual subjects, but the overall blood phenylalanine levels measured after meals were comparable in the 2 diets. Additionally, the GMP diet improved protein metabolism compared with the amino acid formula.
SOURCE: Doctor’s Guide