FDA to Destroy $1.3 Million in Supplements
August 25, 2009
According to the website “AttorneyAtLaw.com” the FDA will destroy more than 23,000 bottles of supplements that contained unapproved ingredients. The supplements were sold under the brand names Methyl 1-D, Methyl 1-D XL and Formadrol Extreme XL distributed by LG Sciences LLC of Brighton, Mich. U.S. Marshals seized thousands of bottles of the dietary supplement products as part of an ongoing FDA investigation. The products contained 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione, also known as “ATD” or 1,4,6-etioallocholan-dione. The condemned Formadrol Extreme XL contained ATD and 3,6,17-androstenetrione (also known as “6-OXO”). The FDA requested and received court approval from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division to destroy the forfeited supplements, which were valued at $1.3 million, the FDA said. Consumers who have the condemned dietary supplements in their possession are advised to consult their health care professionals and report if they have experienced any adverse events that they suspect are related to the products’ use.
SOURCE: AttorneyAtLaw.com
Patrick Arnold Brings Back 1-AD
August 26, 2008
By Scott Welch
A few years back, baseball homerun hitter Mark McGwire was taking a pro-hormone supplement called Androstenedione a.k.a. “Andro” to boost his testosterone levels. This substance converted into the hormone testosterone once your liver processed it. This controversy got tons of mainstream press as everyone wanted to know exactly what the heck this stuff was that he was taking to hit so many homeruns. But what didn’t get as much press was the story of a chemist working behind the scenes in Chicago named Patrick 
Arnold (pictured on left). Patrick had looked closely at the DSHEA laws governing supplements and found a loophole which allowed anything not classified as a drug before 1994 to be sold as a dietary supplement – provided these substance were found in nature! So, he moved full speed ahead to hunt for old steroids that were not brought to market that were also found in nature. So in the case of Andro, it was not an approved drug before 1994 and it was found naturally in Scotch Pine Trees! Therefore, it was “found in nature” as the law stated so it could be sold as a supplement legally. Patrick partnered with anesthesiologist Dr. Scott Connelly who was the owner of MET-Rx at the time. The two formed a division of MET-Rx called “Substrate Solutions” and began introducing a bunch of different prohomone combinations. Over time, other companies found new prohormones such as: Nor-Diol, OHAT, ADT, 1-MT and 1-AD.
Prohormone Heroes
The discovery or at least the commercialization of the various prohomones can be traced back to the following guys:
- Pat Arnold - CEO of Ergopharm
- Bruce Knellar - one of the key formulators for Gaspari Nutrition
- Eric Marchewitz - CEO of LG Sciences
- William Llewellyn - CEO of Molecular Nutrition
- Derek Cornelius - former owner of Syntrax Solutions.
- Dan Amato - CEO of Fizogen SDI Labs and also Cibexo Labs
- Bill Roberts - former formulator for Biotest
- L. Rea - CEO of ALR Industries
- Jeff McCarrell - coowner of Nutrex
- Jack Owac - owner of VPX
- And of course the gang at Zoe Labs
But with the flood of dozens of prohormones that has hit the market, there were a few that really stood out. One such prohormones was the original 1-AD that was originally was released in 2001. It did not take long for people to realize that the stuff was not like the prohormones. Gains of 15 pounds were common. Of course, this stuff was really not a supplement but rather a supplement that converted into a steroid once it hit your liver. But all good things must come to an end however and in 2005 1-androstenedione and 1-androstenediol (the two versions of the original 1-AD) were added to the Anabolic Steroid Control Act and made controlled substances. It seemed that the good old days were officially in the history books.
1-AD Is Back!
Patrick Arnold has managed to pull one last rabbit out of his hat. There is still a naturally occurring precursor to the original 1-AD that converts with high efficiency that is not yet banned. This precursor is not on the list of controlled anabolic steroids. It’s called 1-androstenolone and it will convert into 1-AD once it hits your liver, which will convert into Testosterone. Yes, two steps rather than the good old days with just one chemical step being needed. The product is only sold on ErgoPharm’s website (www.ergopharm.com).
I’m personally not a fan of using pro-hormones as they carry the same side effects as other oral steroids do, but they’re indeed quite popular.
Buckwheat Protein Reduces Cholesterol
June 1, 2008
Ever since David Jenkins (who in my humble opinion is the most knowledgeable protein expert in the supplement industry) and the infamous Dan Duchaine launched whey protein under the brand “Designer Protein” in the early 90s, scientists have searched for other forms of protein to exceed the power of whey. One such protein that has caught interest lately is made from tartary buckwheat and common buckwheat grain. In a recent study this protein extract helped reduce cholesterol levels in rats on a high cholesterol diet by at least 25 per cent, report Japanese researchers.
If the results can be reproduced in humans, the proteins may offer an alternative for functional food formulators and dietary supplements to tap into the burgeoning cholesterol reduction market, currently dominated by phytosterols and stanols.
The research, published in the Journal of Food Science, reports that supplementation of a high cholesterol diet with protein from common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn) reduced serum cholesterol levels in rats by 32 and 25 per cent, respectively.
In a second experiment, the researchers looked at the effect of the proteins to reduce the formation of gallstones (lithogenesis), measured by the lithogenic index. Supplementation with common (BWP) and tartary buckwheat (TBP) led to reductions of the lithogenic index of 62 and 43 per cent, respectively.
“Taken together, these results suggest a potential source of TBP as a functional food ingredient as well as BWP,” wrote the authors.
High cholesterol levels, hypercholesterolaemia, have a long association with many diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD), the cause of almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe.
Analysis of the chemical composition of TBP was found to be 45.8 per cent protein, 7.8 per cent lipids, and 2.7 per cent dietary fibre, while BWP was composed of 65.8 per cent protein, 22.0 per cent lipids, and 7.0 per cent dietary fibre.
TBP was also found to contain more rutin and quercetin than BWP, with 5.3 and 4.4 mg of rutin per 100 grams, respectively, and 1710 and 5.4 mg of quercetin per 100 grams, respectively.
“In this study, TBP contained much amount of quercetin, and its concentration is much higher than BWP, while the content of rutin was very low in both TBP and BWP,” wrote the authors. “The results imply that the rutin in tartary buckwheat flour might be largely degraded to quercetin during the alkali extraction process.”
The researchers note that a synergy might exist between quercetin and tartary buckwheat protein, both of which have been reported to offer protective benefits to the colon.
“A large amount of quercetin in TBP might transfer to large bowel together with indigestible protein. It is possible that quercetin in the TBP may exert potentially beneficial effects on protecting colon oxidative damage,” they stated.
Additional studies need to be performed, with human interventions a priority, before the potential benefits for cholesterol reduction and colon health can be accepted, but the initial results from animal studies appear promising.
So far the only two companies in the sport nutrition area that have released buckwheat protein supplements are: Legal Gear (now LG Sciences) and Kemistry (under the brand name Pro Core). Sources say that the LG Sciences product has been discontinued and Pro Core is on the market but doesn’t seem to be outselling whey protein, that’s for damn sure!
FDA Busts LG Sciences
June 1, 2008
The FDA has seized more than 1 million dollars worth of illegal dietary supplements from LG Sciences (formerly "Legal Gear"). The products were being marketed to the bodybuilding world and were being sold online and in stores by the names: “Methyl 1-D,” “Methyl 1-D XL” and Formadrol Extreme XL. According to FDA officials the products that they were manufacturing contain food additives and other ingredients not approved for use in the United States.
The products "previously were tested and found to contain one or more unapproved food additives and/or new dietary ingredients for which there is inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that the ingredients do not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury," the FDA said.
The FDA is warning consumers of any of these products to consult their doctors as soon as possible. A lawyer for the company Ronald Berry, says that all of their products are legal and that the FDA just wants to insure that this is the case.