Vitamin Shoppe Launches New Web Forum
August 23, 2008
By Scott Welch
In the U.S. the top-three supplement retail store chains are GNC , Vitamin World and Vitamin Shoppe . But in the online world, Bodybuilding.com is the largest player in the game by a long shot (but of course SupplementGenius.com is a close second - I WISH!). Anyway, so GNC, Vitamin World and Vitamin Shoppe have now been forced to step up their game in the online world. Vitamin Shoppe has now attempted to do just that by launching a free online community forum, which features message boards and expert advice on health, wellness and sports nutrition.
“The online community is a natural extension of the conversations that happen in our stores everyday,” said Lou Weiss, vice president and general manager of Vitamin Shoppe Direct. “Our members are coming together in this community to not only share their experiences, but also to get the unparalleled knowledge and advice that Vitamin Shoppe is known for.”
The Vitamin Shoppe online community also has a variety of experts who host discussions and answer questions. Experts include Dave Foreman , an herbal pharmacist, Christiane Rivard, a registered dietitian, and Dave Hawk , former Mr. World who is a personal trainer and adviser to NFL , NHL , WWE and NASCAR athletes. Additional guest experts will also be added to the boards, according to the company.
The boards can be accessed at www.vsconnect.com or from direct links from www.vitaminshoppe.com , and www.bodytech.com which is their own supplement brand they crry in all their stores.
Like rival bodybuilding.com and their community called “bodyspace “, the Vitamin Shoppe community forum also allows members to develop profiles about their workout, diet and supplementation practices. They can track their progress in an online journal and share that with the community or their friends.
“This is a great part of the solution for people looking to reach their health and fitness goals and share that success with others,” said Weiss. “When faced with dieting or health conditions, people like to connect with others who have been there and can offer their support and guidance.”
SOURCE: Nutraceuticals World
Echinacea Increase EPO
August 14, 2008
By Scott Welch
Fuck bodybuilding, we’re now into Bloodbuilding baby! Well at least endurance athletes at this year’s Olympics are. Artificially increasing the amount of red blood cells in the body will drastically increase endurance because of the extra oxygen carrying capacity provided by the increase in red blood cells. In our bodies, a hormone called EPO (Erythropoietin) is naturally produced by our liver and kidneys and it is used to tell our cells to produce more red blood cells. In the past, athletes increased levels of EPO by getting blood transfusions but now they’re doing this by taking the drug "EPOGEN" (pictured above). Unfortunatelyfor these athletes, exogenous EPO can now be detected when top drug-testing protocols are used. But help may be on the way for natural athletes or cheats looking to jack EPO levels up without getting busted!
Echinacea Increases EPO:
According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism , the herb Echinacea may actually elevate levels of EPO. In fact, statistically significant increases of EPO were found at days 7, 14, and 21 reflecting 44%, 63%, and 36% increases! Now the part that supplement companies will not want to here: The dose of Echinacea that was used in this particular study was 8,000 mg (that’s actually 8 grams) per day!
Feasability:
The cost of Echinacea if you bought directly from the factories that processes the herb is roughly $50 per kilogram. This translates to about 40 cents per day if you used the correct dose of 8 grams. Now this is affordable for many of us but unfortunately you cannot buy directly from the factories you must by from a retail store like GNC , Vitamin Shoppe , Vitamin World or online from companies with aggressive pricing like Bodybuilding.com in the U.S. or SupplementsCanada.com in Canada or Tropicana if you’re in the U.K.
Supplement Scam
So here’s what some unscrupulous supplement companies will do when they see this research or read this Blog:
- Decide to come out with an EPO boosting supplement. Just for fun let’s call this bullshit product "SUPER-EPO ".
They will then add an "affordable" dose of Echinacea (likely 1000 mg) to SUPER-EPO and put all kinds of "other ingredients" in with it so that when you read the Supplement Facts you think you’re buying more than just Echinacea!- They will then add in some B Vitamins and key Minerals like Iron to assist with making red blood cells and transferring oxygen in the body (vitamins and minerals cost only pennies to add also).
- Lastly, even though they aren’t giving you the needed 8 grams per day, they will still refer to the same research study above on their label, website and maybe even in their ads!
Don’t believe them. If you’re going to try using Echinacea to increase levels of EPO make sure you use 8 grams per day. And of course, always consult a physician before "experimenting" with supplements.
SOURCE For Echinacea Study: Dr. J. Marrow’s Supplement Research Updates
50 Fish Oil Supplements Get Lab Tested!
August 9, 2008
By Scott Welch
50 Omega-3 fish oil supplements, foods and beverages were recently lab tested for contaminants and dosage (including two marketed for pets). Out of these, 23 were randomly selected to provide a “snapshot” of the market based on popular products found at different retail outlets. The other 27 products were tested at the request of their manufacturers, through ConsumerLab’s Voluntary Certification Program. According to the results, all products met their label claims in regard to EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) levels, with levels ranging from16 mg in a yogurt product to 1,000mg in a single pill. In addition, all of the products tested were free of contaminants common in fish, including mercury, lead and PCBs. These contaminants have been associated with fish oil supplements in the past, and Consumerlab suggested cleaner fish stocks as well as improved processing had contributed to the glowing report card.
Not Approved
All products tested bar one supplement brand and one product for pets received an approval rating from ConsumerLab.
The supplement brand that did not pass was Kirkland Signature Enteric Coated Fish Oil 1700 mg Concentrated Fish Oil. This, said ConsumerLab, was found to contain the level of EPA and DHA that it claimed, but it failed the enteric-coating test because it released its fish oil too early.
Brands Tested
Brands included in the ConsumerLab report are: Advocare, Aristo, Berkley & Jensen (BJ’s), Carlson, Coromega, CVS, Eniva, GNC, Health from the Sea, Iceland Health, Integrative Therapeutics, Jarrow, Great American Products, Healthy Hide, Kirkland (Costco), Lipiderm, Mega Smarts, Minami, Mommy’s Bliss, Natural Factors, Nature Made, Nature’s Bounty, Nature’s Sunshine, New Chapter, Nordic Naturals, Now, Nutramax, Nutri-Supreme, OmegaBrite, Omega-Gel, Origin (Target), PharmAssure, Pharmanex, Pure Encapsulations, Puritan’s Pride, Shaklee, Silk (WhiteWave), Spring Valley (Wal-Mart) Sundown, Swanson, Tropicana, Twinlab, USANA, Vital Oils, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, Wegmans, Weil, and Yoplait.
How Much EPA & DHA Do You Need?
A Daily Value has not been established for EPA and/or DHA. A guidline of 160 mg daily benchmark value was provided by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its Dietary Reference Intakes for Macronutrients, published in 2002. However, other organizations, such as the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids and the American Dietetic Association, recommend a minimum combined intake of 500 mg/day EPA and DHA to support heart health.
SOURCE: ConsumerLab