Tainted Weight Loss Pills Put Consumers’ Health at Risk

Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted consumers in North America not to purchase or consume one of more than 25 different products marketed for 'weight loss' because they contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers' health at risk and lead to such health problems as high blood pressure, seizures, heart attack, or stroke.

An FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products, often marketed as ‘dietary’or ‘food supplements,’ include sibutramine (a controlled substance, manufactured and legally distributed by Abbott Laboratories as Meridia in the U.S. and Canada, and Reductil in Europe and most other countries), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication), and phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer causing agent). Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceeded the FDA-recommended levels.

Prescription drugs vs. supplements
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, commonly known as DSHEA, does not qualify dietary or food supplements as ‘drugs’ As a result, many of these products fall outside the realm of the FDA regulations for (prescription) drugs. While pharmaceutical companies must meet rigorous conditions for manufacturing, packaging, labeling, advertising and distribution of prescription drugs, dietary and food supplements do not require any proof. However, supplement labels are supposed to exactly state what’s in the product. Unfortunately, as this FDA analysis shows, this is not always the case.

While prescription drugs are monitored by the FDA, the agency does not monitor ‘dietary’or ‘food supplements’ as they do prescription drugs. In this case however, the FDA warned against the use of supplements contaminated with a variety of unlisted pharmaceuticals. Some of these active pharmaceutical ingredients may be approved for marketing as prescription drugs in the United States or Europe. However, the fact that these products are not listed as ingredients on the supplement product labels, as required by law, or exceeds recommended dosage levels, is a violation of existing regulations and a major concern to medical authorities. Dr Robert Mayr, an internationally recognized expert on dietary supplements, noted that: ‘There is a real danger that these ‘weight loss pills’ are putting consumers' health at risk.’

These weight loss products are often promoted and sold on web sites and in some retail stores. Some of the products claim to be ‘natural’ or to contain only ‘herbal’ ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the product labels or in promotional advertisements. Therefor, these products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers.

The FDA advises consumers who have used any of these products to stop taking them and consult their health care professional immediately. The FDA encourages consumers to seek guidance from a health care professional before purchasing weight loss products.

‘These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dosages,’ said Dr Janet Woodcock, MD., director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. ‘Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences. Therefore FDA is taking this action to protect the health of the American public.’

The FDA has inspected a number of companies associated with the sale of these illegal products, and is currently seeking product recalls. Based on the FDA's inspections and the companies' inadequate responses to recall requests, the FDA may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.

The health risks posed by these products can be serious; for example, sibutramine, which was found in many of the products, can cause high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia, palpitations, heart attack or stroke. This drug can also interact with other medications that patients may be taking and increase their risk of adverse drug events. The safety of sibutramine has also not been established in pregnant and lactating women, or in children younger than 16 years of age.

Rimonabant, another ingredient found in these products, was evaluated, but not approved by the FDA for marketing in the United States. The drug, which is approved in Europe, has been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and has been linked to five deaths and 720 adverse reactions in Europe over the last two years.

In October 2008 the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) completed a review of rimonabant following concerns over the medicine’s psychiatric safety. The Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) concluded that the benefits of rimonabant no longer outweigh its risks, and that its marketing authorisation should be suspended across the European Union (EU). Following these conclusions, Sanofi-Aventis, in November 2008, decided to discontinue the ongoing rimonabant clinical development program in all indications.

When in doubt...
Consumers in doubt about any ‘weight loss’ or dietary supplement they are currently using, should make sure to contact the manufacturer or distributor listed on the label. In all cases, health care professionals and consumers should report serious adverse events or side effects and product quality problems to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone.

The tainted weight loss products include the following products and brands:

• Fatloss Slimming
• 2 Day Diet
• 3x Slimming Power
• Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet
• 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
• 3 Day Diet
• 7 Day Herbal Slim
• 8 Factor Diet
• 7 Diet Day/Night Formula
• 999 Fitness Essence
• Extrim Plus
• GMP
• Imelda Perfect Slim
• Lida DaiDaihua
• Miaozi Slim Capsules
• Perfect Slim
• Perfect Slim 5x
• Phyto Shape
• ProSlim Plus
• Royal Slimming Formula
• Slim 3 in 1
• Slim Express 360
• Slimtech
• Somotrim
• Superslim
• TripleSlim
• Zhen de Shou
• Venom Hyperdrive 3.0

A delicious new, low-carb, low-calorie and sugar-free energy drink hits the market.

Having trouble getting started in the morning? Need more energy? At Vitaelin Nutraceuticals , a distributor of the top-quality weight management line BioLean® System and highly-concentrated Omega-3 supplement WINOmeg3complex™, we’re thrilled to meet the demands of the busy, overworked and tired by launching our new, low-calorie, low-carb and sugar-free Winrgy®, a revolutionary new energy and mental performance drink. The new sugar-free Winrgy® is an ideal energizer during stressful activities, while traveling long distances, or anytime peak performance is needed. This new energy drink delivers instant, long-lasting energy and mental performance without the crash or jitters.

Through nutrients in the diet, nerves are able to send signals throughout the body called neurotransmitters. One such neurotransmitter, noradrenaline, provides individuals with the necessary alertness and energy required in day-to-day activity. A unique blend of vitamins and minerals important to the creation of noradrenaline has been incorporated into new sugar-free Winrgy®, making it a delicious, invigorating, citrus-flavored energy drink, a nutritional alternative to coffee, cola and other soft-drinks.

Along with caffeine, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, thiamin riboflavin, niacin and folate (as folic acid), new sugar-free Winrgy® contains taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), which is an essential amino acid found in many of the body's organs to aid digestion.

B-vitamins
Studies reveal that vitamin B2 (riboflavin) helps the body release energy from protein, carbohydrates and fat, while vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is given to combat fatigue and alleviate neurological problems, including weakness and memory loss. Another important component of new sugar-free Winrgy®, vitamin B3 (niacin), works with both thiamin and riboflavin in the metabolism of carbohydrates and is essential for providing energy for cell tissue growth. Niacin has also proven to dilate blood vessels and thereby increase blood flow to various organs of the body, sometimes resulting in a blush of the skin and a healthy sense of warmth. Unlike caffeine, new sugar-free Winrgy® offers all the raw materials necessary to continue the production of noradrenaline and is ideal for anytime performance is required.

A growing market
New Sugar-free Winrgy® is an instant gratification drink that gives consumers mental clarity and lasting stamina without the jitters or crash. Today’s busy lifestyle has recently driven the energy drink market to incredible, explosive growth. Since 2000, sales volume for energy drinks have increased by an impressive 75 percent and increased in value by 71 percent, with sales reaching $6.1 billion in 2005 alone. In addition, the combined sports food and drink market grew an impressive 48 percent between 2000 and 2005, making it one of the highest growth rates among all food and beverage categories.

The demands of professional athletes to weekend warriors require high levels of energy, and Winrgy® delivers an energetic, competitive edge along with mental focus. After two hours of participating in sports or working out, muscle glycogen is depleted and fatigue can set in, leading to reduced recovery, poor quality training and chronic fatigue. Winrgy® can instantly increase glycogen levels and maintain energy levels of athletes for four to six hours. Athletes can also hydrate with Winrgy® to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to reduced mental function and performance, poor decision making, anticipation and skill delivery. An ideal energizer during demanding activities, Winrgy® helps maintain energy and mental fitness with choline and powerful B vitamins, both of which are essential in the production of the acetylcholine, the most abundant neurotransmitter in the body. Acetylcholine promotes concentration, good memory and healthy sleep patterns.

New sugar-free Winrgy® is the perfect vitamin and mineral supplement for people with active lifestyles as its essential ingredients help the body convert energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat. Unlike most canned energy drinks, new sugar-free Winrgy® comes in easy-to-use packets, a perfect fit in pockets and purses for on the spot get-up-and-go.

Part of the Physicians’ Health & Diet® Program, consumers say that the new sugar-free Winrgy® tastes great! Since it’s sweetened with Xylitol, it’s both healthier and better tasting than all the other sugar-free energy drinks available.

To see the new sugar-free Winrgy® video-advertisement, click here.

Read more: How does new, sugar-free, Winrgy® compare? Click here for more information.

New guidelines recommend increasing vitamin D intake

Inadequate exposure to sunlight predisposes to vitamin D deficiency. This may lead may result in impaired bone mineralization which may lead to a disease known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. It may even contribute to osteoporosis.

Vitamin D deficiency may also result from inadequate intake, reduced absorption, impaired or abnormal metabolism or resistance to the effects of vitamin D.

Deficiency of vitamin D is preventable with adequate nutritional intake with nutritional and dietary supplements or by exposure to sunlight. Unfortunately, both dietary intake of vitamin D (other than with supplements) and exposure to sunlight continue decline. Research shows that this especially noticeable with exclusively breastfed infants and infants with darker skin pigmentation in the United States and other Western countries.

Based on recent research The American Academy of Pediatrics (141 Northwest Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, phone 847 434 4000, http://aap.org) is doubling the amount of vitamin D it recommends for infants, children and adolescents. The new clinical report, "Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents," recommends all children receive 400 IU a day of vitamin D, beginning in the first few days of life. The previous recommendation, issued in 2003, called for 200 IU per day beginning in the first two months of life.

The change in recommendation comes after reviewing new clinical trials on vitamin D and the historical precedence of safely giving 400 IU per day to the pediatric population. Clinical data show that 400 units of vitamin D a day will not only prevent rickets, but treat it. This bone-softening disease is preventable with adequate vitamin D, but dietary sources of vitamin D are limited, and it is difficult to determine a safe amount of sunlight exposure to synthesize vitamin D in a given individual. Rickets continues to be reported in the United States in infants and adolescents. The greatest risk for rickets is in exclusively breastfed infants who are not supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D a day.

Adequate vitamin D throughout childhood may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. In adults, new evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a role in the immune system and may help prevent infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer and diabetes.

"We are doubling the recommended amount of vitamin D children need each day because evidence has shown this could have life-long health benefits," said Frank Greer, MD, FAAP, chair of The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition and co-author of the report. “Supplementation is important because most children will not get enough vitamin D through diet alone.”

"Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants. However, because of vitamin D deficiencies in the maternal diet, which affect the vitamin D in a mother’s milk, it is important that breastfed infants receive supplements of vitamin D,” said Carol Wagner, MD, FAAP, member of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding Executive Committee and co-author of the report. “Until it is determined what the vitamin D requirements of the lactating mother-infant dyad are, we must ensure that the breastfeeding infant receives an adequate supply of vitamin D through a supplement of 400 IU per day.”

The new recommendations include:

• Breastfed and partially breastfed infants should be supplemented with 400 IU a day of vitamin D beginning in the first few days of life
• All non-breastfed infants, as well as older children, who are consuming less than one quart per day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk, should receive a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU a day
• Adolescents who do not obtain 400 IU of vitamin D per day through foods should receive a supplement containing that amount
• Children with increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, such as those taking certain medications, may need higher doses of vitamin D
• Given the growing evidence that adequate vitamin D status during pregnancy is important for fetal development, the AAP also recommends that providers who care for pregnant women consider measuring vitamin D levels in this population.

For a copy of the report, visit the website of the AAP at http://www.aap.org/new/VitaminDreport.pdf

For more information about Vitamin D, click here.

Functional and energy drinks: a brief history

Market studies are showing that the demand for ‘functional’ energy drinks continues to growing! This expanding market trend is timed perfectly with the release of the new sugar-free Winrgy®, a new energy drink loaded with vitamins, minerals and amino acids. This low-calorie, low-carb drink delivers instant, long-lasting energy and mental performance without the crash or jitters.

Winrgy®, distributed by Vitaelin Nutraceuticals (4960 South Gilbert Rd, Suite 1-286, Chandler, Arizona, USA +1 480 626 7218), is the answer to growing consumer demand for more natural energy drinks and is geared toward an 18-35 year-old demographic. Along with caffeine, vitamin C, B6, vitamin E , thiamin riboflavin, niacin and folate (as folic acid), the functional energy drink contains taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), which is an essential amino acid found in many of the body's organs to aid digestion.

A growing trend
While other drink segments, such as bottled water and carbonated or ‘fizzy’ soft-drinks are fatigued and showing saturation or even decline, the market for ‘functional’ and ‘energy’ drinks is not affected and rapidly growing. Data compiled by Zenith International Ltd (7 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB United Kingdom, phone +44 (0)1225 327900), a European drinks consultancy based in England, shows a market valued at €3.76 billion ($ 5.4 billion) in 2007, with growth at 11 per cent over 2006 for a total of 487 million litres. Although consumer spending is down in most western lands, analyst at Zenith expect that sales of ‘functional’ and ‘energy’ drinks will grow approximately 8% for the next five years, approaching a total volume of nearly 700 million litres by 2012. The prognoses is supported by Mintel International Group Ltd (18-19 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PL, United Kingdom, phone +44 (0)20 7606 4533), a privately owned market research firm, which predicts this continued growth to reach €6.97 billion ($10 billion) of total sales by 2010.

Today’s most national markets for ‘energy’ drinks are dominated by Red Bull, (Red Bull GmbH, Am Brunnen 1, A-5330, Fuschl am See, Austria, phone +43 662 6582 0) which is sold in more than 140 countries in the world and holds about 60% of the total market of energy drinks. While analysts predict an increase in completion, they don’t expect to see a major shift in brand loyalty or market domination.

Traditional soft-drinks manufacturers are turning to 'added functional ingredients' as a means of enlivening the sometimes tired appearance of their mainstream soft-drinks. As Goliaths they are looking to the Davids of the industry, the smaller, emerging, soft-drinks manufacturers who already have embraced an array of ‘functional’ and ‘energy’ options in order to differentiate their products. More than ever, with health and wellness being the driving factor, ‘functional’ and ‘energy’ drinks are entering a new, uncharted, area.

What are ‘functional’ drinks?
To date, there is no real, universally accepted, definition of the term ‘functional’ drinks. However, the generally held idea is that ‘functional’ drinks are beverages fortified with a hodgepodge of nutritional and dietary supplements such as vitamins and minerals, mild stimulants such caffeine, antioxidants, amino acids, and herbal extracts like gingseng, ginko biloba, guarana, yerba mate, green tea polyphenols, kola nut extract and other ingredients and that they may offer specific health promoting benefits and/or disease preventing properties over and above the usual nutritional value. Products within this category are given a number of names including sports-drinks, isotonic-drinks, hypotonic-drinks, energy-drinks, functional-drinks, stimulant- or power-drinks, tonics or elixirs.

But the first ‘functional’ drinks did not resemble the soft-drinks we associate today with ‘functional’ drinks. In the early 1930s Dr Minoru Shirota, then working in the microbiology lab at Kyoto Imperial University's School of Medicine (Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan, phone +81 75 753 2047), succeeded in culturing and utilizing lactic acid bacteria. Based on this culture, Shirota started the production of his yogurt-like probiotic-drink containing Lactobacillus casei strain shirota which he marketed under the brand name Yakult (today produced and marketed by Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., 1-19 Higashi Shimbashi 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, phone +81 33 574 8960).

Since then, over a dozen brands of ‘functional’ drinks containing calcium, iron, amino acids, b-carotene, fiber, hangover cures, energy boosters or ingredients to help joint flexibility, have been developed by carefully marrying health and medicine. From the 1930 onwards, many drinks and foodstuffs around the world were fortified with Vitamin D until health authorities in the 1950s limited Vitamin D fortification to milk and read-made breakfast cereals alone, only to allow Vitamin D fortification of a broader range of products again in the late 1980s.

Anti flu beverages
Due to the fact that the potency of vitamins erodes over time, ‘functional’ drinks generally have a relatively short shelf life. To combat these effects Degussa FreshTech Beverages LLC (735 N Water St Suite 1128, Milwaukee, WI 53202-4105, Phone +1 262 549 2517) and Ball Packaging Europe GmbH (formerly Schmalbach-Lubeca, Kaiserswertherstraße 115, Ratingen, D-40880, Germany, phone: +49 2102 130 0) jointly developed the ground-breaking ‘FreshCan®’ technology. This new technology enables vitamins, minerals or probiotic additives to be stored in a dry state inside a can until the consumer opens it. Today, New York based Brain-Twist Inc. (535 W 34th Street, New York, NY 10001-1303, phone +1 212-594-6772) offers this new technology for their immune boosting beverage Defense Effervescent Supplement or ‘Defense’, a beverage specifically designed to combat flu season.535 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001-1303 535 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001-1303 So far, the drink is only available in 7-Eleven stores (2065 Sidewinder Dr, Park City, UT 84060, phone +1 435 645 9595) in North America.

How did we get here?
The history of ‘functional’ and ‘energy’ drinks is quite interesting. Although not marketed as such, the granddaddy of today’s ‘energy’ drinks is probably Irn-Bru, first produced by A.G Barr Plc. (Westfield House, 4 Mollins Road, Westfield, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, G68 9HD, Scottland, phone +44 (0)1236 852400) in 1901, under the name Strachan's brew and later (1946) changed in Irn-Bru because the drink was not really brewed.

Another early brand of ‘energy’ drink can be found in England. Lucozade produced by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (980 Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9GS, United Kingdom, phone +44 20 8047 5000) was first developed in 1927 by a Newscastle Chemist searching for a source of energy for the ‘sick and infirm’. After several years of experimenting, Glucozade, a glucose syrup containing drink, was introduced as a special drink for ‘aiding the recovery’ and only available in hospitals. In 1929 the name was changed to the more recognizable ‘Lucozade’. Later, when popularity grew, it also became available outside hospitals and today it is one of the strongest brands sold in England.

While select number of energy stimulating drinks were developed and marketed around the world in the early part of the 20th century, the real advent of ‘energy’ drinks started in Japan were the most popular energy drinks date back to the late 1950s and early 1960s. Before crossing over to the ‘west’ energy drinks had been enthusiastically consumed in Japan and other Asian countries for many decades. Most of the then popular original energy drinks bear little resemblance to modern soft drinks as they were generally sold in small brown glass medicine bottles by pharmacies. Called ‘genki drinks’, these drinks were primarily marketed to the hard working ‘salarymen,’ the overworked and underpaid office clerks for which Japan is famous.

Among the first companies to enter the energy drinks market was Taisho Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (24-1, Takada 3-chome, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8633, Japan, Phone +81 3 3985 1111). In 1962 Taisho developed its drink concept by combining taurine with vitamin B to create Lipovitan D. Today, this brand is with almost a 60% share, still dominating the domestic Japanese market, closely followed by Oronamin C, a carbonated ‘fizzy’ health drink containing isoleucine and other essential amino acids as well as vitamin B2, B6 and C, produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. (2-16-4 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8242, Phone: +81-3-6717-1400). More recently Taisho developed special low-calorie versions for women and vitamin-fortified energy drinks for children.

The Asian ‘energy’ drinks remained quite unknown in the western world until Jolt Cola, made by The Jolt Cola Company, now Wet Planet Beverages (Rochester, New York 14625 USA, Phone +1 585 381 3560), was introduced in the United States in 1985. This high caffeinated cola drink was developed by C.J. Rapp, a beverage inventor, and marketed with the initial slogan ‘All the sugar and twice the caffeine’ to promote vigilance and wakefulness.

In Europe, the concept of energy drinks was pioneered by the Austrian company of S. Spitz GmbH., (Fiedlerstraße 10, POB 102, A-4041 Linz, +43/732/70 97-0, a privately held company engaged in manufacturing non alcoholic drinks, syrups, liqueurs, schnapps, brandy, special spirits, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, wafers and rolls) when the company introduced Power Horse), a revitalizing energy drink designed to increases mental and physical power, in the spring of 1994.

But today’s dominating energy drink, Red Bull, was developed just a few years earlier, in 1987, when Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz and his Thai business partners Chaleo and Chalerm Yoovidhya founded Red Bull GmbH and created the ghastly tasting berry-flavored energy drink, marketing it to young people using cheeky advertising and extreme sports sponsorships. Spiked with taurine and glucuronolactone the 8.3-ounce can contained 80 milligrams of caffeine, more than double the dose found in an 12-ounce can of regular Coca-Cola (40 mg/330 ml can), but with less calories per serving (110 vs. 140). The high concentration of caffeine (similar to that found in an average cup of brewed coffee, typically 100 mg/250 ml cup, but 72 mg for a U.S. regular 6 fluid ounces cup of coffee), glucose, sucrose, taurine and glucuronolactone was supposed to increase metabolism, thereby improving the drinkers’ concentration, energy, and endurance.

Red Bull’s Asian Origin
Mateschitz and his partners based their drink on the Krating Daeng, a very sweet, non- carbonated syrupy tonic produced by T.C. Pharmaceuticals Industries Company Ltd (39/13 Moo 8 Ekachai Rd., Bangkok, 10150, Thailand, +66 02 415 2258) and sold in pharmacies in Thailand as a revitalizing agent. Interestingly enough, Krating Daeng itself was based on the Japanese ‘energy drink’ Lipovitan D.

Red Bull was an instant hit in Austria and sales continued to rapidly grow. Marketed as ‘to combat mental and physical fatigue’, Red Bull was soon launched in other European countries. Initially, the drink was banned in France and Denmark because of health concerns over the high caffeine level and the use taurine. Today, Red Bull with its enticing brand motto ‘Red Bull vitalizes the body and mind’ has taken almost half of the US market for energy drinks and up to 80% in some other western countries.

To combat the critique for the negative effects of taurine, Red Bull replaced it with arginine in France. Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid linked to enhanced immunity, the release of the Human Growth Hormone (HGH), greater muscle mass, rapid wound healing, increased sexual potency, and helping to reverse atherosclerosis.

David vs. Goliath
Major beverage companies, including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and MillerCoors, have tried to duplicate the success of Red Bull, Power Horse, Jolt Cola and other energy drinks developed by smaller and more innovative companies. These attempts did not always succeed.

For example, In 1995 PepsiCo Inc.(700 Anderson Hill Road Purchase, NY 10577, USA, phone +1 914 253-2000) launched Josta, a ‘high-energy drink’ with guaraná and caffeine and a predominately fruity flavor and a hint of spice. After a flawed market introduction and a change in corporate strategy, PepsiCo discontinued the drink in 1999. Today, PepsiCo owns not only the established Mountain Dew brand, but also a variety of brands, including the AMP energy drinks, dubbed as Pepsi's first real entry into the energy drink market, that taste like Mountain Dew with a bit more bite, and Jeff Gordon 24 Energy, a brand new energy drink uniquely formulated for race fans and energy drinkers.

MillerCoors (MillerCoors LLC, 3939 West Highland Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI 53208, USA), a joint venture between SABMiller Plc. (One Stanhope Gate, London W1K 1AF, England, phone +44 20 7659 0100) and Molson Coors Brewing Company(1225 17th Street, Suite 3200, Denver, CO 80136, USA, Phone +1 303-277-3500), which owns Sparks, a caffeinated alcohol beverage with a blend of caffeine, taurine, guarana and ginseng extract, has made number of questionable decisions and downright marketing blunders with their alcohol/energy hybrid concept. This has led to a massive backlash against the beverage and may industry observers believe that this may spell the end of the alcohol/energy concept drinks altogether.

Recently, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest(1875 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20009, USA, Phone +1 202 332 9110) filed suit against MillerCoors Brewing Company because Sparks has more alcohol than regular beer and contains unapproved additives. The lawsuit is asking the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to stop the company from selling the controversial drink, which is also under scrutiny from state attorneys general. Sparks products contain 6 to 7 percent alcohol by volume, as opposed to regular beer, which typically has 4 or 5 percent alcohol. Also unlike beer, Sparks’ appeal to young people is enhanced by its sweet citrusy taste, redolent of SweeTarts candy, and the bright color of orange soda. (Sparks Light also contains the artificial sweetener sucralose). As a result of the suit, the planned release of Sparks Red, which will have 8 percent alcohol by volume, has been temporarily postponed.

Over the last two decades, soft-drink giant Coca-Cola (The Coca-Cola Company, 1 Coca-Cola Plaza, Atlanta, GA 30313-2499, USA, Phone +1 404 676 2121) has been developing its own line of ‘energy’ drinks with varying success. The company brands include, among others, Glacéau Vitaminenergy, Full Throttle, Rehab, Vault and TaB energy. However, it’s most famous and successful beverages outside the cola-drinks are ‘functional’ drinks marketed under the Minute Maid brand.

Minute Maid Heart Wise is the first orange juice containing natural sourced plant sterols and is clinically proven to help reduce cholesterol. The company also markets orange juice with calcium, and was the first to nationally launch orange juice with calcium plus vitamin D, low acid orange juice, orange juice with vitamins C and E plus Zinc. Its most controversial ‘functional’ drinks, co-marketed with Nestlé (Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Avenue Nestlé 55, 1800 Vevey, Switzerland, Phone +41 21 924 2111), is no-doubt Enviga, a line of lightly sparkling green teas with EGCG and natural antioxidants designed to increase metabolism and help burn calories.

Déjà vu
The irony is that the innovative manufactures of today’s ‘functional’ and ‘energy’ drinks are positioning their products in the same way as the pioneering soft-drink companies in the late 19th and early 20th century by making all sorts of health claims. A good example is Coca-Cola). Invented by Atlanta, Georgia, based pharmacists Dr. John Pemberton, Coca Cola originally promoted their now infamous drink as ‘a valuable brain-tonic and cure for all nervous afflictions,’ and ‘offering the virtues of coca without the vice of alcohol.’ Later, until 1900 the drink was promoted as a tonic for good health (‘For headache and exhaustion, drink Coca-Cola’) and, after 1904, ‘Coca-Cola is a delightful, palatable, healthful beverage’. Health related claims were even used in recent years when the company called its product ‘a wholesome beverage’.

Another good example is Dr Pepper, manufactured by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (5301 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75024, USA Tel: +1 972 673-7000), which owns well-known brands such as Snapple, 7UP, Mott’s, A&W, Sunkist Soda, Hawaiian Punch, Canada Dry, Schweppes, RC Cola, Diet Rite, Squirt, Penafiel, Yoo-hoo, Rose’s, Clamato, Mr & Mrs T and many others.

Initially, Dr Pepper, the refreshing soft drink with the tart yet sweet flavor, was not marketed as a simple refreshment but as a health-drink. In the 1930s Dr Pepper’s famous slogan ‘Drink a bite to eat at 10, 2 and 4’ capitalized on the idea of an energy slump and that Dr. Pepper would provide the energy boost needed to make it through the day. Later, in the 1980s, Dr Pepper was marketed as ‘just what the Dr. ordered,’ while the diet version was advertised as ‘the taste you’ve been looking for.’

At the same time, 7 Up), the distinctive, tangy-fresh, lemon-lime flavored-drink, was marketed as a drink that ‘energizes… set you up, dispels brain cobwebs and muscular fatigue.’

By positioning their products as elixirs of good health, companies such as Red Bull, S. Sptiz, Hansen’s (Hansen Natural Corporation, 550 Monica Circle, Suite 201, Corona, CA 92880, USA and the maker of Monster Energy® brand energy drinks, Lost® Energy brand energy drinks, Joker Mad Energy(TM), Unbound® Energy and Ace Energy brand energy drinks, Rumba brand energy juice, and other manufacturers of ‘functional’ and ‘energy’ drinks are returning to the early days of soft-drink marketing, claiming all sorts of unverifiable health benefits.

‘Functional’ and ‘energy’ drinks are by their nature highly focused and targeted. To maintain their market value, it is imperative that soft-drink manufacturers respond to these pressures they face from competition, consumer demands and regulatory restrictions and continue to create and deliver choice for consumers while developing products that can offer consumers the opportunity to adopt a healthier lifestyle. At the same time, while borrowing from history, effective marketing, increased consumer acceptance as well as loyalty have been key contributors to the shift in consumer demands and the rapid growth of smaller, focused manufacturers.

It is in this complex and yet exciting industry that Winrgy®, the new invigorating citrus-flavored, low-carb energy-drink loaded with vitamins, minerals and amino acids, is the ‘new kid on the block’ and will satisfy the demand for a real energy drink!

Omega-3 fatty acids supplementations may help bipolar patients

Bipolar disorder is a complex psychiatric disorder and is considered to be an important cause of worldwide disability. Mood stabilizers are the primary pharmacological intervention, both in the treatment of acute episodes and in prophylaxis.

There is, however, mounting evidence that dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial in psychiatric conditions, particularly those involving disturbances of mood.

A recent review of almost 100 medical studies examining the current level of evidence regarding the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in improving bipolar disorder symptoms by researchers of the Columbia School of Nursing in New York, shows that omega-3 fatty acids in addition to prescribed medication, may benefit patients.

The reviewers identified seven relevant studies including 230 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder who received, in addition to their prescribed medication, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for between 4 and 52 weeks. Based on the outcome of these studies, they researchers concluded that supplementation was effective in more than half of the selected studies, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in bipolar disorder symptoms.
The review conducted by Teresa Turnbull and colleagues and was published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Psychiatric Nursing (Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2008; 22: 305-311).

EPA and DHA
The researchers confirmed that patients using an omega-3 combination of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in bipolar symptoms, whereas those using a single component of either EPA or DHA did not.

Benefit explained
The effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can be explained by the fact that omega-3 fatty acids exert an inhibitory effect on the cell signaling pathway which is thought to be very similar to the mechanism of action of commonly prescribed mood stabilizers.

Patient adherence
Adherence to treatment can be a challenge for any patient diagnosed with a chronic disease requiring daily medication. This is not different for patients taking mood stabilizers. Side effects may often lead to patients discontinuing their medication, leading to inadequate medication.and treatment failures. ‘The question that researchers of omega-3 and bipolar disease are asking is whether supplementation with omega-3 can support the effect of prescription mood stabilizers in symptom reduction, which may, in turn, reduce dosing requirements, untoward side effects, and nonadherence,’ the researchers write in the October issue of Archives.

Improvement with omega-3 fatty acids
In reviewing the available data, the researchers identified that most patients diagnosed with bipolar disease continued their usual treatment, which included psychotropic medication, psychological therapy, or both. Overall, they reported that four of the seven studies showed a statistically significant improvement with omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in bipolar symptoms using screening tools and rating scales measure mental health symptoms. These scales include Young Mania Rating Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Clinical Global Impression Scale, and the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology.

In conclusion, the researchers comment that ‘Due to its benign side effect profile and some evidence supporting its usefulness in bipolar illness, … omega-3 supplementation… may be a helpful adjunct in the treatment of selected patients.’

More study required
A different systematic Cochrane database review, studying the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids as either a monotherapy or an adjunctive treatment for bipolar disorder by Montgomery and Richardson of the, Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention of the University of Oxford, also concluded that various studies confirm positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids as an adjunctive treatment for depressive but not manic symptoms in bipolar disorder.

But Montgomery and Richardson believe that these findings must be regarded with caution owing to the limited data available and that, in the treatment of bipolar disorder [the current results] are insufficient for us to draw definite conclusions that can guide clinical practice’.

In their conclusion, they confirm that although omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial, there is an acute need for well-designed and executed randomized controlled trials.

For more information about Omega-3 fatty acids, visit Vitaelin Nutraceuticals at http://vitaelinhealthcenter.com.

Sources

1. Turnbull T, Cullen-Drill M, Smaldone A. Efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on improvement of bipolar symptoms: a systematic review. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2008 Oct;22(5):305-11.
2. Montgomery P, Richardson AJ. Omega-3 fatty acids for bipolar disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Apr 16;(2):CD005169.

Large clinical trial fails to show beneficial effects of statins in patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Statin should not be considered for patients with heart failure (HF) of non-ischemic etiology, because lipid (cholesterol) lowering drugs do not translate into any clinically meaningful benefit for patients with heart failure (HF).

This is one of the unexpected outcomes from a large scale Italian study (Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico Heart Failure or GISSI-HF study) involving 6,975 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV HF of any cause and with any left ventricular ejection fraction who were randomized to receive daily supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids 1 g (805-882 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in the average ratio 1:1.2) or placebo. In addition, 4,574 patients of the same group were also randomized to receive Crestor, (rosuvastatin calcium, 10 mg daily, Astra Zeneca) or placebo.

Trial design
The GISSI-HF trial was designed to investigate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and statin therapy on mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic heart failure (HF).

Trial results
The results of this trial were presented by dr Luigi Tavazzi of the Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia in Italy during the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2008 in Munich, Germany and simultaneously published in The Lancet (1, 2)

Based on the results of the GISSI-HF study, the investigators concluded that the prescription of Crestor, which is indicated to reduce elevated total cholesterol, LDL-C, ApoB, non-HDL-C and triglyceride levels and to increase HDL-C in patients with primary hyperlipidemia and mixed dyslipidemia, or any statin to patients with heart failure (HF) of non-ischemic etiology should not be considered. The primary reason for their conclusion is that the use of the lipid (cholesterol-) lowering drugs does not translate into any clinically meaningful benefit for patients with heart failure (HF). The data showed that 29% of people taking Crestor died from any cause against 28% of those given a placebo.

In other words, patients given Crestor proved just as likely to die early or be admitted to hospital with cardiovascular problems as those on standard therapy alone. Therefore, the investigators concluded that physicians can confidently stop statins in patients already taking them if convinced of the drug's futility or if they are concerned over multiple drug use. On the other hand doctors may be reassured that they can safely use statins in this population.

This is the second clinical trial for heart failure in which Crestor failed, suggesting that statins don't improve survival in patients with the chronic heart condition.

CORONA-study
The conclusions this study confirm the results of another medical study, the CORONA- trial (Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in HF), published in 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine, which researched the effect of Crestor in older patients (averaging 73 years of age) with moderate to severe systolic heart failure of ischemic origin who had already received extensive treatment with other drugs for cardiovascular disease (4).

Although Crestor reduced LDL-C (low density-lipoprotein) and C-reactive protein (CRP), it had no significant effect on cardiovascular outcomes as measured by the primary endpoint composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarct or stroke. The investigators in this study failed to find any benefit from statin treatment in this patient population and concluded that ‘statins as a class may not be efficacious in patients with ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction who are already receiving evidence-based therapy for heart failure (HF)’.

The CORONA-trial, presented and published in November 2007, included only patients with coronary heart disease, whereas just 40% of patients in GISSI-HF had ischemic HF. After considering the results of both trials, the investigators conclude that the cholesterol-lowering effects of statins do not reduce ischemic events in patients with heart failure and that the apparent pleiotropic effects of statins does not influence HF development (5).

The outcome of the CORONA-trial showed that treatment with Crestor had no significant effect on cardiovascular outcomes. However, it did significantly reduce the number of hospitalizations from cardiovascular causes and from heart failure (HR).

Commenting on the results of both trials, dr Gregg Fonarow of the of the Ahmanson-UCLA (University of California) Cardiomyopathy Center in Los Angeles, USA said that ‘these two well-conducted clinical trials establish that, although statin therapy lowers concentrations of LDL-C, is well tolerated and seems reasonably safe, it does not produce meaningful improvements in survival in patients with chronic heart failure.’(3)

Sources

1. GISSI-HF investigators. Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2008; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61241-6. Available online at: http://www.thelancet.com.
2. GISSI-HF investigators. Effect of rosuvastatin in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2008; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61241-6. Available online at: http://www.thelancet.com.
3. Fonarow GC. Statins and n-3 fatty acid supplementation in heart failure. Lancet 2008; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61239-8. Available online at: http://www.thelancet.com.
4. Kjekhus J, Apetrei E, Barrios V, et al. Rosuvastatin in older patients with systolic heart failure. N Engl J Med 2007; DOI: 10.1056.nejmoa0706201. Available online at: http://www.nejm.org
5. Hjalmarson Å Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in Heart Failure (CORONA)-Results of an outcomes trial in patients with ischemic heart disease and heart failure. American Heart Association 2007 Scientific Sessions; November 5, 2007; Orlando, FL, Late-breaking clinical trials 2.

Large clinical trial shows benefits of Omega-3 in patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Good news: taking daily omega-3 fatty acids supplements (n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs) may improve survival prospects and reduce mortality among patients with chronic heart failure (HF).

This is one of the unexpected outcomes from a large scale Italian study (Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico Heart Failure or GISSI-HF study) involving 6,975 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV HF of any cause and with any left ventricular ejection fraction who were randomized to receive daily supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids 1 g (805-882 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in the average ratio 1:1.2) or placebo. In addition, 4,574 patients of the same group were also randomized to receive Crestor, (rosuvastatin calcium, 10 mg daily, Astra Zeneca) or placebo.

Trial design
The GISSI-HF trial was designed to investigate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and statin therapy on mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic heart failure (HF).

Trial results
The results of this trial, boosting the health-giving reputation of omega-3 fatty acids fish oil supplementation, were presented by dr Luigi Tavazzi of the Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia in Italy, during the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2008 in Munich, Germany and simultaneously published in The Lancet (1,2).

The investigators conducting the trial were especially glad to report positive results for patients with chronic heart failure (HF), an exceptionally difficult to treat condition in which the heart struggles to pump blood effectively, which causes shortness of breath and other serious problems. They found that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids greatly benefitted this group of patients.

Patients were followed for almost four years (average 3.9 years). The supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids resulted in a 1.8% absolute risk reduction, which translated into a 9% reduction of mortality. The results also show a 2.3% absolute reduction in all-cause death or hospital admission for cardiovascular reasons, which translated in an 8% reduction of admission to the hospital for cardiovascular causes.

‘Real world meaning’
Translating these percentages to ‘real world meaning’, the chairperson of the GISSI-HF steering committee, dr. Tavazzi, explained that the absolute risk reductions achieved with omega-3 means that 56 patients would need to be treated over a 4-year period to prevent one death, while 44 would need to be treated to avoid a death or a hospital admission for cardiovascular causes.

In his conclusion he said that ‘Although this moderate benefit was smaller than expected, we should note that it was obtained in a population already treated with various recommended therapies, was consistent across all the predefined subgroups, and was further supported by the findings of the per-protocol analysis.’

Benefits after 2 year
An interesting aspect of the study is that the benefits of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids only became clear after about 2 years of treatment. Commenting on this remarkable aspect, dr Michel Komajda of the Pitie Salpetriere Hospital and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, in Paris, France, one of the other investigators in this trial, explained that ‘Mortality curves for treated and placebo groups only started to diverge after two years of follow-up’.

He further explained that while current European and U.S. treatment guidelines focus on the role of omega-3 in preventing heart disease wider guidance to include treating heart failure could be warranted.’ The benefit was statistically significant and at present physicians have little further to offer patients with heart failure. Therefore, I am sure that those of us who have responsibility for drawing up the next CHF guidelines will pay a lot of attention to the results of this trial.’

This sentiment was echoed by dr Gregg Fonarow of the of the Ahmanson-UCLA (University of California) Cardiomyopathy Center in Los Angeles, USA. In an editorial in The Lancet (3) dr Fonarow stated that despite the fact that ‘many questions remain about the mechanism of action, optimum dosing, and formulation, supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 fatty acids) should join the short list of evidence-based life-prolonging therapies for heart failure (HF).’

Clear benefits of omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have in the past been linked to a range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer's disease and depression. One explanation is that omega-3 fatty acids are thought to help by stabilizing the electrical signals of the heart, as well as reducing blood fat levels. Furthermore, researchers believe that omega-3 fatty acids could possibly exert favorable effects on inflammatory processes, such as reductions in endothelial activation and cytokine production, as well as influence platelet aggregation, blood pressure, heart rate, ventricular function, and autonomic tone.

The advantage of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation is that it is cheap, well-tolerated and does not interfere with other medications, making it an attractive option for patients with chronic heart failure (HF) even if the clinical benefits are relatively moderate. This advantage was confirmed by dr Tavazzi who spoke of an ‘Effective, safe, simple, and cheap’ treatment option.

Long term effects
The GISSI-HF study showed that long term treatment with low-dose omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a significant reduction of total mortality of 21% in patients who survived a recent myocardial infarct (starting treatment within 3 months from symptom onset). The analysis of the causes of death showed that, among all cardiac causes, the most affected by omega-3 fatty acids was sudden cardiac death. Other experimental, epidemiological, as well as small size human studies confirm these findings and support the hypothesis that omega-3fatty acids can exert antiarrhythmic or antifibrillatory effects.This conclusion can be relevant for heart failure patients because nearly half of the deaths of patients with chronic heart failure (HR) are classified as sudden cardiac deaths. Analysis of the trial data showed that in patients with left ventricular dysfunction or heart failure enrolled in the trial, the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on all-cause and sudden mortality were similar to those observed in the total population of the trial.

The researchers believe that findings of this study should also be taken as a message to the public to eat more fish to keep their hearts healthy.

Official study title: A Large Scale Clinical Trial Testing the Effects of n-3 PUFA and Rosuvastatin on Mortality-Morbidity of Patients With Symptomatic Congestive Heart Failure

For more information about omega-3 fatty acids, visit Vitaelin Nutraceuticals at http://vitaelinhealthcenter.com/

Sources

1. GISSI-HF investigators. Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2008; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61241-6. Available online at: http://www.thelancet.com.
2. GISSI-HF investigators. Effect of rosuvastatin in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2008; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61241-6. Available online at: http://www.thelancet.com.
3. Fonarow GC. Statins and n-3 fatty acid supplementation in heart failure. Lancet 2008; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61239-8. Available online at: http://www.thelancet.com.
4. Kjekhus J, Apetrei E, Barrios V, et al. Rosuvastatin in older patients with systolic heart failure. N Engl J Med 2007; DOI: 10.1056.nejmoa0706201. Available online at: http://www.nejm.org
5. Hjalmarson Å Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in Heart Failure (CORONA)-Results of an outcomes trial in patients with ischemic heart disease and heart failure. American Heart Association 2007 Scientific Sessions; November 5, 2007; Orlando, FL, Late-breaking clinical trials 2.

Increased Dietary Choline May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Finally some positive news about possible breast cancer reduction and the use of vitamins. A study conducted by a team of doctors including Dr Xinran Xu and Dr Marilie Gammon of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York, confirmed that greater intake of the B vitamin choline is associated with a reduction in the risk of breast cancer.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in the June 2008 edition of The FASEB Journal, the offical publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (Xu X, Gammon MD, Zeisel SH, Lee YL, et al , Choline metabolism and risk of breast cancer in a population-based study. FASEB J 2008 Jun;22(6):2045-52. Epub 2008 Jan 29).

"Choline metabolism may play an important role in breast cancer etiology..."

Choline is an essential nutrient required for methyl group metabolism, but its role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression is not well understood. The Scientists compared dietary intake data from 1,508 women with breast cancer with 1,556 women whoid not have the disease. They focused on choline and two other, related, nutrients, methionine and betaine, involved in methylation, which plays a role in cancer development [odds ratio (OR): 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.58-1.00].

Women whose intake of choline was in the highest one-fifth of participants (>455mg/day) had a 24% lower risk of breast cancer than women whose intake was in the lowest fifth (<196mg/day). Despite choline’s importance for maintaining normal cellular function, only 10% of Americans are estimated to meet the Institute of Medicine’s adequate choline intake level of 425mg/day for women and 550 mg/day for men and breastfeeding women. This concerns the team as they believe that their 'findings suggest that choline metabolism may play an important role in breast cancer etiology'.

Food-, dietary supplements and vitamins: Know what you take!

It’s a question that needs to be asked. If you are serious about your health and are taking food supplements, vitamins weight loss products and nutraceuticals do you know what you take? Do you know how these product impact your health? Are all these products good for your health? These seems simple, and easy questions, but the answer is very important. In this blog I'll try to explain.

Knowing what you take to improve your health requires having access to trustworthy information. As distributors of food- and dietary supplements we tell our customers that they can trust the products we sell. We feel very comfortable in educating our clients about our products. We feel that it’s our responsibility to give them access to information so that they can research and indeed feel confident that what we tell them is in fact true.

"It's our responsibility to give ...information... and feel confident that what we tell them is in fact true!"

Unfortunately, not every vitamin and dietary supplements is good for your health. But how do you know? There are various resources available. Some of these resources are available online, for other resources and information a trip to your local library may be required. But whatever the case, we feel that every consumer needs to make sure that he/she knows about the product they are taking.

One resource I really like is from The International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements. This information is generated by various agencies from the US government. But there are also many European and national resources worth reading.

Naturally, as a senior consultant of the European division of Vitaelin Nutraceuticals, I'll make sure that information that impacts any of the products we distribute is immediately released to the public. That's, what I feel, is my duty: be honest and fair in health education and information. But, at the same time we encourage our clients to continue researching all the products they take.

A great Database
As mentioned, we like the resources from The International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS). The database prepared by this organization is very complete. It provides access to bibliographic citations and abstracts from published, international, and scientific literature on dietary supplements. IBIDS is collaboration between two US government agencies: the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Library (NAL).

What is the IBIDS Database?
The International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements database is an easy to search free of charge internet resource. It is a collaboration between two government agencies: the Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC), The National Agricultural Library (NAL), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The database is a "work in progress" with new search terms, abstracts and citations added quarterly and modifications made to the search approach to respond to suggestions from users

Content
As of September 2007 there are over 760,000 citations on the topic of dietary supplements from four major database sources: biomedical-related articles from MEDLINE, botanical and agricultural science from AGRICOLA, worldwide agricultural literature through AGRIS, and coverage of international applied life sciences literature from CAB Abstracts and CAB Global Health.

Scope
The database generally lists the use and function of vitamin, mineral, phytochemical, botanical, and herbal supplements in human nutrition.It also lists the role of nutrient supplementation in metabolism in normal nutrition and disease states. Furthermore, animal studies that relate to the function of dietary supplements in human nutrition, chemical composition, biochemical roles, and antioxidant activity of botanical and nutrient supplements and fortification of foods with supplemental nutrients and health-related effects are reported.

The database also lists:

• Nutrient composition of herbal and botanical products;
• Surveys on dietary supplement use by various populations;
• The growth and production of herbal and botanical products used as dietary supplements;
• Abstracts where permission has been granted from the publisher;
• Citations from 1986 to the present
• Citations in foreign languages, if the abstract is in English;
• Citations have been selected from multiple databases to ensure that the database is comprehensive and internationally representative;
• Full, peer-reviewed and consumer journal databases;
• Keywords to help you find your topic of interest
• In the future -- citations from additional database sources.

In addition to having records on substances used as dietary supplements, IBIDS also includes records on substances such as niacin and glucosamine used in situations where they may be considered drugs. Such records are included in order to provide information on mechanism of action, possible adverse effects, and other information of potential interest to IBIDS users.

What does the IBIDS database not contain?

• Full journal articles - these may be obtained through your local public or university library or online through journal websites or document delivery services
• All herbal and botanical supplement ingredients - the American Herbal Products Association estimates that there are over 2000 herbal ingredients available in supplement products in the United States. The IBIDS database began with literature on the top 50 botanicals identified by the European Union and now contains literature on over 250 botanicals. These include the best sellers in the U.S. market.
• Complementary and alternative medicine approaches such as homeopathy, chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture. For more information on these topics, contact the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
  

Conclusion
The IBIDS database is just one of the resources we like. There are more resources dealing with information about supplements related to health and healthcare. In the weeks ahead I’ll discuss other resources as well.

If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me directly by sending us an email. For more information visit our website at Vitaelin Nutraceuticals.