I just want to spread some Febuary awareness and
remind everyone of something very simple.

Be careful what supplement companies you buy from!

We spend so much time researching supplements,
don't overlook researching brands too.

There has been some rumours floating around a
couple various forums I visit, you've all probably seen
a hint about it too.

That some of the new emerging and fastly rising supplement
companies are actually based out of home garages and
living rooms. These are not the type of environments
that insure quality.

If your going to put something into your body to help
you gain muscle or lose fat, you don't want it to be
contaminated, dirty, or mislabeled entirely, right?

The recent BSN lawsuit shocked me. Big companies like BSN and IBE demonstrate that ANY COMPANY, no matter how big or innovative they are, is NEVER exempt from srcutiny.

But I would like to say that I have reviewed the standards for several different states on manufacturing of cosmetics (which most states classify supplements as), and the standards are not excruciatingly high or demanding. So while you may find it perturbing that some supp companies produce products in their home, it is more than likely 100% legal and acceptable under state law.

Of course a lot of people in the bb community dont want additional regulation of the industry. After all regulation led to the demise of the first generation of prohormones.

bb

I have NEVER heard of a supplement company manufacturing products in a HOME. Who does this? That's crazy...Is that compliant with GMP & NSF standards?

where is your factory?

Supreme Sports Enhancements
629 Grove St.
Jersey City, NJ 07310
1800-777-0901

My contract manufacturer is NC World Wide

Where is yours?

Some products fall in as cosmetics. Remember most people only have to meet state standards. Look over your state's laws regarding prodution of cosmetics.

bb

Ultimately, I think it starts at the TOP. You can't manufacture bodybuilding supplements if you don't understand nutraceuticals AND BODYBUILDING NUTRITION. You can have a BA or a MASTERS in Chemistry, but if you LACK KNOWLEDGE OF BODYBUILDING NUTRITION, you are ill-equipped to design and develop bodybuilding supplements.

Any reputable company will be able to provide COA's for their products

I agree. Most supplement company owners are business administration majors looking to turn a profit without detailed consideration that adds to the overall cost (e.g. 3rd party testing) and undermines the bottom line. Such circumstances are entirely understandable and plausible, hopefully leading the consumer to a more informed decision regarding the quality and presence or absence of the listed ingredients.
I think we can all agree on that - especially companies with few employees and limited operations. Such limited resources can ultimately lead to financial realities that render independent laboratory assays cost prohibitive.

I'm glad you emphasize very forthrightly the need for quality and independent verification in a market that is most likely infested with fraudulently mislabeled supplements.

It only contains a trace amount of the ACTIVE CHEMICAL responsible for increasing LH/Testosterone, a Frustanol Saponin called Protodioscin. It is PROTODIOSCIN that matters, and PROTODIOSCIN ONLY!

Is there any data to support this? Aside from some of the original corporate research that showed that a fairly unsophisticated extract of trib increased LH, I was not aware that there had been any studies in animals or humans to support the use of trib as a LH releaser/mimetic...

BSN=100m+ company with playboy models as receptionist
IBE= very very small compared to BSN and likely makes things in a bathtub.

Please don't ever think they are anywhere near the same.

LOL, good point. I was simply stating that IBE was INNOVATIVE to bring Epithio to the market. I know they aren't a large company.

IBE didn't....I did.

You are the creator of "Havoc"? If so, my hat is off to you! Remarkable compound indeed!

Yep..my company brought the first Epithio compound to the market.

We were just glad to be able to offer a hormonal product that is both VERY effective, and relatively benign.

Is there any scientific research behind the actives in Vitex, increasing test and lowering estros?

I'm well aware of Vitex uses, particularly for lowering prolactin...however the studies posted above don't say anything about an increase in LH. Also those studies do not mention anything about Vitex effects in men

I just want to spread some Febuary awareness and
remind everyone of something very simple.

Be careful what supplement companies you buy from!

We spend so much time researching supplements,
don't overlook researching brands too.

There has been some rumours floating around a
couple various forums I visit, you've all probably seen
a hint about it too.

I just want to spread some Febuary awareness and
remind everyone of something very simple.

Be careful what supplement companies you buy from!

We spend so much time researching supplements,
don't overlook researching brands too.

There has been some rumours floating around a
couple various forums I visit, you've all probably seen
a hint about it too.

That some of the new emerging and fastly rising supplement
companies are actually based out of home garages and
living rooms. These are not the type of environments
that insure quality.

If your going to put something into your body to help
you gain muscle or lose fat, you don't want it to be
contaminated, dirty, or mislabeled entirely, right?

Some of my favorite and highly trusted brands are,
Avant Labs
Ergopharm
Primaforce
Giant Nutrition
Designer Supplements
Avant Research

I prefer to buy from companies who do not make promises in magazines. I like all of the companies you listed.

How do you guys feel about Life Extension's products?
Vitamin Shoppe brand?

Both top notch. LEF is probably better on a few things.

I have to disclose I worked with VS for awhile.

I remember reading recently that the Vitamin Shoppe brand's women's multi was found by lab tests to have LEAD in it. That made me wary of ever buying any VS brand product again.

Of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their labels or satisfied other quality standards.[

Most worrisome, according to ConsumerLab.com president Dr. Tod Cooperman, is that one product, The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women, was contaminated with lead.

"I was definitely shocked by the amount of lead in [this] woman's product," he said. "We've never seen that much lead in a multivitamin before."

Other products contained more or less of a particular vitamin than listed on the label. And some did not dissolve in the correct amount of time, meaning they could potentially pass through the body without being fully absorbed.

"Half the products were fine, half were not," said Cooperman.

I remember reading recently that the Vitamin Shoppe brand's women's multi was found by lab tests to have LEAD in it. That made me wary of ever buying any VS brand product again.

Perhaps they misheard "women need supplemental iron" as "women need supplemental lead"....I mean, seriously...is it that much of a difference anyway?

Perhaps they misheard "women need supplemental iron" as "women need supplemental lead"....I mean, seriously...is it that much of a difference anyway?

Perhaps they misheard "women need supplemental iron" as "women need supplemental lead"....I mean, seriously...is it that much of a difference anyway?

ConsumerLab.com, LLC ("CL") is the leading provider of independent test results and information to help consumers and healthcare professionals evaluate health, wellness, and nutrition products. It publishes results of its tests at www.consumerlab.com — which receives over 2.5 million visits per year and in its acclaimed book ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying Vitamins & Supplements. CL also surveys supplement users and publish survey reports. Its research is cited frequently in the media, books, and at medical meetings. As a certification company, CL enables companies of all sizes to have their products voluntarily tested for potential inclusion in its list of Approved Quality products and bear the CL Seal. Since its founding in 1999, CL has tested more than 2,000 products, representing over 350 different brands and nearly every type of popular supplement.

INDEPENDENT TESTING OF PRODUCTS:
Types of Products Tested:
CL evaluates consumer products relating to health, wellness, and nutrition, including:
Health & Nutrition Products:
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From time to time, CL may evaluate additional types of products that impact consumer health, wellness, or nutrition.

Testing Programs:
Products are tested through CL's Product Reviews and its Voluntary Certification Program (previously known as CL's Guaranteed Testing and Ad Hoc Testing programs).

Product Reviews:
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Brands that "Pass" may carry the CL Seal of Approval upon acceptance by the manufacturer of the CL Seal Use License Agreement (described below).
Product Reviews are repeated periodically (approximately every 24 to 36 months) for each product category. However, CL may re-test brands at any time. A change in a brand's test results will be reflected in CL's Web site and will affect eligibility for the CL certification seal.
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Manufacturers and distributors interested in the potential of having their products certified by CL, listed among the Approved Quality Products in CL's Product Reviews and bear the CL Seal may participate in the Voluntary Certification Program. Testing is conducted in the same manner as Product Reviews with test samples not accepted directly from the manufacturer.

There is a testing fee paid by the manufacturer and results are proprietary to the manufacturer. However, if a product "Passes," it may appear in CL's Web site listing of the respective Product Review with a footnote indicating that it was tested through the Voluntary Certification Program. A product that "Passes" is also eligible to carry the CL Seal of Approval upon acceptance by the manufacturer of the CL Seal Use License Agreement (described below).

Due to economies of scale, testing fees are lower for products that fall within a category about to undergo a Product Review. Manufacturers and distributors should contact lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com if they wish to be alerted to upcoming Product Review categories.

Multi-Label Testing Program:
For manufacturers of private label and multi-brand products seeking to participate in CL's Voluntary Certification Program, CL offers the Multi-Label Testing Program option. Manufacturers must provide proof that the formulations are identical for all products and all sampled products must pass testing for products to be listed as Approved Quality.

Raw Material & Private Label Certification Program:
Suppliers of ingredients to manufacturers may have their materials evaluated by CL using the same testing methods employed in Product Reviews. If the material passes testing, a Certificate of Approved Quality is issued to the supplier, who may use it in its marketing to clients and prospective clients.

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Manufacturers, sports associations, and others may have dietary supplements and nutrition products tested for substances that could result in an athlete being disqualified from competing in Olympic or other competition. The screening program includes testing for certain stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, diuretics, masking agents, and beta-blockers based on the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code or the codes of other sports associations. Such products can also be evaluated for their active ingredients using the same criteria and testing methods employed in Product Reviews.

There is a testing fee paid by the requestor, to whom the results are proprietary. However, if a product "Passes," the requestor may have it listed on CL's Web site for the respective Product Review as well as for a separate listing of products that have passed the Athletic Banned Substances Screening Program. Passing products are also eligible to carry the CL Seal of Approval upon acceptance by the manufacturer of the CL Seal Use License Agreement (described below).

Custom Analyses and Consulting:
Parties wishing to engage ConsumerLab.com's research staff to perform special purpose testing, analyses, or consulting should contact research@consumerlab.com. Examples of assignments include testing of material for clinical trials, expert analysis and opinion for litigation, and concept/product testing for new product development.


Testing Criteria and Methods:
Products are tested for the following:
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Availability: Does the product break apart properly so that it may be used by the body? [See ConsumerLab.com Home Test for Disintegration for how to test your supplements]

These criteria must be met to be considered Approved by CL. If a manufacturer seeks to use the CL Seal of Approval, the product will be tested for these criteria every twelve months based on a random sample purchased on the open market.

Specific testing criteria vary by product and are selected on the basis of high consumer importance and a lack of ongoing monitoring or reporting by government or independent organizations.

CL seeks to use the most advanced and appropriate test methods. Each Product Review provides a link to the methods used. Below are examples of test methods used:
AA (atomic absorption)
CE (capillary electrophoresis)
Gas chromatography with detection by FID (flame ionization detector), ECD (electron capture detector) and MS or MS/MS
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HP-TLC (high performance thin-layer chromatography)
ICP/MS (inductively coupled plasma/mass spectroscopy)
Microscopy
MS (mass spectroscopy)

An index to the methods and standards for each Product Review is found at www.consumerlab.com/methods_index.asp.

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Brands that "Pass" Product Reviews, or the Voluntary Certification Program are posted on CL's Web site as having "Passed" the specific test performed. Manufacturers of brands that "Pass" may purchase a license to use the CL Seal of Approval on their product labels, packaging, promotion, and advertising according to parameters set forth in the CL Seal Use License Agreement. Such licenses expire upon established dates and automatically terminate if the product does not "Pass" any re-testing by CL. In order to continue to carry the CL Seal directly on product labeling, the product must pass retesting every twelve months.


KEY MANAGEMENT:
Tod Cooperman, M.D., President
Dr. Tod Cooperman is a noted researcher, writer, and speaker on consumer healthcare issues. Dr. Cooperman is also the Founder of PharmacyChecker.com (www.pharmacychecker.com), an evaluator of Internet pharmacies, and CareData Reports, Inc., a leading independent evaluator of consumer satisfaction with managed care (now a division of J.D. Power and Associates). Dr. Cooperman is a graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine.

William R. Obermeyer, Ph.D., Vice President for Research
Dr. William Obermeyer joined ConsumerLab.com from the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) where he was a Natural Products Chemist guiding research activities of various natural products and educating the public, academia and industry on the safety and proper manufacture and testing of dietary supplements. Dr. Obermeyer is an internationally recognized authority on pharmacognosy (the science of natural products) and serves on the Executive Board of the AOAC Technical Division for Reference Materials. Dr. Obermeyer received his Ph.D. from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.

Lisa K. Sabin, Vice President for Business Development
Lisa Sabin joined ConsumerLab.com from Prevention Magazine where she was an Account Executive working with healthcare and consumer products companies. Prior to that, she worked for Hearst Magazines, in the Brand Development Department, managing the merchandising of products under the names of its publications, such as Popular Mechanics, Cosmopolitan and Esquire. Ms. Sabin is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Communications.

Elena Suzuki Yoo, CN, Japan Manager
Elena Suzuki Yoo coordinates ConsumerLab.com's activities in the Japanese market. Ms. Yoo brings experience in international business and Japanese medical/nutritional writing and translation. Ms. Yoo holds a Certified Nutritionist degree from the American Health Science University in Colorado and a B.A. from Japan Women's University (Nihon Jyoshi Daigaku) in Tokyo.


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PUBLIC COMMENT:
CL welcomes input from any interested party (e.g., consumer groups, retailers, healthcare professionals, academic and commercial researchers, manufacturers, government agencies, trade groups, etc.) in its testing policies and procedures. Comments and questions should be submitted electronically to info@consumerlab.com.

Newspapers:
Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Gannett News Service, Investor's Business Daily, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Newsday, New York Post, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Reno Gazette-Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, The Arizona Republic, The Atlanta Constitution, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Baltimore Sun, The Christian Science Monitor, The Detroit Free Press, The Hartford Courant, The Journal News, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Oregonian, The Orlando Sentinel, The Seattle Times Magazine, The Tampa Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Wilmington Morning Star.

Magazines:
Arthritis Today, Better Homes and Gardens, Business Week, Cooking Light, Fitness Magazine, Glamour Magazine, Health Magazine, HerbalGram, Herbs for Health, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Ladies' Home Journal, Men's Health, Modern Maturity, Money Magazine, Mother Earth News, New Choices Magazine, Newsweek International, O the Oprah Magazine, Parade, Prevention Magazine, Pure Power, Magazine Protégez-Vous, Reader's Digest, Remedy Magazine, Runners World, Self, Shape, Time, USA Weekend, U.S. News and World Report, and Vegetarian Times

Newsletters:
AARP Bulletin, Bottom Line Health, Bottom Line Personal, Cosmetics Cop Newsletter, Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing Newsletter, Environmental Nutrition, Nutrition Action Newsletter, The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter — Health After 50, The Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, and the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter

Radio:
"Eye on the Internet" (KRLD 1080/Dallas-Fort Worth); Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson; National Public Radio (NPR) All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Talk of the Nation; The People's Pharmacy (Public Radio); Leonard Lopate Show (WNYC - New York); HealthTalk with Dr. Hoffman (WOR).

Television:
ABC News 20/20, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CNN Headline News, and NBC Today Show and Weekend Today Show.

Trade & Professional Publications:
American Journal of Nursing, Complementary Practice of Alternative Medicine, Drug Store News, Food Labeling and Nutrition News, Functional Foods, Health Supplement Retailer, Journal of Practical Psychiatry, NACDS Chain Pharmacist Practice Memo, Natural Business, Natural Pharmacy, Nutraceuticals World, Nutritional Outlook, Primary Psychiatry, Psychiatric Annals, The Tan Sheet, Today's Dietician, Today's Health & Wellness, U.S. Pharmacist, Vitamin Retailer Magazine, and Whole Foods.

Books:
"Nutrition Concerns in Women" by Sarah Johnston Miller, Pharm.D., BCNSP appearing in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy's Pharmacotherapy Self-Assessment Program version IV, 2002.
The Wellness Revolution, Paul Zane Pilzer, John Wiley & Sons, 2002.
Nutritional Aspects and Clinical Management of Chronic Disorders and Diseases, Edited by Felix Bronner, CRC Press, 2002.
Reader's Digest Cut Your Cholesterol, David L. Katz, M.D. and Debra L. Gordon, Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 2004
Natural Causes, Dan Hurley, Broadway Books, 2006
The World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets, BottomLine Books, 2006
What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating, Marion Nestle, North Point Press, 2006
What Your Doctor Hasn't Told You And The Health Store Clerk Doesn't Know, Edward L. Schneider, M.D. and Leigh Ann Hirschman, Penguin Group, 2006
Understanding Dietary Supplements, Jenna Hollenstein, MD, RD, ELS, University Press of Mississippi, 2007