Military Exchange stores again pull fitness supplements

This article came out on 27 October 2014 from Stars and Stripes News. Exchange stores at military bases around the world again pulled fitness supplements from shelves earlier this month after concerns they contained a potentially dangerous and untested stimulant.

The recalls might be triggering déjà vu among troops. Nearly three years ago, the same stores removed a variety of other supplements containing the previously obscure stimulant DMAA after reports of soldier deaths. The families of two soldiers who died after taking the products in 2011 have sued and those cases are heading toward trial.

Now, a study published Oct. 8 found the substance causing the latest military recalls, DMBA, closely mirrors the effects of DMAA as well as its name. The familiar spate of new product recalls and published research shows the military’s struggles with potentially dangerous fitness supplements may be far from over.

“We are seeing the same style [as with DMAA] … multiple companies are introducing these brand new stimulants that have never been tested,” said Pieter Cohen, a doctor and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard University who has studied the stimulants extensively.

At least a dozen supplement products were found to contain the new synthetic stimulant, which has unknown effects and could pose significant health risks, according to a study co-authored by Cohen and published in the Journal of Drug Testing and Analysis.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service said it pulled the weight-loss supplement MD2 Meltdown on Oct. 14 and Marine Corps exchanges reported removing it a day later due to concerns over DMBA.

Supplement giant GNC, which operates outlets on many military bases, removed that product and two others called Redline White Heat and OxyTHERM Pro this month, the exchange services said.

The Navy Exchange said it does not sell any of the products that tested positive for DMBA.

Companies have sought out new stimulants after the Food and Drug Administration pressed for the DMAA products to be eliminated following a rash of health problems beginning with the soldier deaths in 2011, Cohen said.

The military services and their exchange stores have struggled in the past to keep up with the variety of potentially dangerous substances that have hit the market in recent years. Supplements are largely unregulated by the FDA and ingredients are self-reported. Recalls typically occur only after reports of health problems from the public.

Bodybuilding and weight-loss supplements are highly popular among troops who are often under intense pressure to stay fit — on-post retail sales ring in at about $190 million per year and about 250,000 servicemembers use products considered to be high risk for side effects.

Last year, a supplement containing a designer drug similar to methamphetamine was not recalled from military shelves until months after initial reports of the dangers.

In the case of DMBA, it appears the services moved more quickly.

The stakes can be high and fallout from potentially dangerous supplements can stretch out for years.

Retailer GNC and a maker of DMAA products, USPlabs, recently settled a class-action lawsuit in Florida, reportedly paying out $2 million to consumers.

But the families of Pvt. Michael Sparling and Sgt. Demekia Cola, who both died at Fort Bliss, Texas, after taking the supplements in 2011, are still waiting for their day in court.

“We’re just really racing toward trial. The Sparlings are really looking forward to telling their story in court,” said Anne Andrews, a California attorney who also represents Cola’s family. “They want the world to know a young soldier died because of a dangerous product sold at GNC.”

Sparling, 22, took the bodybuilding and weight-loss supplement Jack3d just before a 3½-mile run with his new unit in summer 2011. He collapsed, lost consciousness and began foaming at the mouth.

He was pronounced dead several hours later at a nearby hospital.

His parents believe DMAA directly contributed to their son’s death and that it could kill or seriously injure some users even at recommended doses. They sued GNC and USPlabs and created a foundation in their son’s name to educate the public on the dangers of supplements.

Their case is set to be heard in a Texas court in June.

A lawsuit against the companies was also filed by Cola’s mother. The sergeant experienced muscle breakdown and heatstroke in late 2011 after taking a DMAA product. She suffered with complications for more than a month and died while waiting for a liver transplant, according to the court filing.

Both GNC and USPlabs declined to comment on the lawsuits.

They have repeatedly denied DMAA products pose a health risk.

A spokesman for USPlabs referred Stars and Stripes to a Department of Defense safety review two years ago that could not determine DMAA caused four reported soldier deaths but did find the substance might have endangered thousands of troops.

A GNC spokesman issued a statement saying, “GNC fully complies with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations with respect to the sale of dietary supplements, including those governing ingredients.”

MyAchingKnees Comment: Well, there you go. How many articles have to be published about the dangers of toxins or just poor manufacturing control of food grade supplements? With GNC stating that they comply with all law and regulations concerning supplements and ingredients, the logical question is "what laws and regulations might those be?" I am not trying to make light over this latest fiasco concerning off the shelf supplements, as I too was in the Army and the pressure to be as fit and physical as you could be prompted almost everyone I knew to take supplements. I was a GNC customer for years. Until 9 1/2 years ago, when I began to get educated. Not just in the need for supplementation, but the choices one has with quality or choosing the monetary savings you get with non-quality products.

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The Top 10 Things You can Do to Live to 100 Years Old...

These aren't my top 10 things to do to make it too 100, but I wouldn't have even thought about it until I read this article from EatLocalGrown. What are your top 10 longevity tips?

Here are some of the longevity-inducing factors researchers ferreted out from studying this population of centenarians:

1. Sleep in and take naps.

A 2008 study conducted by the University of Athens Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health studied more than 23,000 Greeks and found that occasional napping was associated with a 12% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease. But regular napping — at least three days weekly — was associated with a 37% reduction. Zzzz’s, anyone?

2. Stop worrying about being late.

Arrive whenever you get there – and let others do the same. Worrying about when you arrive triggers “fight or flight” stress responses that can reduce your life expectancy.

3. Grow a garden, nurture it, and eat from it.

Eat plants, avoid animal products, consume lots of olive oil, avoid processed foods, and drink wine in the company of good friends. Need inspiration and recipes? Read Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Kitchen.

4. Never give up your sense of purpose.

Finding and fulfilling your calling throughout your lifetime can extend your life. In fact, studies have linked early retirement to reduced life expectancy. In Okinawa, another community where many people live to be older than 100, people embrace the notion of ikigai — “the reason for which you wake up in the morning.”

It gets centenarians out of bed and off the sofa so they can make a difference in the community. The Nicoyans in Costa Rica use the term plan de vida to describe a lifelong sense of purpose. Dr. Robert Butler, the first director of the National Institute on Aging, says that being able to define your life meaning adds to your life expectancy.

5. Get it on.

A study of Ikarian men between 65 and 100 found that 80% of them claimed to have sex regularly, and a quarter of that self-reported group said they were doing so with “good duration” and “achievement.” Go dudes! For more proof that sex isn’t just fun, it’s good for your health, read this.

6. Take a placebo at least once per day.

Ikarians take a spoonful of honey every morning. They believe it is their “medicine” and use it for both prevention and treatment of illness and injury. They also regularly consume a homemade tea made of a special blend of herbs they believe extends their lives.

While there may be some health benefit the Ikarians enjoy from the honey and herbs themselves, chances are good that the stress-relieving, relaxation-inducing effects of the positive belief they associate with the honey and tea are more potent medicine than the honey and tea themselves. For more proof that placebos really can heal your body, read this.

7. Walk up 20 hills a day.

To get around the island, Ikarians walk. And it’s hilly where they live. Exercise isn’t something they do at the gym. It’s an enjoyable, built in part of their lifestyle.

8. Cultivate a sense of belonging.

As I wrote in this blog post, finding your tribe, alleviating loneliness, and feeling like part of a community can cut your risk of heart disease in half and extend your life up to 10 years. Be part of a community where you fit in. Ikarians live in multigenerational homes and avoid spending too much time alone. And researchers have proven that being part of a nurturing community is more important to good health than quitting smoking or starting to exercise.

9. Go to the church, temple, or mosque.

Studies show that gathering as part of a spiritual community can extend your life up to 14 years.

10. Surround yourself with people who follow steps 1-9.

The more you surround yourself with people engaged in whole health-inducing behaviors, the more it becomes part of your culture. If, however, you surround yourself with beer-guzzling, obese couch potato loners, it’s easier to become one yourself. When you surround yourself with healthy, inspiring people, you’re way more likely to live to be 100.



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Vitamin B12 for Energy?

George wrote to ask "...my energy levels have been down so after much researching on the internet I saw dozens of articles about how Vitamin B12 helps restore energy levels. Do you think this is true? Would Vitamin B12 help with my knee pain? How much Vitamin B12 should I take a day?"

Good question George.  I have also read many articles on B12 from the internet, ranging from implied claims that B12 helps regain memory loss; helps energy levels especially in older people; enhances immune systems; and even helping with mood swings. Of course claims that supplements help or fix diseases are verboten by the FDA.   

Many sources to include the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition believe that many Americans, possibly over half, are chronically deficient in Vitamin B12. It is my belief that most Americans are deficient in most, it not all, nutrients as the quality of the food supply is much less than it has been and we Americans are eating much more processed foods.

It is also my belief that no single Vitamin is the miracle nutrient. I have warned people for years not to read and believe stories that this Vitamin or that Vitamin treats a certain condition then rush off to buy a bottle of that miracle Vitamin at the local drug store. There are two things wrong with this: 1 - A person needs to receive all nutrients so they can work together synergistically for optimal health, in doses that will do them good, and 2 - Most sources of supplements are from food grade manufacture so the consumer never knows what they are actually getting and if they are also consuming toxins with those supplements.

So to answer your question George: Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient as are all the Vitamins and Minerals; Vitamin B12 in and of itself does not restore memory loss, etc., but works with other Vitamins and Minerals to provide the required nutrients so the body's immune system can function as optimally as it can.

I do not take Vitamin B12 by itself. It is part of the daily supplements I consume. I am getting 200 micro`grams of Vitamin B12 each day which is 3,340% of the FDA's Required Daily Allowance (RDA). These days, only cavemen believe that the RDA is sufficient for optimum health. I believe, as do thousands of people much smarter than me, including biologistsa, scientists, physicians, etc that for optimal health a person must consume much higher doses the Vitamins and Minerals.

As far as Vitamin B12 helping with knee pain,......vitamin B12 is one of many nutrients you must have for the body's immune system to work as efficient as it can and if working properly can minimze oxidative stress and free radical damage which may contribute to joint pain.



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