The first thing people do is search for ‘best fat burner’ or ‘best fat burning ingredients’…but knowing what to avoid is equally important.
Why? Because consuming the wrong ingredients can lead to you suffering from side effects.
Side effects are a bad time. They won’t help you on your fat burning journey. Side effects just make you feel bad, full stop.
As a result, we wanted to give you a quick guide in which fat burning ingredients you should be avoiding – to stay safe and ensure you have the best experience with fat burner supplements.
Bitter Orange Extract
This is the number one ingredient to avoid. It’s actually gained a bad reputation on many bodybuilding forms for causing side effects such as light headedness, nausea, anxiety and even high blood pressure.
That’s on the better side of things too…The National Institute of Health in USA state that it can cause much worse side effects. You can see info on that here.
Don’t forget about Synephrine either; Synephrine is the active ingredient in Bitter Orange Extract that makes it potentially harmful.
However, before we finish writing about Bitter Orange Extract and Synephrine, we do have to point out that studies show it can help promote fat loss. It’s just not worth consuming if you are at risk of side effects – especially when there are safe and effective thermogenics such as Cayenne Pepper Extract that have shown to work in numerous studies.
Yohimbe
When looking through forums and personal experiences, Yohimbe is another ingredient that’s found in fat burners that has been reported to cause side effects.
In fact, LeanBulking.com rightfully pointed out that Yohimbe has been ‘blacklisted’ by the FDA after dealing with complaints about it – the legality of this ingredient in the UK is also been a hot topic for a while now too.
Reported side effects include; anxiety, high blood pressure, headaches – and even more serous issues such as kidney damage.
As a result, Yohimbe is something we also recommend that you avoid on your search for fat burner supplement. Again though, one disclaimer is that we will point out that some studies have shown positive results for Yohimbe in terms of fat loss – but the potential side effects rule this one out too.
Large Dosages of Stimulants Eg. Caffeine
After a bad nights sleep, Caffeine can seem like your saving grace. But we’ve all had one cup too many of coffee in the office before…
What happened? You probably felt jittery, light headed – eventually suffering from an energy crash to top off a bad experience.
Yep, that was caused from an ‘overconsumption’ of Caffeine.
The problem is that everyone has different tolerances to Caffeine, so it’s hard to say what your limit should be in supplements.
In general, non-stimulant fat burners (and pre-workouts) are becoming more popular as a result of this; people have realized that they can consume caffeine through coffee without risking jittery side effects from their supplements.
But if you really want a fat burner that contains Caffeine, choosing one that contains less than 100mg daily (equal to around 2 cups of coffee) should keep you safe. Remember, though, if you drink tons of coffee then a stimulant fat burner can push you ‘over the edge’.
Garcinia Cambogia
You’ve no doubt seen adverts online for ‘miracle fat burner that miraculously makes fat disappear’. Well, at one point, Garcinia Cambogia was one of those fat burner ingredients…
In fact, it gained popularity as a result and even newspapers begun to write about it in a positive manner.
However, research conducted on Garcinia Cambogia didn’t show very positive results. One clinical study by Keri E Lunsforth even warns of the dangers of this ingredient.
When official studies such as the link we’ve linked to above warn against something, you should probably listen…so Garcinia Cambogia is something that you should avoid.
Ephedrine
Any products containing Ephedrine has actually been banned from use by the FDA, so you won’t see this in any legal supplements on the market.
However, we wanted to add this to our list in case anyone is tempted by buying this online somewhere…
Basically, if something is banned by the FDA, then it’s for a reason; Ephedrine had been reported to cause some serious side effects when it was being added into supplements.
So, Ephedrine tops off our top 5 list of fat burner ingredients to avoid.
Conclusion
Losing body fat can sometimes seem like an impossible task. Putting in blood, sweat and tears only to find that you’re not rockin’ a 6 pack…that’s something we’ve all been through.
However, that doesn’t mean you should turn to any potentially harmful ingredients to try and experience success.
Avoid the ones mentioned in this article and you’ll be on your way to fat burning without suffering from side effects.
In terms of ingredients to look for, go for thermogenics (nutrients that boost your metabolic rate, thus promoting fat loss) – such as Cayenne Pepper Extract, which works due to containing capsaicin.
Text masking was quite a popular technique in 2018. Developers experminted with various layers (the most popular was, of course, the video background) and different typefaces.
Today we are witnessing a bit of decline in usage because there are many other options. However, it is still impressive and lets you create something incredible effortlessly. For example, just take a look at Stratego Branding:
The Web Designer Toolbox Unlimited Downloads: 500,000+ Web Templates, Themes, Plugins & Design Assets
Here, the design team uses masking to make the slogan weightier, stronger and more attractive.
They managed to make three simple words the focus of attention, easily separating it from the background and content. “Change the game” is the first thing that you notice.
They recreated the athletic atmosphere using a proper image background without overwhelming visitors.
They enhanced the sports metaphor visually making a proper statement. That’s not all. Masking is also used to enrich the display of portfolio works, making the design complete.
Stratego Branding is a representative example of a website that turns simplicity of solution into an advantage. Their website is elegant, strong and businesslike. And with all that it has charisma and personality. Nicely done.
Therefore, if you are looking to establish serenity in a home area but you do not want it to be all static, oversimplified and dull, then text masking is a viable solution. And for a good start in this area, explore these fantastic code snippets. The developers share different experiments with the audience, fascinating them with exciting ideas and practical solutions.
The first one in our collection is an absolute classic of this direction. We have seen this effect millions of times and Dudley Storey shows us how to recreate it with the help of HTML, SCSS and a bit of JavaScript. This pen is editable so that you can play with it. In the background you will find an HTML5 video.
Another absolute classic is presented on this pen built by Jesus Gracia. It is here where the masking image and SVG text go hand-in-hand. As a result, we can enjoy a fantastic custom typeface. The lettering looks outstanding. The artist uses the time-proven trio of HTML, CSS and JS. The solution is an excellent starting point for those who want to recreate the effect seen in Stratego Branding’s home screen above.
Mask Effect by Alex is based on a hover effect. It is a pure CSS realization, which means it’s both light and quick. The solution allows visitors to zoom in and out on the lettering. It uses the same background throughout project to produce an interesting outcome. Note that, as of this writing, the effect works best in Chrome.
If you are up for some other pure CSS3 realizations, then CSS3 font mask animation by Wifeo is a project from which you can derive inspiration. The artist uses only HTML and CSS to pull off this fantastic effect. Again, you’ll want to view this one in Chrome for full effect.
To make things more interesting, you can easily mix the previous solution with some blend modes. For example, you can use a blur effect like Matt DesLauriers did. His Blur Mask is just incredible. The artist leverages a heavily blurred canvas and a text mask that is clean as a whistle. Looks stylish and nifty.
Marti Fenosa goes a bit further with the concept by charging it with GSAP magic. Using SVG and mask transitions, Marti has managed to give the text a lovely behavior that playfully shows and hides the words. Once again, this example is best viewed in Chrome.
Images and videos are two popular choices when it comes to masking; however, it does not mean that you are limited only to these two. Indeed, you have some other viable options like, for example, gradients.
This is the simplest way of using masking and a gradient, but it still works. The author combines animated gradients and SVG masks without using any JavaScript magic. Simple, but elegant and eye-catching. It can be a perfect finishing touch for numerous projects.
Much like the previous example, here a gradient is used to enrich the letterforms. Miles Manners uses Granim.js to generate the mask. You can play with settings, change the font, size and of course the text. The solution can be easily used in your project – just visit the official page for all the details.
Another alternative to videos and images can be animation. Take a look at Text masking with snap.svg by Rachel Smith. Rachel’s work is marvelous. It is so fun and playful that you want to take it with you and use it in your project right away. Here, almost everything is done with the help of Snap.svg.
Look familiar to you? I bet the first thing that comes to mind is an iconic Apple iPhone promo. And you are right. Susan Lee created a replica using SVG, GSAP and ScrollMagic. Neat, nifty and refined.
This is a place to dig in and enjoy the whole beauty and potential hidden within. Yoksel, the author of these incredible demos and the accompanying tutorial, has experimented with CSS and SVG. The result is nearly a dozen solutions featuring animated fills and strokes used inside simple lettering.
What’s Behind the Mask?
Text masking is not as simple as it may seem at first sight. They all are different. Yes, many developers prefer to use video backgrounds, but still, they differ from each other. Many tricks make this solution unique: parallax scrolling effects, gradients, animations, etc.
Mixing and matching various techniques lets developers come up with fantastic realizations – ones that do not overwhelm visitors nor weigh down the website. Text masking is an elegant, simple and time-proven way of transforming taglines or slogans into the star of the show.
Mycio Wealth Partners Llc increased Disney Walt Co (DIS) stake by 35.84% reported in 2018Q3 SEC filing. Mycio Wealth Partners Llc acquired 4,493 shares as Disney Walt Co (DIS)’s stock rose 1.07%. The Mycio Wealth Partners Llc holds 17,031 shares with $1.99 million value, up from 12,538 last quarter. Disney Walt Co now has $171.81 billion valuation. The stock increased 0.84% or $0.96 during the last trading session, reaching $115.25. About 8.74 million shares traded or 6.78% up from the average. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has risen 6.27% since February 24, 2018 and is uptrending. It has outperformed by 6.27% the SP500. Some Historical DIS News: 31/05/2018 – Trump Wants Apology From Disney’s Iger Over 2017 Russia Report; 07/05/2018 – The Business Times: #Comcast prepares all-cash bid to gate-crash #Disney-Fox deal; 25/05/2018 – To @jimcramer, comparing Netflix and Disney is not particularly useful; 05/04/2018 – SAUDI CROWN PRINCE MET WITH WARNER BROS., DISNEY, MAGIC LEAP; 26/04/2018 – DISNEY SAYS NEW `AVENGERS’ OPENS WITH $39M INTERNATIONALLY; 08/05/2018 – ♫ Reuters Insider – Disney revenue up on ‘Black Panther’; 30/05/2018 – Trump wades into furor over racist Roseanne Barr tweet; 13/05/2018 – DISNEY: `AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR’ GLOBAL GBO $1.61B TO DATE; 19/04/2018 – Dolby and Disney Announce Extended Theatrical Collaboration; 29/03/2018 – ITALIA INDEPENDENT GROUP SPA IINT.Ml – HAS SIGNED LICENSE AGREEMENT TO MAKE DISNEY, MARVEL AND LUCAS FILM THEMED GLASSES
NUTRAFUELS INC (OTCMKTS:NTFU) had a decrease of 32% in short interest. NTFU’s SI was 8,500 shares in February as released by FINRA. Its down 32% from 12,500 shares previously. With 78,600 avg volume, 0 days are for NUTRAFUELS INC (OTCMKTS:NTFU)’s short sellers to cover NTFU’s short positions. The stock increased 11.44% or $0.0195 during the last trading session, reaching $0.19. About 375,178 shares traded or 816.95% up from the average. NutraFuels, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTFU) has 0.00% since February 24, 2018 and is . It has by 0.00% the SP500.
More news for NutraFuels, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTFU) were recently published by: Globenewswire.com, which released: “Freedom Leaf Inc. Announces National Distribution Agreement Other OTC:FRLF – GlobeNewswire” on February 28, 2018. Marketwired.com‘s article titled: “NutraFuels (NTFU) Files its Application to Up List to the OTCQB OTC Market – Marketwired” and published on January 29, 2018 is yet another important article.
NutraFuels, Inc. manufactures and distributes oral spray nutritional and dietary products to retail and wholesale outlets. The company has market cap of $20.20 million. The companyÂ’s products include sleep spray to support a healthy sleep cycle and improve the quality of restful sleep; energize spray to enhance energy, and restore vigor and vitality; and garcinia cambogia spray, an appetite and weight management spray. It currently has negative earnings. It also offers NRG-X extreme energy spray to enhance energy and stamina; headache and pain spray to relieve headaches and pain; and hair, skin, and nails spray to nourish and encourage hair, skin, and nail growth.
Since September 4, 2018, it had 0 buys, and 16 selling transactions for $11.46 million activity. Shares for $5.73 million were sold by IGER ROBERT A. 29,192 shares valued at $3.44M were sold by Parker Mary Jayne on Wednesday, October 3. $124,178 worth of stock was sold by BRAVERMAN ALAN N on Friday, December 28. On Wednesday, February 6 the insider WOODFORD BRENT sold $227,200.
Among 6 analysts covering Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS), 5 have Buy rating, 0 Sell and 1 Hold. Therefore 83% are positive. Walt Disney had 6 analyst reports since October 15, 2018 according to SRatingsIntel. The stock of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has “Buy” rating given on Tuesday, February 19 by Macquarie Research. The stock has “Overweight” rating by Morgan Stanley on Monday, October 15. The firm earned “Market Perform” rating on Thursday, February 7 by BMO Capital Markets. Argus Research maintained the stock with “Buy” rating in Monday, November 12 report. The stock of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has “Buy” rating given on Tuesday, November 27 by Imperial Capital. The stock has “Overweight” rating by Barclays Capital on Friday, October 19.
Mycio Wealth Partners Llc decreased Alphabet Inc stake by 1,062 shares to 2,284 valued at $2.73 million in 2018Q3. It also reduced Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) stake by 6,122 shares and now owns 163,382 shares. Spdr Series Trust (SDY) was reduced too.
Investors sentiment increased to 1.27 in 2018 Q3. Its up 0.04, from 1.23 in 2018Q2. It improved, as 61 investors sold DIS shares while 549 reduced holdings. 149 funds opened positions while 628 raised stakes. 890.89 million shares or 8.78% less from 976.63 million shares in 2018Q2 were reported. Northrock invested in 3,160 shares. 4,090 are held by Freestone Company. Strategy Asset Managers Ltd Com owns 81,949 shares for 0% of their portfolio. Soros Fund Mngmt Ltd Llc invested in 0.77% or 299,000 shares. Old Second Bancorp Of Aurora invested 0.93% in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). Van Eck Corp stated it has 0.23% in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd holds 0.01% of its portfolio in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) for 9,135 shares. Highbridge Capital Mngmt Ltd Liability Com holds 37,195 shares. Dubuque State Bank Comm accumulated 40,047 shares. Mckinley Carter Wealth Incorporated invested in 0.53% or 15,346 shares. 1.82 million are held by Apg Asset Mngmt Nv. Addenda, Quebec – Canada-based fund reported 63,069 shares. Harvest invested in 5,738 shares. State Of Alaska Department Of Revenue stated it has 343,153 shares or 0.67% of all its holdings. Acadian Asset Mngmt Ltd Liability Corp, a Massachusetts-based fund reported 1.35 million shares.
More notable recent The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) news were published by: Seekingalpha.com which released: “YouTube ads pulled over exploitation fears – Seeking Alpha” on February 21, 2019, also Bizjournals.com with their article: “Disney (NYSE: DIS) shares new additions on way for Epcot theme park in Orlando – Orlando Business Journal – Orlando Business Journal” published on February 21, 2019, Seekingalpha.com published: “Disney: Forced To Transform Its Business – Seeking Alpha” on February 19, 2019. More interesting news about The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) were released by: Seekingalpha.com and their article: “Walt Disney Q1 2019 Earnings Preview – Seeking Alpha” published on February 04, 2019 as well as Seekingalpha.com‘s news article titled: “WarnerMedia talks late-2019 streaming plans – Seeking Alpha” with publication date: February 11, 2019.
It is trendy these days to extol the virtues of remote working, and either implicitly or explicitly shame any company/manager that doesn't like it. While there are absolutely advantages to remote work or working from home, the one-sidedness of the conversation is, I believe, actively harmful. The idea of "going to work" is still a valid and useful one, and one that should not be cavalierly cast aside in Twitter snark the way it currently is.
We are all aware of the fact that slimming is a mega-dollar industry. With millions, if not billions of people of all ages struggling to lose weight, and very few pharmaceutically effective medications available to assist them, the desperate public will literally clutch at straws.
Every week sees the launch of a new “miracle” diet pill or potion and a “surefire” diet guaranteed to help believers shed kilos like magic.
Recently Garcinia cambogia became the flavour of the year. If you search the internet for information on this exotic fruit extract you will be assured that this is finally the miracle we have all been waiting for, which will produce dramatic weight loss. Endorsements by various TV personalities and other luminaries have added to the allure of Garcinia cambogia slimming products.
According to a recent local study from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) “this small fruit, reminiscent of a pumpkin in appearance, is currently most popularly used and widely advertised as a weight-loss supplement”.
The good side
But just how effective is this plant for shedding the kilos?
The comprehensive overview from TUT suggests that studies have shown that “the extracts as well as (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA), a main organic acid component of the fruit rind, exhibited anti-obesity activity”. It also regulates the serotonin levels related to satiety, leading to reduced food intake.
“According to clinical trial reports, Garcinia extracts were beneficial to obese individuals in many cases. In addition, studies on the toxicity and observations during clinical trials indicate that Garcinia is safe to use. Most of the negative reports have been related to cases where multi ingredient formulations were consumed and the effect could not be attributed to a specific ingredient.”
The research does, however, caution against an increase in serotonin, especially in people who take medicines that are already increasing serotonin levels, such as SSRIs. Research into these effects has not been conducted.
“Moreover, regulatory authorities should provide and enforce legislation requiring the compulsory basic safety demonstration of supplements pre-marketing and develop post-marketing surveillance systems,” the study concluded.
The bad side
Dr Ingrid van Heerden, a registered dietitian, is of opinion that we should be cautious of Garcinia, since it has not undergone rigorous testing. What follows is reviewed information from her pen, including her final verdict:
Often, once a person who wants, or needs to lose weight, is hooked on the promise of a slim, sexy figure, they are sucked into the deception. If the drops, wafers or powders don’t work, well then it is the fault of the user who did not adhere to one or other often impossible instruction such as “stick to a 500 kcal/day diet” or “drink 5 litres of water a day”, never that of the diet pill.
When eventually science and legislation catch up with the manufacturers, they calmly take product A off the market, change their formulation slightly, change the name to product B, and then blithely sell product B using the same advertising gambits as before, raking in the money and pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes all over again.
In keeping with the ever-changing slimming product ranges, there are what one can call “ingredients of the year” (sometimes an ingredient lasts for only three to six months, but some have longer life spans, and then of course some are resurrected every two to three years).
We have had apple cider vinegar (which has made many a comeback over the years), green tea (which has earned some merit in scientific studies), hoodia (which just does not manage to produce the research results that will make it a front-runner), willow bark (or salicylic acid which is good for aches and pains but not as efficacious for slimming), and good old caffeine (which has a diuretic effect thus helping you lose weight until you replenish the water in your body, and also a stimulant effect when taken in large quantities that can be potentially dangerous), to name but a few.
While it is perfectly possible that more extensive and well controlled scientific studies will reveal that an extract of Garcinia cambogia which contains a chemical called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) will assist weight loss, we are at present not yet sure how this tamarind or brindall berry or brindleberry or Garcinia gummi-gutta works, what side-effects it may or may not have and what dosage is required to achieve really significant weight loss.
But I hear you say: “For once we have a number of scientific studies that were carried out with Garcinia cambogia, so what’s the problem?”
Well some of the studies did not show any weight loss differences between patients who took Garcinia pills and those who took dummy pills, while other studies did show differences in weight loss with the subjects taking pills containing Garcinia losing slightly more weight than those that did not (Marquez et al, 2012).
Some of these weight loss differences were not exactly exciting either, so we can’t say for sure that Garcinia cambogia does promote weight loss. It also seems likely that this is not the wonder pill it is made out to be.
In addition, many of the studies conducted to date have been flawed (Critchley, 2013) . What that means is for example that in one study the control and experimental subjects were not well matched (i.e. they did not have the same starting weight, age, percentage of body fat etc.), while in other studies too few subjects were used for the results to be significant.
For the results of studies to be plausible one has to compare “apples with apples” (i.e. well-matched subjects and controls) and you need more than just a handful of subjects to produce the same result.
On the positive side, we can say that there is some evidence that Garcinia cambogia products may aid weight loss over a period of 12 weeks. No studies have been conducted for longer periods as yet (Marquez et al, 2012), which is also regarded as a drawback.
Safety issues
There is also at present an argument about the safety of pills containing Garcinia cambogia – one group of researchers slates the pills as dangerous and hepatotoxic (causing liver damage) (Kim et al, 2013), while another group refutes this (Clouatre Preuss, 2013). Marquez and his coworkers (2012) state that “at the doses usually administered, no differences have been reported in terms of side effects or adverse events (those studied) in humans between individuals treated with G. cambogia and controls.”
Ano Lob (2009), a public health consultant in the United States has published a warning regarding the hepatotoxicity of a weight loss product called “Hydroxycut”, which contains Garcinia cambogia. The author collected case reports of patients who developed liver toxicity associated with the above mentioned weight loss product.
Evidently approximately one million units of this hydroxycitric acid product are sold per year in the USA. The patients who developed hepatotoxicity reported symptoms of fatigue, nausea, vomiting, cramps, fever, chills, abdominal pain, and jaundice.
While the number of hepatotoxicity cases reported were very few, Lob points out that monitoring of adverse events associated with dietary supplements such as these weight loss products is woefully inadequate in America (as is the case in many other countries, including South Africa), with the FDA only receiving about 1% of these negative reports.
According to Lob (2009), the Poison Control Centres in the USA are more likely to receive reports of adverse events associated with dietary supplements but are not equipped to coordinate such findings.
He cites the truly sobering example of a product called “Metabolife 356″ which was sold as a weight loss supplement in America. Lob’s states that the manufacturers received 14 000 reports over a period of five years that documented “serious adverse events associated with their ephedra-containing product” which included heart attacks, strokes, convulsions and fatalities.
The manufacturers did not inform the FDA or any other US government authority of these reports. As astounding as this may sound, manufacturers of dietary supplements are not required to meet any of the specifications that are strictly enforced when it comes to food and pharmaceutical products (medicines), so they can use this “ethical loophole” not to publish reports of negative and harmful events.
Eventually these events came to light and ephedra-containing products for slimming and other uses were banned in the USA.
The implication contain in Lob’s warning is that HCA or Garcinia cambogia extract may also be potentially toxic unless sufficient, reliable evidence to the contrary is made available.
Conclusion
At the present moment, we do not know enough about slimming products that contain Garcinia cambogia extract or HCA to freely recommend its use. I tend to agree with Astell and coworkers (2013) who conducted a systematic review of double blind randomised controlled clinical trials to assess the evidence available on the efficacy of current dietary supplements used to control appetite and/or weight.
These authors concluded that “According to the finding from this systematic review, the evidence is not convincing in demonstrating that most dietary supplements used as appetite suppressants for weight loss in the treatment of obesity are effective and safe.”
While we wait for more extensive and conclusive evidence obtained with larger numbers of well-matched test subjects treated for longer periods with the “gold standard” of double blind randomised controlled clinical trials, rather avoid using any weight-loss supplement that has not been tested thoroughly.
References: (Astell KJ et al (2013). Plant extracts with appetite suppressing properties for body weight control: a systematic review of double blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther Med, 21(4):407-16; Clouatre DL Preuss HG (2013). Hydroxycitric acid does not promote inflammation or liver toxicity. World J Gastoenterol. 19(44):8160-2; Crtichley G (2013). Garcinia cambogia – is it really a miracle weight loss supplement?; Lob A (2009). Hepatotoxicity associated with weight-loss supplements: A case for better post-marketing surveillance. World J Gastoenterol. 15(14):1786-1787; Marquez F et al (2012). Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of hydroxycitric acid or Garcinia cambogia extracts in humans. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 52(7):585-94)
Consumers who buy Garcinia cambogia, a weight-loss supplement made popular by Dr. Oz, may not be getting what they expect, recent laboratory testing show.
Laboratory tests found 21 of 29 of the top-selling Garcinia cambogia supplements sold online contain substantially less of the active ingredient, called hydroxycitric acid (HCA), than the label claims.
The results were released by an independent supplement testing company, called LabDoor, and have not been subject to peer review, the primary process for vetting scientific results. In addition, several supplement safety researchers who Live Science contacted for comment on the study would not discuss the findings, either because they are not peer-reviewed or because their company prohibits them from commenting on weight-loss drugs. (Without peer review, there is very little way for researchers to assess the validity and reliability of the claims, one researcher said.) [Dr. Oz’s Miracle Weight-Loss Pills: 5 Controversial Supplements]
Still, the results are consistent with those found by other independent labs that test supplements.
“I have seen substantial quality issues with Garcinia products and in some cases, there was not any HCA present in the products, while others had very low potency and a small number did meet label claim[s],” James Neal-Kababick, who was not involved in the new study, said in an email to Live Science. Neal-Kababick is the director of Flora Research Laboratories, a Food and Drug Administration-inspected testing lab in Oregon.
Even if the products did contain higher percentages of the active ingredient, there’s little evidence that the supplement actually helps people lose weight, said Neil Thanedar, the CEO of LabDoor. (On its website, LabDoor includes links to all the Garciniaweight-loss supplements tested and receives a 10 percent commission on all products purchased through their site, Thanedar said.)
Wild West of supplements
Garcinia cambogia, or Malabar tamarind, is a small, pumpkinlike gourd that grows in Asia and is often used to add a sour tang to curries and other foods. However, in recent years, extracts of Garcinia have become extremely popular after Dr. Oz claimed the food had an almost miraculous ability to melt the pounds away.
But the evidence is scarce: In test tubes, the active ingredient, HCA, can convert fat into sugar, and in a few animal studies, animals taking the extract weighed less and ate less food than those not given HCA. But studies in humans have found conflicting results, with one study finding a slightly higher weight loss in groups taking HCA compared with those taking a placebo; another found no improved weight loss. And a 2014 case report in the journal Medical Toxicology showed that taking Garcina together with antidepressants can cause serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition.
Supplements are required to be correctly labeled, and to not be adulterated; for example, they are not allowed to contain drugs that require a prescription. However, the FDA usually only tests a product if it hears of complaints or cases of injury or illness as a result of a supplement.
Label versus not
To evaluate what was really in products labeled as Garcinia cambogia, LabDoor tested 29 of the most popular Garcinia supplements found on sites such as Amazon, or stores such as Vitamin Shoppe and GNC. They used a test called high-performance liquid chromatography to separate out the HCA in each of the samples.
Most of the samples contained far less than the 1,000 milligrams considered to be an “active dose.” In fact, some of the samples contained just 50 milligrams of HCA, Thanedar told Live Science.
For the worst performers, “What’s interesting is that it’s almost entirely filler,” Thanedar told Live Science.
Though the company did not test the fillers, these can include common additives and ingredients used in pills, such as the gelatin for the capsules, cellulose (a plant material), starch or sugar, Thanedar said.
The company has submitted some of its findings to the Federal Trade Commission, which regulates false advertising, and some manufacturers have already taken Garcinia supplements off the market, Thanedar said.
Common problem
The new findings aren’t surprising, Neal-Kababick said.
“As supply catches up or exceeds demand, the products usually are less of an issue, but during high demand and short supply, there is an increased risk of fraud. In one case, we found only maltodextrin [an artificial sugar] in a product and no detectable Garcinia,” Neal-Kababick said.
In addition, some of the methods that manufacturers may use to produce higher concentrations of HCA in a supplement can actually remove many of the “phytochemicals” that are normally found in the plant, he said. If that happens, the consumer is no longer getting a Garcinia extract, he said. (Phytochemicals are plant chemicals often responsible for color or smell, and some may be biologically active in the body.)
“What [consumers] are getting is a fractionated compound/purified compound of the botanical, which may not function the same as the botanical,” Neal-Kababick said.
NUTRAFUELS, INC. (OTCMKTS:NTFU) Files An 8-K Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement Item 1.01Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On February 4, 2019, NutraFuels, Inc. a Florida corporation (“NTFU”), created a wholly owned subsidiary known as Phytochem Technologies, Inc. (“Phytochem”). Additionally, on February 4, 2019, Phytochem entered into an agreement (the “Agreement”) with Owen Morgan, an individual where by Mr. Morgan will provide certain know how and services to Phytochem for the commercializationofcertain technologies (the “Technology”) to separate and/or process the components of hemp to remove and/or modify, purify, dilute and extract bioactive ingredients and/or remove unwanted substances to produce finished products for a variety of applications.
Mr. Morgan is obligated to provide services to Phytochem for a period of one (1) year. In exchange for his services, Mr. Morgan received $65,520 USD upon execution of the Agreement and will be compensated $15,000 USD monthly. Mr. Morgan’s services include overseeing all aspects of the manufacturing which shall be done in the United Kingdom. Phytochem is obligated to pay up to $10,000 USD to manufacture a demo unit (“Demo Unit”) using the Technology and $400,000 plus enhancement costs, shipping and installation to manufacture two commercial units using the Technology.
Phytochem is obligated to pay Mr. Morgan 40% of net revenues derived from the commercialization of the Technology. In addition, Mr. Morgan shall receive shares of the Common Stock of NTFU upon certain milestones. Upon receipt of the Demo Unit and Commercial Unit, Mr. Morgan shall receive 500,000 and 1,500,000 shares, respectively. If the commercialization of the Technology results in revenues of $1,000,000, $5,000,000 and $10,000,000, Mr. Morgan shall receive 2,000,000 upon each milestone. If the commercialization of the Technology results in revenues of $25,000,000, $50,000,000, and $100,000,000, Mr. Morgan shall receive 4,000,000, 5,000,000 and 5,000,000 shares, respectively, upon each milestone.
The foregoing summary of the Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.24 to this report and incorporated herein by reference.
Forward Looking Statements
This Form 8-K contains statements of a forward-looking nature concerning NutraFuels, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Phytochem Technologies, Inc. (collectively the “Company”). These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “except,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “future” or other similar expressions. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. There is no assurance that the Company’s current expectations and projections are accurate. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. More detailed information about these risk factors are set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 17, 2018. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company’s management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Company’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements except as required under applicable law.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
NUTRAFUELS INC Exhibit EX-10.24 2 ntfu_ex1024.htm DEVELOPMENT COMMERCIALIZATION AGREEMENT ntfu_ex1024.htmEXHIBIT 10.24 DEVELOPMENT COMMERCIALIZATION AGREEMENT This Agreement (“Agreement”) is made by and between PhytoChem Technologies,… To view the full exhibit click here
About NUTRAFUELS, INC. (OTCMKTS:NTFU)
NutraFuels, Inc. manufactures and distributes oral spray nutritional and dietary products. The Company’s oral spray products are designed to provide more absorption than capsules or liquid formulas. Its products include NutraFuels sleep spray; NutraFuels Energy Spray; NutraFuels Garcinia Cambogia Spray; NutraFuels Headache and Pain Spray, and NutraFuels Hair, Skin and Nails Spray. Its NutraFuels Sleep Spray contains Melatonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid and Valerian Root. The Company’s Energize Spray contains B complex vitamins, B-12. The NutraFuels Energize Spray is designed to increase energy and restore vigor and vitality. Its Appetite and Weight management Spray contains Garcinia Cambogia. Its NutraFuels Garcinia Cambogia Spray is designed to suppress the appetite and boost metabolism. The NutraFuels Headache and Pain Spray contains turmacin, a natural anti-inflammatory. The NutraFuels Hair, Skin and Nails Spray is designed to nourish hair, skin and nail growth.
