Well, it is about time!  A new site has launched that provides information and advice on finding the best organic supplements.  Guess what it is called?  Wait for it… Best Organic Supplements (BOS)!

Finding the Best Organic Supplements at Best Organic Supplements

Wow, that name is so easy to remember, even I will have a hard time forgetting it.  Best Organic Supplements has created a number of tests that they apply to any ingredient from any manufacturer.  By applying these quality test to supplements, BOS is able to certify supplements that pass the test as BOS Certified -

BOS Certified

What Does It Take to Become BOS Certified?

Basically, quality, purity and transparency.  Over on their site, you can read the exact method that BOS uses to select the Best Organic Supplements, but it is not rocket science.  They try to find organic supplements that have had very little processing and are completely transparent in how they process and make the supplement.  This means they provide full documentation to verify the claims on their site.

Learn More About BOS Certified Supplements

Head over to the BOS site and you will find some terrific information on great organic ingredients like Acai, Spirulina, Chlorella and Coconut Oil.

We spend a great deal of time hear talking about all the ugly things that go on in the supplement industry.  We have spent years trying  to expose all the acai berry scams and resveratrol scams.   We have exposed supplement companies for making supplements with unsafe fillers and flow agents.   After reading this blog for a while you could easily come away with the feeling that all supplement companies are evil!  Well, we finally have a story to report that will restore your faith in the supplement industry.

Perfect Aquatic Greens Gets, Well, More Perfect!

We have always been impressed by Perfect Aquatic Greens, a 100% Organic and Fair Trade Certified Spirulina and Chlorella supplement.  As far as we know this is the only supplement on the market that combines 100% Organic and Fair Trade Certified Spirulina and Chlorella in one supplement and uses absolutely no fillers, flow agents or other ingredients.  However, after noticing their listing on Filanthropists.Com we are no longer impressed by Perfect Aquatic Greens – WE ARE IN LOVE WITH PERFECT AQUATIC GREENS

Wait, What in the World is Filanthropists.Com ?

Filanthropists.Com is an incredible online mall where you buy things and a percentage of the money goes to support great causes.  If you have not already done so, you should check out the site.  A quick scan under health shows that the Perfect Aquatic Greens is giving 25% of the purchase price to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).   The EDF does some incredible and absolutely essential things – like making sure people have access to clear air and drinking water.

Yes, You Read That Right – 25% of The Purchase Price

I am about as cynical as you can get, so when I see supplement companies do things like “10% of the profits go to save the environment” I just roll my eyes.   Profits is very hard to define, they can claim their profit on a sale is only $5 and so then they just give 50 cents to the charity!

The way Perfect Aquatic Greens is giving money to the EDF is very real.  25% of the purchase price means if you buy 3 bottles (each bottle is $35.95 so total price on three is $107.85) they give $26.96 to the EDF on your purchase! Combine this with the fact that they already use Fair Trade Certified Spirulina and Chlorella and you see that Perfect Supplements is finally showing that supplement companies really can be incredibly positive!

Learn More:

Purchase the Perfect Aquatic Greens via Filanthropists.Com And Help a Great Charity

Spirulina

In the supplement and natural food industry, everyone is always trying to find the next big superfood.  Of course, there was the Acai Berry – a gem from the Amazon Rainforest.  Noni and Mangosteen are more tropical fruits that lay claim to being a super food.  However, not all superfoods are new and come from a tropical rainforest, in fact one of the healthiest superfoods has been growing in the water for 3.5 Billion Years!

Spirulina – The Oldest Superfood in the World

Spirulina is one of the world’s oldest plants.  The microalgae grows in both fresh and sea water and may be the most nutrient rich food in the world.

Here are some of the highlights on Spirulina:

• 65% Protein By Weight
  
• 97% Digestible Protein (beef is about 20%)
  
• A Complete Protein (contains all essential Amino Acids)
• 100x the Vitamin A of Carrots
• 50x the Iron of Spinach
• 10x the Beta Carotene of Carrots
• 7x the Calcium of Milk
• 6x the Protein of Eggs
• 3x More Iron Than Beef
• Excellent Source of GLA

If You Are Going To Space – Take Spirulina!

NASA has been studying Spirulina algae as a complete food source for astronauts.  In fact, NASA found that 1 kilogram of Spirulina contains about the same nutrients as 1,000 kilograms of ordinary vegetables! Are you starting to see why we are so excited about Spirulina?

When it Comes to Buying Spirulina – Buyer Beware!

We feel like a broken record on this one, but as with any other supplement – you really need to be careful when buying Spirulina.

Here are the 5 Questions to Ask Before Buying Any Spirulina:

1.  Is the Spirulina Certified Organic?

2. Is the Spirulina Tested and Certified Free of Heavy Metals?

3. Is the Spirulina Fair Trade Certified?

4. Is The Spirulina Grown in Pristine, Pesticide Free Water?

5. Do You Offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee?

If they can answer YES to all 5 questions – you have found a quality Spirulina product.

Perfect Aquatic Greens – The Best Spirulina We Could Find

As you know, we try to keep things non-commercial here, but it felt wrong not to share our research with you.  The Perfect Aquatic Greens product is the only supplement we found that could answer YES to all five questions above.  As a special bonus for Supplement Secrets Exposed readers – use Coupon Code “YearEnd10” to save 10% off your purchase.

Click Here to Order the Perfect Aquatic Greens

Learn the Health Benefits of Spirulina

We have a number of research articles on Spirulina on the PowerSupplements site:

Learn the Health Benefits of Spirulina

Nutritional Properties of Spirulina

Have Questions About Spirulina? Leave Us a Comment Below

You have to love a company that is not afraid to “stick it to the man!”  Pom Wonderful has brought a lawsuit against the FTC for raising the bar too high on what constitutes “competent and reliable scientific evidence”.  Pom Wonderful claims that the new standards by the FTC breach First and Fifth Amendment principles of free speech.  You go POM!

The Fine Line Between Speech and Speculation

The FTC has a right to protect consumers from misleading advertisements.  Companies have a right to speak.  It looks like these two rights are headed for the courtroom.  The FTC has always said that any health claims on a food product must be backed by “competent and reliable scientific evidence”. However, now they have said that the evidence MUST at minimum, include two adequate and well-controlled human clinical studies of the product.

The issue here is the “of the product” part.   So, let’s say a company like Pom Wonderful has positive human clinical studies on pomegranates – it can NOT discuss them.  The new provision says that studies would need to be on the product itself, POM Wonderful juice in this example.

I Want Some of What POM Wonderful Is Drinking

POM Wonderful is suing the FTC.  Pom sued Welch’s about claims they made with their Pomegranate juice.  POM won an injunction to suppress media reports of any FTC investigation into its company.  Clearly POM is not afraid of anyone and will do anything to protect its brand.  If that is what Pomegranate juice does for you – I want some of that!

POM Wonderful Sues the FTC Over New Claims Standards

Well, it finally happened.  The FTC has finally taken action against Acai Berry companies that make bogus claims such as: endorsed by Oprah, lose 30 pounds in a month and receive a free trial!  In other news, pigs have started to fly!

FTC We Say Thank You and What Took You So Long?

For over 2 years we have been writing about Acai Berry Scams and begging the FTC to take action.  Everyday we hear from countless consumers who have fallen victim to these scams (take a look at all the comments on our Julia Milller Acai Berry Scam post).  Well, it took a while but the FTC has taken action.

“Too many ‘free’ offers come with strings attached,” said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “In this case, the defendants promised buyers a ‘risk free’ trial and then illegally billed their credit cards again and again – and again. We estimate that about a million people have fallen victim to this scam. As if that weren’t enough, there were fake endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray for a product that didn’t work in the first place.”

- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Press Release 8/16/2010

AcaiPure – We Couldn’t Be Happier to See You Go

The FTC named Central Coast Nutraceuticals, Inc. (CCN) and their products AcaiPure and ColoPure in the complaint.  The FTC has frozen the assets of CCN and basically put the company into receivership as the court actions move forward.  This is great news as we have received numerous complaints about the AcaiPure brand and the FTC believes they scammed consumers out of $30 million in 2009 alone.

Consumers Still Need to Be Aware, Other Sharks Are in the Water

Clearly removing AcaiPure and CCN from the marketplace is a major step in the right direction, but consumers still need to be careful.  There are still plenty of companies out there that are pulling various acai berry scams and resveratrol scams.   Our advice remains the same, avoid any “free trial” supplement deals – as they are never free.  If you want to try Acai, go with a 100% Organic and Freeze Dried Acai berry product like the Perfect Acai.

Wow we are publishing a lot of articles on Resveratrol!  It is not intentional, there have just been a slew of published studies on resveratrol released this summer.

The latest study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (yes it really is as exciting as the name makes it sound), shows that a relatively low dosage of resveratrol in humans can have significant health benefits.

Best Resveratrol Dosage Much Less Than Previously Reported

Husam Ghanim, PhD, of the University of Buffalo found that a dosage of 40 milligrams of resveratrol, taken once a day for six weeks, was able to reduce inflammation in test subjects.   Inflammation in humans can lead to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes – so anything that reduces inflammation is of great interest.

In the study, Dr. Chanim took twenty volunteers and broke them into two even groups of ten.  One group received a placebo pill for 6 weeks.  The second group received a Polygonum cuspidatum extract (Japanese Knotweed) pill that contained 40 milligrams of resveratrol.

Fasting blood samples were taken throughout the study and here are the results…

“Results showed that resveratrol suppressed the generation of “free radicals” — unstable molecules known to cause oxidative stress and release pro-inflammatory substances into the blood, resulting in damage to the blood vessel lining.

People taking resveratrol also showed suppression of the inflammatory protein tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, and other compounds that increase blood vessel inflammation and interfere with insulin action, causing insulin resistance and the risk of developing diabetes.”

- WebMD, Resveratrol May Slow Aging in Humans, By Bill Hendrick

As for the placebo group – they showed no change in blood levels.

Why This Resveratrol Study is Significant

There are three elements that we believe make this study significant.  First, the study was done with humans.  Human studies are always more significant that mouse studies (sorry to any mice readers we have).  Second, the study used only 40 milligrams of Resveratrol.  This shows that resveratrol can be effective in a relatively small dosage. Third, the study used a Japanese Knotweed extract and this therefore lends credibility to resveratrol supplements currently on the market that are made with Japanese Knotweed.

So, is 40mg the Best Resveratrol Dosage for Humans?

Not sure.  First, a much larger study would need to be done to draw really significant conclusions on the best resveratrol dosage for humans.  Second, it is possible that something else in the extract was helping along with the resveratrol.  Third, it would be interesting to see if 100mg  or 200mg produces even better results.

In the end, this study does not prove that any one dosage of resveratrol is best – but it does put to rest the claim that you need to be taking mega-doses of resveratrol (400mg and up) to see any health benefits.  In addition, the best way to avoid resveratrol side effects is to take the minimum amount required to produce positive results.

Resveratrol Update – 10/8/10

As you know we try to keep things non-commercial here on the blog, but our friends at Perfect Supplements sent us samples of their Perfect ResGrape (200mg 99% Trans-Resveratrol per serving) and it is amazing.  We said if we mention this to our readers, we need to give them an incredible coupon!  They came through – 15% off the Perfect ResGrape! Just Click Here to Learn More and Order and enter COUPON CODE: SECRET15 at checkout for the exclusive savings!

Additional Resources:

“An Antiinflammatory and Reactive Oxygen Species Suppressive Effects of an Extract of Polygonum Cuspidatum Containing Resveratrol.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun 9.

Saturated fats are bad for you.  Food cooked in oil with saturated fat – also bad for you.  Don’t even get us started on Trans-Fat – that is simply evil incarnate.  If we all want to live long and healthy lives we simply need to switch to unsaturated fats – cook with Olive Oil and you are a shoe-in to see the 3rd Millennium roll in.

If Only the World Was Black and White

Life would be easy if all the above was true, unfortunately it is not.  As with most nutrition, figuring out the right fats to eat is complicated and filled with many shades of gray.  Sure, large amounts of saturated fats from animals is bad for your heart – no argument there.  However, saturated fats that are rich in medium-chain fatty acids have some positive health benefits. What oil is rich in medium-chain fatty acids? Coconut Oil.

Coconut Oil is Left for Dead By The Media and Medical Community

A few years ago the mainstream media made any oils that had saturated fat public enemy number 1.  We were told to replace all our Coconut and Palm oil with Olive oil.   In fact, at the time – the media was generally right!  Coconut oil was often processed by heating the coconuts and using chemicals to extract the oil.  The processing of the coconuts was killing off the positive nutrients in the coconut. Highly refined coconut oil was a saturated fat oil that no longer contained all the positives of medium chain fatty acids.

Coconut Oil Tries to Rise from the Dead

Over the last 6 months we have watched Coconut Oil try to rise from the dead and it is a pretty impressive zombie act.  The reason for the comeback of coconut oil has everything to do with new methods of processing coconut oil.  Today, companies are producing Extra Virgin, Unrefined, Cold Processed Organic Coconut Oil and guess what – it maintains the healthy nutrients of the coconut such as the medium chain fatty acids.

Extra Virgin, Unrefined Cold Processed Organic Coconut Oil

The above is certainly a mouthful to say, but it represents the gold standard of Coconut Oil.  Simply put, Mother Nature has created coconuts, which have some strong nutritional properties.  If you want to use coconut oil and have it still maintain all those nutrients that Mother Nature gave it – you need to find a coconut oil that has almost no processing done to it.

Products such as the new Perfect Coconut Oil are basically coconuts squeezed into a bottle.  They start with Organic Coconuts, cold press them to get the oil out and then put it in a bottle with nothing else added.  You could say that the coconut oil of today is not your Mother’s coconut oil!

Health is All About Moderation

We are not saying that people should start chugging down gallons of saturated fats.  There are still plenty of health issues from including a large amount of saturated fat in your diet.  What we are saying is that not all saturated fat is the same.  The saturated fat in Extra Virgin Unrefined Coconut oil has valuable nutrients like the medium-chain fatty acids (these are not found in high quantities in animal fats).  You can do your own research, but an argument can be made for including some medium-chain fatty acids in your diet.

Like Mark Twain – reports of the death of Coconut Oil may have been greatly exaggerated.

Additional Resources:

Learn More About Virgin Coconut Oil

The internet is filled with ads for resveratrol “free trial offers” that claim to help you lose incredible amounts of weight. If you use these advertised resveratrol “free trial” products you will lose weight… in your wallet! We have documented the resveratrol scams on this site and have put little weight into resveratrol weight loss claims (pardon the pun) – but now it looks like a legitimate study has shown some connection between resveratrol and weight loss.

Resveratrol and Weight Loss is There a Connection?

In a study published on 6/22/2010 in BMC Physiology, researchers from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris, France found that mouse lemurs (primates) who were given resveratrol decreased their energy intake by 13%, while increasing their resting metabolic rate by 29%. What makes the study very significant is that mouse lemurs are primates.  I know, they have “mouse” in their name, but they are primates, not rodents.  As far as we know, this is the first time that resveratrol has been shown to increase resting metabolic rate in primates.

Resveratrol, Weight Loss and Primates

We could give our take on what the study showed, but why not give an exact quote of the Conclusions from the study itself -

“In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time the short-term effects of resveratrol on the metabolism of an heterothermic primate. Resveratrol activates energy expenditure by inducing an increase in resting metabolic rate and a decrease in torpor patterns that play key roles in energy saving in this primate. Moreover, resveratrol had a satiety effect in this primate that reduced their spontaneous food intake. All of these changes participated in the limitation of pre-wintering fattening processes in which the increase in the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide levels would play an additive role. These results provide novel information on the potential effects of resveratrol on energy metabolism and control of body mass in a primate.”

- Resveratrol suppresses body mass gain in a seasonal non-human primate model of obesity, 6/22/10

In laymen terms, resveratrol increased metabolism,  increased satiety, decreased weight and decreased the need for food in lemurs while maintaining energy levels.

So the Free Trial Resveratrol Products Really Will Help me Lose Weight?

No, no and NO! The “free trial” resveratrol products are very low quality resveratrol supplements and automatically bill you for their inferior supplements every month.  You really want to AVOID any “free trial” resveratrol supplement.

Will a 99% Pure Trans-Resveratrol Supplement Help Me Lose Weight?

Yes… if you are a lemur!  While our blog is well read, I don’t think we reach many lemurs.  While lemurs are primates, and results in non-human primates may translate to humans,  much more research needs to be done.   We do feel that more and more research in showing strong potential health benefits from resveratrol, but we still need to determine the best resveratrol dosage for humans.   So, if you take a pure resveratrol supplement like the Perfect ResGrape Resveratrol for all the other health benefits and also end up losing some weight – you can thank us later!

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have conducted a study in mice that shows a promising new way to treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Disease. The study focused on the role that Sirtuin, a protein in the body. played in neurodegenerative diseases.  What they found was activating sirtuin suppressed the disease and that destroying sirtuin made the disease much worse.

Sirtuin – The Longevity Protein and Key to Health?

In our article on Resveratrol Health Benefits we define and explain Sirtuin .  The Sirtuin gene has been shown to have some strong possible connections with longevity and health.  In our discussion on Resveratrol we focus on its ability to increase Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), but there are 7 different Sirtuin genes in the body.  This research shows that stimulating Sirtuin production can have significant health benefits.

Gizem Donmez and Leonard Guarente of MIT were able to modify mice to make them more prone to developing Alzheimer’s disease.  They then activated sirtuin in one group and saw that the progression of Alzheimer’s was suppressed.  A second set of mice had their sirtuin destroyed and the Alzheimer’s progressed at a much faster pace.

Does This Mean Resveratrol Supplements Can Fight Alzheimer?

No.  We know some resveratrol companies will now start claiming that resveratrol can stop Alzheimer’s, and that would not be accurate.

Researchers not involved in the study agreed. “We think it is a scientifically compelling story that ties the sirtuins to the biology of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe, an Alzheimer’s expert at Harvard Medical School. But the therapeutic implications, Dr. Selkoe added, “remain quite up in the air.”

-Potential Found in a New Approach to Alzheimer’s, New York Times,  7/23/10

One problem is that resveratrol does not pass the blood-brain barrier at this time, so this study could not be replicated with resveratrol.  In addition, the study was done with mice and not humans.

Sirtuin Research – A Field to Watch

We believe it is an exciting time for Sirtuin Research.  Much more research has to be done, but the idea of activating Sirtuin to reduce disease risk is an area that should be actively explored.

We all know about the mythical “beer goggles” – where you drink too much and suddenly all types of people start to look attractive.  Well, beer may not give you super vision, but drinking a lot of wine could do the trick!

New Study Shows Resveratrol May Help Prevent Vision Loss

A new study done at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis says that resveratrol – a compound found in muscadine grapes, red grapes and resveratrol supplements – may prove useful in preventing the vision loss associated with diabetes and old age.

The study, which was conducted on mice, found that resveratrol may help prevent out of control blood vessel growth in the eye.  The extra blood vessel growth is angiogenesis, and if you can keep angiogenesis in check you can keep some of the most serious vision disorders in check.

What Causes Blindness and Vision Loss

Macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 50, is caused by out of control blood vessel growth.  The ability for resveratrol to stop this blood vessel growth could have major implications.  In addition, the study shows that resveratrol may also help with diabetic retinopathy, a disease that causes vision loss in about 20 percent of people with diabetes, and retinopathy of prematurity, a condition that strikes some premature babies.

“This could potentially be a preventive therapy in high-risk patients,” said Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD – researcher for the study.  Dr. Apte also cautions there is much more work to be done and this study was done with mice, not humans, but it is a promising start.

Read the Full Study on Resveratrol and Vision Loss