Archive for May, 2009

Texas Law Enforcement Perpetuates Misconceptions About Steroid Users

by Millard Baker

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency perpetuated misconceptions about the typical anabolic steroid user during a May 27, 2009 press conference announcing a major steroid bust involving personal trainers, their clients and bodybuilders in Fort Bend County Texas. Steroids users were compared to traditional recreational drug abusers; officials suggested that steroid users posed the same risk/dangers to society as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine users.

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Dietary Supplement Sales in the U.S. Increased in 2008

According to a newly released report, dietary supplement sales in the U.S. increased in 2008, reaching an estimated $4.8 billion.

The report, published in the nonprofit American Botanical Council’s quarterly journal HerbalGram, found the five top-selling herbal supplements of 2008 were flaxseed oil, wheat and barley grass, stevia, aloe vera and milk thistle.

Meanwhile, the top-selling herbal singles of 2008 were cranberry, soy, garlic, saw palmetto and ginkgo.

Mary Ellen Lynch, director of consumer insights for SPINS, a market research firm, and a co-author of the report, suggests there is an opportunity for herbal products to move outside the category and into the mainstream food and beverage market.

“For example, the antioxidant turmeric has this potential due to its link to multiple health benefits that align well to the mainstream consumer’s growing interest in health and wellness,” she says.

Others have suggested the escalating costs of health insurance and deteriorating quality of mainstream healthcare are also prompting people to turn to nutritional supplements to manage their health.

Source

‘Car-Flipping Iranian Anadrol’ Part of the Florida Steroids Bust
by Joe Pietaro

I guess they don’t call them A-bombs for nothing! Perhaps the most entertaining part of the Polk County, Florida steroid bust was this gem of a statement from Sheriff Grady Judd, who apparently has been appointed the czar against performance-enhancing drugs in his own mind:

“Cops are afraid of this steroid because it can make people so crazy they can flip a car,” he said regarding oxymetholone, commonly known as anadrol. This particular form that was recovered in the raid was from Iran, so who knows if the government knows something we don’t? Maybe Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had a batch of these cooked up right next to the nuclear power plant.
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Bodybuilders, Personal Trainers and Gym Owner Arrested in Texas Steroid Bust by Millard Baker

Operation Farmacia de Juicy Phruit is the code name for the major steroid bust in Houston led by the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department involving the arrest of 73 defendants. The “largest narcotics operation in the history of Fort Bend County” primarily involved the arrest of personal trainers, their clients, bodybuilders, a professional bodybuilder and a gym owner in the Houston area. Many of the arrests only involved steroid possession. The steroid network was characterized by Sheriff Milton Wright as a “loose knit” network of individuals involved in fitness/bodybuilding who distributed steroids through “word of mouth”. The total amount of steroids sold over a period of about six years was estimated to have been $643,924 (”Authorities round up drug suspects,” May 27).

“It’s one of these things where they’ve got their friends on speed-dial. They need a certain product, they give them a call and so forth,” Wright said. “They just know each other. A lot of times they know each other by nicknames. They are well-connected to each other in that respect.”

Fort Bend County Sheriff Wright told the Houston Chronicle that the Texas steroid investigation revolved around personal trainers and gyms (”Fort Bend holds suspects in alleged steroid ring,” May 28).

“The majority of this thing is built around body trainers at fitness centers,” said Wright. “Their livelihood is getting customers they can develop physically — legally or illegally. It doesn’t matter in their eyes, as long as they get the job done.”

The steroid operation originated with Brock Falkenhagen, owner of Fitness Associates and Smoothie Factory in Sugar Land, when his activities came to the attention of law enforcement in late 2006 for importing and distributing GeneScience Jintropin brand human growth hormone (HGH). Falkenhagen also allegedly manufactured and distributed anabolic steroids from some time in 2001 through September 7, 2007. Falkenhagen was well-connected in the Sugar Land / Stafford / Missouri City / Houston area fitness community and was friendly with several personal trainers and bodybuilding promoters. Some of Falkenhagen’s friends are rumored to have been arrested today. Charles Brock Falkenhagen was listed as a co-defendant on the sealed indictments of all 22 defendants indicted by the federal grand jury in April 2009; the names of Falkenhagen’s co-defendants were redacted in unsealed court documents.

Falkenbaden was not characterized as the mastermind behind the steroid operation. But authorities would not elaborate on how the Falkenbaden investigation led to the arrest and indictment of personal trainers and bodybuilders in the Houston area. Falkenbaden was arrested approximately a week before today’s arrests and released on a $75,000 unsecured bond

The steroid bust was NOT a closely guarded secret in the Houston area. Underground source(s) having been talking about the pending steroid bust involving over 50 people for at least seven months.

Tim Johnson, the acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, told the press that the Houston area communities are “safer places today” now that individuals using steroids to improve their physical appearance have been arrested. DEA Special Agent Zoran Yankovich told reporters that the dangers of steroid use are not always obvious asserting that steroids lead to “broken families, broken homes and people who are hurt [by steroids] that we never know about.”

Fort Bend Sheriff Wright said that 49 state warrants and 17 federal warrants were served in Texas alone with additional arrests occurring in Georgia, Louisiana, California and Indiana. Additional arrests are expected. Authorities refused to identify any of Brock Falkenhagen’s co-defendants although some of those arrested have been subsequently identified in media coverage of the arrest. Jeremy Clayton Canton, Chase Bank manager, George Rincon, general manager at LA Fitness (Highway 6 / Bissonnet), was caught on camera being arrested. Brad Adrian Ascenzi, a Houston firefighter who won the Medal of Valor; Jeremy Clayton Canton, a manager at Chase Bank; and Larry Woodard, a Copperras Cover firefighter, were also arrested. Jason Gonzales, an NPC bodybuilder; Bryan Barth, an NPC bodybuilder and personal trainer; and Lee Thompson, owner of One-2-One Training Centers, were named on federal indictments (”Largest Narcotics Operation in the History of Fort Bend County” May 27).

In connection with Operation “Famracia de Juicy Phruit” 51 defendants have been indicted by the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office and 22 defendants have been indicted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas.

Today, agents and officers of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Bend County HIDTA Enforcement Team, the Drug Enfrocement Administration, Rosenberg Police Department, Houston Police Department (HPD), HPD SWAT, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) arrested a total of 59 defendants in connection with Operation “Farmacia de Juicy Phruit”. Arrests have also been made in Georgia, Louisiana, California and Indiana.

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Florida Bodybuilding Couple Sold Steroids to Professional Athletes
by Millard Baker

Richard and Sandra Thomas, former competitive bodybuilders who competed in 2001 NPC Mid-Florida Muscle Classic mixed pairs competition, were arrested after undercover narcotics detectives recovered several thousand dosages of oral anabolic steroid, injectable steroids, and steroid paraphernalia some of which may have been destined for professional athletes. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) obtained an anticipatory search warrant in preparation for the controlled delivery after Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Philadelphia notified them that a large shipment of anabolic steroids was destined for the Lakeland, Florida home of Richard and Sandra Thomas. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd reported the steroid seizure as the largest in the history of the PCSO. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office apparently also seized copies of the steroid reference books “Anabolics 2007” and “Anabolics 9th Edition” which the photographer felt compelled to use creatively in official photographs of the steroid seizure (”PCSO reports on steroid arrest,” May 27).
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Ultimate Nutrition Mr. Olympia Title Sponsor

Ultimate Nutrition is indeed headlining the Olympia this year which is news that is sure to send shock waves to many in the supplement world. Ultimate announced today a partnership with the 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend. Currently known as “The 2009 Olympia Weekend,” will now be known as: “Ultimate Nutrition presents Joe Weider’s 2009 Olympia Weekend brought to you by Bodybuilding.com.” Definitely more than a mouthful! The 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend is scheduled to take place at the Orleans Arena and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada between Sept. 24, 2009 and Sept. 27, 2009 and is the premier event in bodybuilding.
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Exactly What is the New Sweetener Erythritol?
by Dr. Mercola

If you look at the ingredients of VitaminWater 10 (owned by Coca Cola), you might be pleased to see that it contains the natural sweetener stevia. However, you will also notice that it is loaded with crystalline fructose, sucrose, and a mysterious product called Erythritol.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, a sweetener that does not provide as many calories as sugar. But the reason that sugar alcohols provide fewer calories than sugar is because they are not completely absorbed into your body. For this reason, high intakes of foods containing sugar alcohols can lead to abdominal gas and diarrhea.
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ALR Industries Defamation Lawsuit Against NFL Player Femi Ayanbadejo
by Millard Baker

Former NFL running back Femi Ayanbadejo settled his lawsuit against ALR Industries in a confidential agreement. ALR Industries (ALRI) has NOT admitted wrongdoing. ALRI is proceeding with its defamation lawsuit seeking punitive damages against Ayanbadejo for his irresponsible and false statements alleging that ALRI spiked its supplements. Ayanbadejo tested positive for an ingredient clearly listed on the label of ALRI Max LMG during a doping test conducted by the National Football League (NFL) (”Ex-Aztec, company settle dispute over supplement’s label,” May 20).
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Fish Really Is ‘Brain Food’: Vitamin D May Lessen Age-related Cognitive Decline

Eating fish – long considered ‘brain food’ – may really be good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.

University of Manchester scientists in collaboration with colleagues from other European centres have shown that higher levels of vitamin D – primarily synthesised in the skin following sun exposure but also found in certain foods such as oily fish – are associated with improved cognitive function in middle-aged and older men.

The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 79 years at eight test centres across Europe.
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United Kingdom Expands Anabolic Steroid Laws for 2012 London Olympics
by Millard Baker

The United Kingdom intends to expand its anabolic steroid laws in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics in response to pressure from the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The steroid law revision is largely a symbolic move by the United Kingdom. It is an attempt to appease WADA by showing their commitment anti-doping in sports; however, the personal use of anabolic steroids and the importation of anabolic steroids for personal use will continue to be permitted under UK steroid law. The proposed legislation is unlikely to have any effect on steroid use in the United Kingdom.
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Your Tuna is Getting More Toxic
by Dr. Mercola

The rate of mercury contamination in tuna and other Pacific fish has increased 30 percent since 1990. The increase is a direct result of China’s rapid industrialization, and the mercury content is expected to increase another 50 percent by 2050 if China continues to build more coal-fired power plants.

The data comes from a new study by the U.S. Geologic Survey.

About 40 percent of all U.S. exposure to mercury comes from eating contaminated tuna from the Pacific. Roughly 75 percent of all human exposure to mercury in general comes from eating fish. Mercury poisoning early in life, even in very small amounts, can lead to permanent developmental effects.
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My Case For Legalizing Drugs!
by John Romano

Like it or not, taking drugs is a matter of course in the United States. For any generation younger than the baby boomers, blazing a joint at a party is pretty much on par with having a drink. Exactly which drug leads to the use of other drugs is really irrelevant. The fact is, if you are inclined to use drugs, then you will use drugs– either for recreation or performance enhancement– there’s really no moral difference. Anyone who thinks there is, and smokes cigarettes or drinks alcohol to boot, is a total hypocrite. There is no denying that anabolic steroids, and their accompanying drugs, have a tremendous positive effect on building muscle and burning fat, but the fact is that these same substances are illegal where most bodybuilders live.
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Potentially Life Threatening Vitamin Deficiency Affects 25% of Adults
By Dr. Mercola

Vitamin B12 is fittingly known as the energy vitamin, and your body requires it for a number of vital functions. Among them: energy production, blood formation, DNA synthesis, and myelin formation. Myelin is insulation that protects your nerve endings and allows them to communicate with one another.

If you know or suspect you’re vitamin B12 deficient, you’re not alone. Recent studies from the U.S. Framingham trial show one in four adults in the United States are deficient in this vitally important nutrient, and nearly half the population has suboptimal blood levels.

How You Get Vitamin B12 Deficient

Vitamin B12 is present in natural form only in animal sources of food, which is one of the reasons I advise against a strict vegetarian or vegan diet. There are many well-documented cases of blindness and brain abnormalities in strict vegetarians, resulting from vitamin B12 deficiency.
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Most Sports-Supplements Contain Steroids

Most Sports-Supplements Contain SteroidsThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented that steroid use among high school athletes has more than doubled in the past two decades. This shows that sports-supplements industry is growing beyond control because teenagers can easily purchase these performance-enhancing supplements through local drugstores and online shops. Among the best sellers are weight loss supplements and workout enhancers.

David Epstein and George Dohrmann of Sports Illustrated have reported that a study revealed that 25 percent of the 58 sports supplements tested contained steroids or stimulants that had been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
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Bodybuilding Event Canceled After Competitors Flee

BRUSSELS – Ready to flex their pecs and strike a pose, bodybuilders at the Belgian championships scattered when doping officials showed up.

After a spate of positive doping tests in recent years in Belgium, the event had been moved across the Dutch border to Vlissingen for the weekend competition.

“They must have felt safe out there,” doping official Hans Cooman told the Associated Press on Monday.

But Cooman and two colleagues got the necessary papers to check the tournament in the Netherlands. And when they identified themselves just before the event — with the 20 bodybuilders weighing in and preparing themselves — the testers drew quite a response.
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