Archive for August, 2010

Step Toward a New Sunscreen? Plant Agents Show Promise in Preventing Skin Cancer

ScienceDaily – Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio are on to something that should bring joy to sunbathers everywhere. Studies show that certain plant substances, administered in combinations, have the ability to suppress skin cancer development in susceptible mice.

“On the basis of our research, supplements and creams or sunscreens may be developed, tested in humans and then used to prevent skin cancer,” said Zbigniew Walaszek, Ph.D., research associate professor of pharmacology at the Health Science Center.

Natural agents, susceptible mice

The plant substances are being tested in SENCAR mice, which because of genetic manipulation are sensitive to skin cancer initiation and promotion/progression. The natural agents include resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, and grape seed extract. Others are calcium D-glucarate, a salt of D-glucaric acid, present in many fruits and vegetables and also the bloodstream, and ellagic acid, found in a host of berries and in walnuts.
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President of Applied Pharmacy Services gets 10 years in prison for steroids conspiracy

To defense attorneys, A. Samuel Kelley II was as a self-made entrepreneur who had started a number of businesses but who made mistakes navigating the complex regulations governing the pharmaceutical industry.

To prosecutors, he was a “kingpin” who sat atop a nationwide conspiracy, involving doctors and health clinics in several states, that was responsible for the sale of 2,465,701 dosage units of anabolic steroids from March 2003 until a federal raid on his business in August 2006.

Both sides agreed that Kelley, as president, chief executive officer and principal owner of Applied Pharmacy Services, reaped the largest share of the millions of dollars that flowed into the Mobile-based compounding pharmacy.
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TimeOut Capsules Tainted with Viagra-like Drug, FDA Warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to take TimeOut Capsules because it contains an active drug ingredient that can dangerously lower blood pressure. The product is marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement.

TimeOut is labeled as “100% natural” and consumers may mistakenly assume the product is harmless and poses no health risk. TimeOut is distributed on Internet sites and online marketplaces as 2,500 mg capsules.
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Drug Makers on the Trail of an Alternative to Steroids
By ANDREW POLLACK

The hunt is on for alternatives to anabolic steroids, which build muscle by mimicking the effects of the hormone testosterone but whose reputation has been tarnished by athletic doping scandals and side effects like liver damage.

A federally financed study showed that testosterone increased strength in the elderly. But the study was ended abruptly last year because those getting the hormone suffered far more cardiac problems than those getting a placebo.

Human growth hormone is also controversial because of side effects and questions about whether it can increase strength.

Companies like GTx and Ligand Pharmaceuticals are trying to develop drugs that possess the muscle-building ability of testosterone without its side effects, like the development of facial hair and other masculine features in women. These drugs are called selective androgen receptor modulators, or Sarms.
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MusclePharm almost out of business
by Anthony Roberts

The inside word that I’m hearing at the moment is that MusclePharm is teetering on the verge of going out of business. They’re several million dollars in the red, and have failed to turn any kind of profit in the time they’ve been operating. A recent phone call to their office revealed a disconnected phone line, although that’s apparently been cleared up. The problem here is very simple: They’re not making any money, so the small monetary inflow that they have is about to be stopped, because they’re not going to have the cash to pay for new product to get made…and no manufacturer is going to float a loan to a company that has only been around for a short while and is already millions of dollars in debt.

They’ve got some smart guys over at MusclePharm, but they don’t really know what they’re doing, and their entire product line is less than impressive (to me anyway).

Some estimates put the company out of business before the end of September, while conservative estimates give them until the end of the year.

source

Smoked Medical Cannabis May Be Beneficial as Treatment for Chronic Neuropathic Pain, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily – The medicinal use of cannabis has been debated by clinicians, researchers, legislators and the public at large for many years as an alternative to standard pharmaceutical treatments for pain, which may not always be effective and may have unwanted side effects. A new study by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University researchers provides evidence that cannabis may offer relief to patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain.

The results of the groundbreaking study are published in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
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2010 NPC Jr. USA Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini competition held in Stafford, Texas on August 28th, 2010

2010 NPC Jr. USA Men’s BB Results

Overall Winner

Lorenzo Jones
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Researchers Explore Effects of Protein, Carb Drinks on Exercise

STORRS, Conn.—Researchers continue to explore the benefits of different combinations of protein and carbohydrates in exercise recovery, as evidenced by several recently published studies. In a new a meta-analysis coordinated out of the University of Connecticut, Storrs, researchers sought to determine the performance benefits of ingesting a protein-carbohydrate drink during endurance performance (J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(8):2192-2202. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181ddfacf). A total of 11 studies were included, containing three time-trial and eight time-to-exhaustion cycling protocols; only three studies controlled for caloric content and contained an isocaloric trial. Four of the studies did find significant differences between a protein and control trial, but none were isocaloric studies. Meta-analysis of the time-trial studies found no

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Attention, Couch Potatoes! Walking Boosts Brain Connectivity, Function

ScienceDaily – A group of “professional couch potatoes,” as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise — in this case walking at one’s own pace for 40 minutes three times a week — can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.

The study, in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, followed 65 adults, aged 59 to 80, who joined a walking group or stretching and toning group for a year. All of the participants were sedentary before the study, reporting less than two episodes of physical activity lasting 30 minutes or more in the previous six months. The researchers also measured brain activity in 32 younger (18- to 35-year-old) adults.

Rather than focusing on specific brain structures, the study looked at activity in brain regions that function together as networks.
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Mr. Magic Supplement Recall

PERRYSBURG, Ohio—Glow Industries Inc. is conducting a national recall of a dietary supplements, after FDA testing found the products were adulterated with pharmaceutical drugs. The men’s sexual enhancement product, sold as Mr. Magic Male Enhancer from Don Wands, was found to contain hydroxythiohomosildenafil and sulfoaildenafil, a pharmaceutical similar to an active ingredient in an FDA-approved drug for male erectile dysfunction (ED). The presence of the drug compound makes the product an unapproved new drug; sulfoaildenafil is also not listed on the product label. The drug can adversely interact with other pharmaceuticals, causing dangerous drops in blood pressure.
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Supplement Produces a ‘Striking’ Endurance Boost

ScienceDaily – Research from the University of Exeter has revealed taking a dietary supplement to boost nitric oxide in the body can significantly boost stamina during high-intensity exercise.

The study has important implications for athletes, as results suggest that taking the supplement can allow people to exercise up to 20% longer and could produce a 1-2% improvement in race times.

This comes on the back of previous research from Exeter which showed that the high nitrate content of beetroot juice, which also boosts nitric oxide in the body, has a similar effect on performance.
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Champion Nutrition Supplement Recall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — June 29, 2010 – Sunrise, FL – Champion Nutrition is recalling five lots of Champion Nutrition Chocolate Peanut Butter Pure Whey Protein 5lb. Product was distributed domestically throughout the U.S. This recall is being initiated due to an incomplete allergen statement for peanuts in the ingredient section of the label. People who have allergies to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. However, peanuts are prominently displayed on the principal display panel, the flavor Chocolate Peanut Butter is prominent and there is a statement that the product was manufactured in a facility that uses peanuts, tree nuts etc.
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FDA warns of contaminted sex drug

WASHINGTON, D.C.; August 25, 2010 (WPVI) — The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to take TimeOut capsules, because it contains a dangerous ingredient.

The FDA says the ingredient can cause dangerous drops in blood pressure.

TimeOut Capsules are marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement.

The FDA analyzed the product, and determined it contains hydroxythiohomosildenafil.
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Food binge may cause long-term body fat increase

Man on weighing scales It is harder to get those pounds off once they have become body fat

A moment on the lips can actually mean a lifetime on the hips, according to Swedish researchers, who found that binging on food seems to have a long term effect on body weight.

People who gorged on fast food for four weeks and did little exercise put on an average of 6.4kg of weight.

Two years later, signs of increased body fat were still apparent, says the Linkoping University study.

The Swedish researchers studied a group of 18 adults with an average age of 26.
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Now Jose Canseco says steroids are overrated

As much of a joke as Jose Canseco often has been, he has been right on virtually everything he has said about steroids, and steroid users. And now the whistle-blower who exposed steroid use in MLB in his Juiced book is saying the anabolic drugs are overrated.

MLB’s first 40-40 man has landed with the Laredo Broncos of the United Baseball League, an independent league. He’s earning $500 a month as a DH and bench coach, and has four homers and 13 RBI in six games, and says he’s doing it without steroids.
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