Dietary supplements

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Dietary supplements

Answer 1

Shark cartilage

Shark cartilage is a dietary supplement made from the dried and powdered cartilage of a shark; that is, from the tough material that composes a shark's skeleton. Shark cartilage is marketed under a variety of brand names, including Carticin, Cartilade, or BeneFin, and is marketed explicitly or implicitly as a treatment or preventive for various illnesses including cancer.

There is no scientific evidence that shark cartilage is useful in treating or preventing cancer or other diseases. Controlled trials have shown no benefit to shark cartilage supplements, and shark cartilage contains potentially toxic compounds linked to Alzheimer disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, shark cartilage supplements remain popular on the basis of the misconception that sharks do not get cancer, popularized in the 1992 best-selling book Sharks Don't Get Cancer.

Tumors of many kinds, some metastatic, have been found in numerous species of sharks. The first shark tumor was recorded in 1908. Scientists have since discovered 40 benign and cancerous tumors in 18 of the 1,168 species of sharks. Scarcity of studies on shark physiology has perhaps allowed the myth to be accepted as fact for so many years. Numerous cancers in sharks, including tumors in shark cartilage, were documented by Gary Ostrander and his colleagues from the University of Hawaii in research published in 2004.

While shark cartilage does not seem to be an effective treatment for cancer, some studies suggest that intake of one of its key components, chondroitin sulfate, may have positive effects on patients suffering from arthritis. That substance, however, is found in all animal cartilages, and not just that of sharks.

The ongoing consumption of shark cartilage supplements has been linked to a significant decline in shark populations, and the popularity of these supplements has been described as a triumph of pseudoscience and marketing over scientific evaluation.

Proponents of shark cartilage are encouraged by anecdotal evidence from users as to its efficacy. The proponents also cite studies that show that shark cartilage has had some success in preventing angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. While angiogenesis is often a normal function, it is also consistent with the growth of malignant tumors. They argue too, that very little research (in the quantity and quality of studies) has been conducted, and thus the benefits cannot be scientifically disputed.

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Answer 2

Siraitia grosvenorii

Siraitia grosvenorii

Momordica grosvenorii Swingle
Thladiantha grosvenorii (Swingle) C.Jeffrey

Siraitia grosvenorii (luo han guo or monk fruit) is a herbaceous perennial vine of the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family, native to southern China and northern Thailand. The plant is cultivated for its fruit, whose extract is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar and has been used in China as a low-calorie sweetener for cooling drinks and in traditional Chinese medicine.

The plant's fruit is often called in English language publications luo han guo or lo han kuo (from the Chinese luóhàn guǒ, / ).

The scientific species name honors Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, who as president of the National Geographic Society, helped to fund an expedition in the 1930s to find the living plant in China where it was being cultivated.

The fruit was first mentioned in the records of 13th-century Chinese monks in Guangxi in the region of Guilin. The difficulty of cultivation meant the fruit did not become part of the Chinese herbal tradition which depended on more readily available products.

Luóhàn (羅漢) is a shortened form of āluóhàn (阿羅漢), which is an old transliteration of the Indian Sanskrit word arhat (prakrit: arahant). In early Buddhist traditions, a monk who becomes enlightened is called an arhat who attains the "fruition of arhatship" (Sanskrit: arhattaphala). This was rendered in Chinese as luóhàn guǒ (羅漢果 lit. "arhat fruit") which later became the Chinese and western commercial designation for this type of sweet fruit.

It may also be called la han qua (from Vietnamese la hán quả), Buddha fruit or longevity fruit (also used for other fruits).

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Answer 3

SierraSil

SierraSil

SierraSil is a dietary supplement that is a cocktail of various minerals that is marketed as providing pain-free motion by Sierra Mountain Minerals Inc., a Canadian company founded in 2003.

It is ineffective for relieving symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee.

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Answer 4

Sho-saiko-to

Sho-Saiko-To or SST (Japanese: 小柴胡湯), also known as Minor Bupuleurum Formula and Xiao Chai Hu Tang in Chinese小柴胡汤, is a herbal supplement, believed to enhance liver health. Sho-Saiko-To is a widely used prescription drug in Japan and is a listed formula in Japanese Kampo. There are currently ongoing clinical trials for Sho-Saiko-To at University of California, San Diego and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The active ingredients of Sho-Saiko-To discovered so far include: Baicalin, Baicalein, Glycyrrhizin, Saikosaponins, Ginsenosides, Wogonin, Gingerol.

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Answer 5

Sister Lauras Food Supplement

In the early 1900s Sister Laura Marian Smith, a nurse at the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital, noted the high levels of malnutrition in children at the time, and is credited with promoting the use of a Casein inhibitor to make cows milk more beneficial to those who had extreme difficulty in digesting it. By creating a powder formulae to mix with milk, it enabled it to become an effective aid to patient recovery. Although named after Sister Laura - this was a marketing strategy as the powder is said to have been developed by Dr Leonard Findlay, at the time a noted expert of infant dietary disorders at Rottenrow. Although Sister Laura was one of the original shareholders when the company when it was established in 1911, by 1920 she had sold her interests in the company, though it continued to expand, opening a purpose-built factory at Emerson Road West, Bishopbriggs.

The new factory at Springfield Works (Emerson Road West) heralded the incorporation of a new company, Sister Lauras Infant and Invalid Food Co Ltd was now controlled by William and Edward Watson, and it expanded rapidly acquiring other well-established products, notably Teddylax and Zomogen, the latter being used as a treatment of anaemia and neurasthenia. The Sister Laura Co then took its first steps by expanding Internationally, with the purchase of Irish company H J Wade & Co. Continuing to service the wholesale chemist and pharmacy sector, in 1957 with declining sales of its core product (malnutrition being practically unknown due to the arrival of the NHS in 1948), it purchased a patent for 'improvements relating to quick cooking cereal or farinaceous products' from Mr. Hans Knoch, commencing manufacture of 'Easyrice' at Springfield Works. However, with consumer choice becoming more sophisticated, within ten years Sister Lauras found itself unable return to its earlier profitability, and closed in 1981

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Answer 6

Slow Cow

Slow Cow

Slow Cow is a relaxation beverage produced in Quebec, Canada by the company Slow Cow Drink Inc. Dubbed an "anti-energy" drink, it was created to "help people slow down" and parodied Red Bull by using packaging similar to that of the popular energy drink. Slow Cow was launched in Quebec in December 2008, with plans to sell the product in the rest of Canada, and in France, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, the United States, Russia, Hong Kong, Italy, China and the Czech Republic.

Slow Cow's main ingredient is L-Theanine which, according to the manufacturer, "produces a feeling of relaxation and creates a feeling of well-being."

Slow Cow was developed by Lino Fleury in Quebec. He noted that while there were plenty of energy drinks available, there were no beverages to "help people slow down when they are stressed." Because of the caffeine present in energy drinks, he said that they were inclined to "increase anxiety, not reduce it." Fleury and his team began developing the relaxation drink in 2006 using mostly natural ingredients that would calm the drinker without inducing drowsiness.

When the finished product was launched in December 2008, it was packaged to parody Red Bull. The can was of a similar shape and size of the popular energy drink, and the logo featured two cows relaxing to contrast the two bulls fighting in the Red Bull logo. After the launch, Red Bull GmbH sent Slow Cow Drink Inc. a formal notice to close, claiming that Slow Cow's packaging copied Red Bull's. While Fleury admitted to the similar packaging, he said that his lawyers "are confident they will win this case."

Slow Cow's principal ingredient is L-Theanine, an amino acid found in tea plants that increases levels of GABA in the brain, which is said to produce a "feeling of relaxation and [...] well-being" "without causing sleepiness". L-Theanine is also said to increase mental awareness, cognition, and concentration. Michael Lyon, head of the Canadian Centre for Functional Medicine in Vancouver, believes that L-Theanine "is the best-kept secret in natural medicine".

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Answer 7

Sobrietol

Sobrietol is a North American brand of nutritional supplement marketed as a remedy for hangovers and to prevent symptoms associated with alcohol flush reaction. The list of ingredients includes the enzymes quinoptotein alcohol dehydrogenase (QADH) and quinoprotein aldehyde dehydrogenase (QALDH) from Glucanobacter suboxydans or Acetobacter suboxydans or oxydans, either in purified form or as cell extracts, together with buffering agents and protectants designed to ensure that the enzymes remain biologically active after oral ingestion, and "a source of oxygen in an amount sufficient for the enzymes to metabolize ethanol after administration to a patient."

A 2008 controlled study of breath alcohol levels indicated significantly greater ethanol elimination in subjects given sobrietol vs. placebo. Sobrietol has also been covered by a number of television news programs. Sobrietol has not been evaluated for safety or efficacy by any regulatory agency, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the European Medicines Agency.

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Answer 8

Sodium ferulate

Sodium ferulate

Sodium ferulate (SF), the sodium salt of ferulic acid, is a drug used in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and to prevent thrombosis. It is found in the root of Angelica sinensis. It is considered safe and effective. Ferulic acid can also be extracted from the root of the Chinese herb Ligusticum chuanxiong.

Kraft Foods patented the use of sodium ferulate to mask the aftertaste of the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium.

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Answer 9

Sodium selenite

Sodium selenite

Sodium selenite is the inorganic compound with the formula Na₂SeO₃. This salt is a colourless solid. The pentahydrate Na₂SeO₃(H₂O)₅ is the most common water-soluble selenium compound.

Sodium selenite usually is prepared by the reaction of selenium dioxide with sodium hydroxide:

The hydrate converts to the anhydrous salt upon heating to 40 °C.

Akin to the related salt sodium sulfite, Na₂SeO₃ features a pyramidal dianion SeO₃^2−. Oxidation of this anion gives sodium selenate, Na₂SeO₄.

Together with the related barium and zinc selenites, sodium selenite is mainly used in the manufacture of colorless glass. The pink color imparted by these selenites cancels out the green color imparted by iron impurities.

Because selenium is an essential element, sodium selenite is an ingredient in some food supplements.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a selenium supplement to animal diets, however the most common form is sodium selenite for pet foods. According to one article, "not much was known about which selenium compounds to approve for use in animal feeds when the decisions were made back in the 1970s .. At the time the regulatory action was taken, only the inorganic selenium salts (sodium selenite and sodium selenate) were available at a cost permitting their use in animal feed.”

Selenium is toxic in high concentrations. The chronic toxic dose for human beings is about 2.4 to 3 milligrams of selenium per day.

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Answer 10

Soylent (food)

Soylent

Soylent is a brand of meal replacement products that are advertised for consumption as "staple meals", and are available in the U.S. and Canada as a pre-mixed beverage or in powdered form for mixing with water. It was introduced in 2014 after a crowdfunding campaign that generated nearly $1.5 million in preorders.

Its producer, Rosa Labs, says that Soylent meets all nutritional requirements for an average adult. Initial recipes were first created and tested by software engineer Rob Rhinehart as a self-experiment in nutrition. Subsequently, the powdered version of Soylent was developed into the first product line of Rosa Labs, which currently markets and sells the product. For about two months in late 2016, the company also marketed a solid-form meal bar under the brand name as well, but it was discontinued after reports that it caused gastrointestinal problems for some consumers. Sales of the powdered version were also halted briefly in late 2016 before the product was reformulated and its sales resumed.

Rosa Labs said the current formulation is based on recommendations of the National Academy of Medicine. They established an FDA nutrition facts label and said the product meets the criteria for some health-related claims. Rosa Labs also states that Soylent includes all of the elements of a healthy diet, without excess amounts of sugar, saturated fat or cholesterol.

The makers of Soylent claim it contains all the nutritional requirements necessary for a healthy lifestyle. There may be social drawbacks of living on a Soylent-only diet, since some critics have claimed that it comes at the expense of the pleasures from eating and sharing food.

Some people have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms from consumption of Soylent. Speculation on the cause of such symptoms sometimes centered around the amount of dietary fiber contained in the product which is known to cause such symptoms when diets are abruptly altered to increase amounts of fiber consumption. Later versions of the product lowered the amount of fiber content, but this did not stop the reports of gastrointestinal problems. The lower fiber content of the product led to additional criticisms of not containing an adequate amount, compared to daily recommendations, leading some to utilize fiber supplementation.

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