Relacore- expensive herbal pill or dangerous steroid?

[InfidelSerf]

I am curious, my girlfriend was recently convinced by her older sister to try Relacore a "stress mitigating compound" that is sold as a belly fat buster for women.
I'm sure you have been forced to see a commercial or two.

It does contain DHEA which I recall is a questionablely safe steroid.
Other than that the ingredients look like your typical herbal supplement pill.
 
My question is if anyone knows anything about this supplement (non FDA regulated)
Or if anyone knows of any good sites that have detailed information about it.

[Preacherman]

The FDA isn't happy...  see http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/cyber/2004/CFSAN2004Hbees.htm

Other links:

http://www.ultimatefatburner.com/relacore-review.html

http://www.johnleemd.com/store/news_relacore.html

Basically, I won't trust any manufacturer's claim for any supplement - period.  There are too many lies, too much hype, and not nearly enough science to trust the makers of these products.

[stevelyn]

As if the FDA has our best interests in mind.

[roo_ster]

Do your own research & make up your own mind WRT supplements.  The FDA would take away that freedom.

I have used various supplements in the past.  Some have worked, some didn't.  

WHAT WORKED

High doses of vitamin C
I used it to reduce bruising when lifting weights.  When benching, I would get reddish-purple bruising along my outer lats.  When Squatting, the same would occur along my traps.   Vitamin C took care of that.

Beta Carotene
I am white.  I mean white.  I can tan, given little doses of sun over time, and become the bleach-blond tan-type.  But, if I spend time in the sun without having previously worked at gradual tanning, I will burn.  Beta Carotene increases my resistance to burning  (time in sun before burning) by 2-3X

Androstenedione
Specifically, MuscleTech's Anotesten.  After I busted my ankle in the service & had osteomyelitis, my left left was ate up.  My ankle was especially bad & my calf atrophied into a bacon strip.  I worked at rehab like a man possessed & eventually hit the wall.  I went from needing a cane to walk to walking with a pronounced limp, but hard work & nutrition were at their limits.  Andro helped me get from gimpy to walking like a normal human being...to short bits of jogging.  Since it was effective, the f--ks at the FDA had to ban it.  Same with ephedrine.  If I were to get another such debilitating injury, I would not have the option of safe, legal supplements that actually work.  I would read the obituary of any who enforced such regulation with great satisfaction.  Thanks for the "protection," FDA.


WHAT DID NOT WORK

Creatine
Worthless.  'Nuff said.

Glucosamine, Chondroitin
Maybe my ankle joint was waaay out of their league & would work for someone with less serious joint damage.  In my case, they were worthless.


Note 1: I haven't been current on supplements since ~2000.  There might be other mass-building products that have come on line.

Note 2:  MuscleTech used to be the best.  The quality and formulations put all others to shame.  I do not know the current state of the supplement industry.

[Fjolnirsson]

There are a lot of things out there the FDA doesn't want you to know about. Case in point. My wife has suffered from severe asthma her entire life. When I met her, she was having 2-3 major attacks per day. She had a prescribed inhaler, which sometimes worked, and sometimes different. I convinced her to try an herbal tea I made up. The tea prevented the majority of her attacks, and lessened the severity of them, as well.  I eventually made up some capsulkes for her to take as a daily preventative when she didn't have time for tea in the mornings. What was in the tea, you say? Catnip and coltsfoot. Catnip is a mild sedative, which relaxes the bronchial muscles. Coltsfoot creates a thin coating for the throat passage, soothing the irritation. The FDA doesn't like coltsfoot, because it, "may produce or aggravate cancer in lab rats". 'nuff said.
The FDA, as with so many other governmental agencies, isn't about safety. It's about control and profit.