Herbalife Formula 1 is a meal replacement shake that is intended as a replacement for actual food. It is marketed as a "healthy meal" but thats debatable. So, whats actually in it and what would you need to make your own.
The ingredients in the pack I got given are....
That's a lot of products to make a branded product so I thought what all those things are.
Soy Protein Isolate
This is the big one, soy protein isolate is a dry powder food ingredient that has been separated or isolated from the other components of the soybean, making it 90 to 95 percent protein. It may also be listed in foods as mono-diglyceride, soya, TSF (textured soy flour) & TSP (textured soy protein) or TVP (textured vegetable protein), lecithin and the dreaded MSG (monosodium glutamate). In this case it is protein isolate and it is the most abundant ingredient in the powder mix.
So, MYPROTEIN.COM have it listed at £24.99 for 2.5 kg. Thats a lot of it for not a lot of money (imagine what the wholesale price would be). Maybe you could make your own, sell it to your friends, then if they sell it to their friends and you can get your own little pyramid going. Now before you all moan about the quality of the soya I'm fairly certain this will also be GMO just like the original. It's fairly well known why I hate soy products but here's a little overview of it from Mercola.
For those not keen on consuming GMO soy (I wouldn't consume it even if it were GMO free), you may want to look at something like Grass Fed Whey Protein Powders. Personally I wouldn't have either but if I felt compelled to have a shake Soy would be the last thing I would use.
Fructose, (or fruit sugar) is Robert Lustig's worst nightmare. Personally I have no issue with fructose. It is a simple ketonic monosaccharide found in many plants, where it is often bonded to glucose to form the disaccharide sucrose. Commercially, fructose is frequently derived from sugar cane, sugar beets, and maize. All forms of fructose, including fruits and juices, are commonly added to foods and drinks for palatability and taste enhancement. If you wanted to avoid the herbaturd and make your own shake you could buy it from the same website for £5.69 for 1kg.
Cellulose Powder is basically to stop your powder clumping and is made from wood. Who'd of though herbalife would give you wood after so many dieters suffering erectile dysfunction whilst in a caloric deficit. If you need some Wood, for £7.35 for 250g you can fill your boots.
Corn Bran is the tough outer layer of the corn that is usually discarded. Cunning use of a product thats basically considered a waste product. No real reason for it other than it altering the nutritional profile a little so it looks a little for favourable.
Artificial French Vanilla Flavour can be bought from eliquidlabs.co.uk for £3.50 for 10ml. Most artificial vanilla products contain vanillin, which can be produced synthetically from lignin, a natural polymer found in yes more wood. Most synthetic vanillin is a byproduct from the pulp used in paper making. More wood and more waste products.
Guar gum is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans which are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum and it has many uses.
Potassium chloride (KCl) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. Potassium chloride was historically known as "muriate of potash" which is still associated with its use as a fertilizer. I occasionally use this myself but thats because I've tested myself and proved a need for it. In around half of my clients they don't need it so a generic shake like herdalife wouldn't help them and may actually push them more out of micronutrient balance.
Calcium phosphate is the name given to a family of minerals containing calcium ions. Calcium phosphate is the principal form of calcium found in bovine milk. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest you maybe just buy milk for a £1. Then again, if you're like a lot of people I see, you probably already have enough calcium in your diet already, but then how would you know? Did the wellness coach assess your need with their Tanita Magic Scales?
Casein is the name for a family of related phosphoproteins proteins found in mammalian milk. (80% of the proteins in cow milk and 20% - 45% of the proteins in human milk). Casein is used in cheese, as a food additive, even as binder for safety matches.
Rice Fiber is produced when rice is milled, the hull is then removed to produce the brown rice kernel leaving the hulls which are processed to produce the fiber. Yet again more eco friendly waste material that they reuse yet you pay a premium price for it.
Soy Lecithin is most commonly extracted chemically (using hexane, ethanol, acetone, petroleum ether, benzene, etc.) from soybeans and is sold as a food supplement and as an emulsifier. I avoid wherever possible and certainly wouldn't buy it as a 'health' product.
Canola oil is produced from the seed of any of several varieties of the rape plant for consumption by humans and as a source of biodiesel. It may also be referred as rapeseed oil in the UK and is 'considered' safe for human consumption. Yet many (including me) researchers consider polyunsaturated fats toxic. http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturated-oils.shtml. Would I consume a product that had this in it? Nope not a chance.
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) contain 6–12 carbon fatty acid esters of glycerol. Sourced from palm kernel oil and coconut oil (just ask Dave at bulletproof). A number of studies back MCT oil as a weight loss supplement, these claims are not without conflict and results are inconclusive. It certainly isn't a magic ingredient.
Carrageenans are linear sulphated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds that are used in the food industry as gelling, thickening, and stabilizing agents. Animal studies have observed colitis-like disease and tumour promotion [Ref] which has raised dietary safety concerns. For this reason, carrageenan is currently prohibited in EU infant formula.
DL-Methionine is sometimes given as a supplement to dogs reduces the urine pH and helps keep them from damaging grass. Handy if you need a pee in your garden.
Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced by many plants, but most often extracted from chicory. Why is it here? No idea really but then I have no idea why any would any of the ingredients.
Magnesium oxide is produced by the calcination of magnesium carbonate or hydroxide or by the treatment of magnesium chloride with lime followed by heat and is used for making Portland cement and in medicine for the relief of heartburn/sore stomach (Antacid tablets), and as insulation in industrial cables amongst other things.
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica ingested orally is essentially nontoxic, yet inhaling finely divided crystalline silica dust can lead to silicosis, bronchitis, or cancer.
Liquorice Flavor, Natural Vanilla Flavour, Ginger Root Powder - Basically a bunch of flavours and powders stuck in for good measure and to make it look herbal.
Psyllium seed powder - Psyllium seed husks are indigestible and are used to relieve the constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhoea that Turdalife may cause...better safe than sorry.
Citrus Pectin - Pectin is a carbohydrate that is made of hundreds or thousands of polysaccharide molecules chemically linked together. It is found in most plants and is particularly plentiful in the peels of apples, citrus fruits, and plums. Pectin in its natural form cannot be absorbed by the body and is considered a type of undigestible soluble dietary fiber, whereas modified citrus pectin has a reduced molecular weight compared to regular citrus pectin, is mostly linear homogalacturonanic acid, and rich in galactose residues, which are easily processed by the digestive system and absorbed into the bloodstream if of the correct molecular weight range. Who knows what type herdalife include.
Protease is any enzyme that performs proteolysis, meaning that it begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein. Digestive proteases are part of many laundry detergents and are also used extensively in the bread industry in bread improver. Proteases are inhibited by protease inhibitors and without this added inhibitor the raw soybeans are toxic to many animals, including humans. The protease inhibitors perform the role of stopping predators and it is therefore necessary to denature the soy prior to consumption.
Honey Powder - Basically dehydrated honey which has a texture similar to corn flour and is spray dried into fine powder using heat and contains stabiliser such as maltodextrin and fructose. Personally I wouldn't label it as honey.
Ascorbic Acid is vitamin C in its cheapest form.
DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetete - Commercial vitamin E supplements can be classified as these 3 types:
Herdalifes is naturally the first and the cheapest. As far as I'm aware, most sources are from yet more soya.
Papaya Fruit Powder, Blueberry Powder & Pomegranate Powder - Thought I'd group these three together. Basically just dried fruit powder so really natural and not denatured in any way at all...honest. No details forthcoming when I asked but I'd imagine its a chemical process that creates this powdered fruit.
Biotin is also known as vitamin H or coenzyme R is a water-soluble B-vitamin (vitamin B7). The only human health condition for which there is strong evidence of biotin's potential benefit as a treatment is biotin deficiency which doesn't seem too likely in the average consumer.
Nicotinamide, also known as niacinamide and nicotinic amide, is the amide of nicotinic acid (vitamin B3 / niacin). Nicotinamide is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B group. Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin, is converted to nicotinamide in vivo, and, though the two are identical in their vitamin functions, nicotinamide does not have the same pharmacological and toxic effects of niacin, which occur incidental to niacin's conversion. Thus nicotinamide does not reduce cholesterol or cause flushing, although nicotinamide may be toxic to the liver at doses exceeding 3 g/day for adults.[ref link] Who knows if this is a link to the incidences of liver problems reported by those on Herbalife.
Beta Carotene, the substance in carrots, pumpkins etc that colours them orange. When used as an additive it is known as E160a. Chronic high doses of β-carotene supplementation increases the probability of lung cancer in cigarette smokers.[Ref Link]
Ferrous Fumarate - This medicine is used to treat and prevent iron deficiency anaemia. It belongs to a group of medicines called iron supplements. This medicine contains the iron salt, ferrous fumarate which helps restore iron levels in the body when levels are low. The ferrous fumarate salt may help reduce the chances of getting gastro-intestinal problems which are usually associated with other iron salts.
One of the most important functions of iron in the body is in the formation of red blood cells. Iron is a component of haemoglobin which is the oxygen-carrying pigment of red blood cells.
This medicine is available in two forms that are taken by mouth: tablets and liquid.
This medicine should only be taken on advice from a healthcare professional ( a herdalife wellness coach generally isn't one of these). Iron supplements contain different amounts of iron and it is important you take the correct dose or to establish if you even need it. Most of the anemics I've seen have done far better without this.
Some foods such as tea, (so best avoid magic calorie burning thermo tea then), eggs or milk may decrease the absorption of iron and should not be taken at the same time as iron supplements. - NHS
Zinc Oxide - An insoluble powder that is widely used as an additive in things such as rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, and you guessed it foods. Most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.
Copper Gluconate - A copper salt of D-gluconic acid. It is really important that you understand your needs for both copper and zinc prior to playing around with them. Herdalife adds both so you don't have to consider if you need either of them.
D-Calcoium Pantothenate is a synthetic substance made from pantothenic acid and sold as vitamin B-5 supplements. Could you get this from food? Yeah if you ate it instead of skipping food and building a dysfunctional relationship with foods.
Cyanococbalamin is a produced form of the chemical compounds which the body converts to any one of the active vitamin B12 compounds. The amount of cyanide (yes cyanide) liberated in this process is so small that its toxicity is negligible. It's still there though.
Folic acid or folate is a B vitamin. It is also referred to as vitamin Ф, vitamin M, vitamin B9, vitamin Bc (or folacin), pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, and pteroyl-L-glutamate . Folic acid is synthetically produced, and used in fortified foods (i.e. foods that need fortifying after they have been stripped of nutrients) and supplements. Excessive consumption of folic acid (and does your wellness coach know if you're consuming too much?) is a major risk factor for cancer.
Cholecalciferol is a form of vitamin D, also called vitamin D3. It is structurally similar to steroids such as testosterone, cholesterol, and cortisol (though vitamin D3 itself is a secosteroid). Also a form of rat poison so pretty handy if you have some herbalife left over and need to dispose of some rats. http://www.aspcapro.org/sites/pro/files/n-toxbrief_1201.pdf Couple this with the cyanide mentioned above and its starting to look like the FBI should investigate.
Thiamine Mononitrare Riboflavin is a stable nitrate salt form of thiamine (vitamin B1). It occurs as a white crystalline powder and is prepared from thiamine hydrochloride. It is used as a food or nutritional supplement.Thiamin mononitrate is used in the pharmaceutical industry to treat beriberi and general malnutrition or malabsorption. [1] Thiamine can be found naturally in foods like grains, yeast, molasses, pork and animal organ meats. Dairy, eggs and legumes have smaller amounts. Though thiamine is found naturally in foods, thiamine mononitrate is not. Thiamine mononitrate is synthesized by removing a chloride ion from thiamin hydrochloride and mixing the final product with nitric acid.
Chromium Chloride is mainly used in medical, food additives, feed additives, chromium compounds, and oilfield industry for chrome plating. In inorganic industry it is used for the production of other chromium salts and pigments used in the manufacture of various industrial chromium pigments. It is used in organic industry for the manufacture of a variety of chromium-containing catalyst. In printing and dyeing industry it is used as a mordant.
Sodium Molybdate
The agriculture industry uses 1 million pounds per year as a fertilizer. In particular, its use has been suggested for treatment of whiptail in broccoli and cauliflower in molybdenum-deficient soils. However, care must be taken because at a level of 0.3 ppm sodium molybdate can cause copper deficiencies in animals, particularly cattle. Good job herdalife included that copper earlier on in the list...always thinking.
Sodium Selinite - As 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.”
However, selenium is toxic in high concentrations. The chronic toxic dose for human beings is about 2.4 to 3 milligrams of selenium per day (Wilber, C, G. (1980). Toxicology of selenium. Clinical Toxicology. 17 (2): 171–230). Much of this would be dependent upon your own current levels of selenium, which I'm guessing your wellness coach/dealer hasn't measured with their magic Tanita scales.
Many thanks to the wonderful wikipedia for the brief research and explanation of some of the weird and wonderful products that go into making a product such as herdalife. And finally, remember if you aren't sure what an ingredient is, don't consume it. At least if a dealer approaches, you can be sure that you have a good amount of knowledge to discuss the product with them.
The ingredients in the pack I got given are....
- Soy Protein Isolate
- Fructose
- Cellulose Powder
- Corn Bran
- Artificial French Vanilla Flavour
- Guar Gum
- Pottasium Chloride
- Calcium Phosphate
- Calcium Caseinate
- Casein
- Rice Fiber
- Soy Lecithin
- Canola Oil
- Medium Chain Triglycerides
- Carrageenan
- DL-Methionine
- Inulin
- Magnesium Oxide
- Silicon Dioxide
- Liquorice Flavor
- Natural Vanilla Flavour
- Ginger Root Powder
- Psyllium Husk Powder
- Citrus Pectin
- Proteases
- Honey Powder
- Ascorbic Acid
- DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetete
- Papaya Fruit Powder
- Blueberry Powder
- Pomegranate Powder
- Biotin
- Niacinamide
- Beta Carotene
- Ferrous Fumarate
- Zinc Oxide
- Copper Gluconate
- D-Calcoium Pantothenate
- Cyanococbalamin
- Folic Acid
- Cholecalciferol
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- Thiamine Mononitrare
- Riboflavin
- Chromium Chloride
- Sodium Molybdate
- Sodium Selinite
That's a lot of products to make a branded product so I thought what all those things are.
Soy Protein Isolate
This is the big one, soy protein isolate is a dry powder food ingredient that has been separated or isolated from the other components of the soybean, making it 90 to 95 percent protein. It may also be listed in foods as mono-diglyceride, soya, TSF (textured soy flour) & TSP (textured soy protein) or TVP (textured vegetable protein), lecithin and the dreaded MSG (monosodium glutamate). In this case it is protein isolate and it is the most abundant ingredient in the powder mix.
So, MYPROTEIN.COM have it listed at £24.99 for 2.5 kg. Thats a lot of it for not a lot of money (imagine what the wholesale price would be). Maybe you could make your own, sell it to your friends, then if they sell it to their friends and you can get your own little pyramid going. Now before you all moan about the quality of the soya I'm fairly certain this will also be GMO just like the original. It's fairly well known why I hate soy products but here's a little overview of it from Mercola.
For those not keen on consuming GMO soy (I wouldn't consume it even if it were GMO free), you may want to look at something like Grass Fed Whey Protein Powders. Personally I wouldn't have either but if I felt compelled to have a shake Soy would be the last thing I would use.
Fructose, (or fruit sugar) is Robert Lustig's worst nightmare. Personally I have no issue with fructose. It is a simple ketonic monosaccharide found in many plants, where it is often bonded to glucose to form the disaccharide sucrose. Commercially, fructose is frequently derived from sugar cane, sugar beets, and maize. All forms of fructose, including fruits and juices, are commonly added to foods and drinks for palatability and taste enhancement. If you wanted to avoid the herbaturd and make your own shake you could buy it from the same website for £5.69 for 1kg.
Cellulose Powder is basically to stop your powder clumping and is made from wood. Who'd of though herbalife would give you wood after so many dieters suffering erectile dysfunction whilst in a caloric deficit. If you need some Wood, for £7.35 for 250g you can fill your boots.
Corn Bran is the tough outer layer of the corn that is usually discarded. Cunning use of a product thats basically considered a waste product. No real reason for it other than it altering the nutritional profile a little so it looks a little for favourable.
Artificial French Vanilla Flavour can be bought from eliquidlabs.co.uk for £3.50 for 10ml. Most artificial vanilla products contain vanillin, which can be produced synthetically from lignin, a natural polymer found in yes more wood. Most synthetic vanillin is a byproduct from the pulp used in paper making. More wood and more waste products.
Guar gum is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans which are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum and it has many uses.
- Textile industry – sizing, finishing and printing
- Paper industry – improved sheet formation, folding and denser surface for printing
- Explosives industry – as waterproofing agent mixed with ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin.
- Pharmaceutical industry – as binder or as disintegrator in tablets; main ingredient in some bulk-forming laxatives
- Cosmetics and toiletries industries – thickener in toothpastes, conditioner in shampoos (usually in a chemically modified version)
Potassium chloride (KCl) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. Potassium chloride was historically known as "muriate of potash" which is still associated with its use as a fertilizer. I occasionally use this myself but thats because I've tested myself and proved a need for it. In around half of my clients they don't need it so a generic shake like herdalife wouldn't help them and may actually push them more out of micronutrient balance.
Calcium phosphate is the name given to a family of minerals containing calcium ions. Calcium phosphate is the principal form of calcium found in bovine milk. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest you maybe just buy milk for a £1. Then again, if you're like a lot of people I see, you probably already have enough calcium in your diet already, but then how would you know? Did the wellness coach assess your need with their Tanita Magic Scales?
Casein is the name for a family of related phosphoproteins proteins found in mammalian milk. (80% of the proteins in cow milk and 20% - 45% of the proteins in human milk). Casein is used in cheese, as a food additive, even as binder for safety matches.
Rice Fiber is produced when rice is milled, the hull is then removed to produce the brown rice kernel leaving the hulls which are processed to produce the fiber. Yet again more eco friendly waste material that they reuse yet you pay a premium price for it.
Soy Lecithin is most commonly extracted chemically (using hexane, ethanol, acetone, petroleum ether, benzene, etc.) from soybeans and is sold as a food supplement and as an emulsifier. I avoid wherever possible and certainly wouldn't buy it as a 'health' product.
Canola oil is produced from the seed of any of several varieties of the rape plant for consumption by humans and as a source of biodiesel. It may also be referred as rapeseed oil in the UK and is 'considered' safe for human consumption. Yet many (including me) researchers consider polyunsaturated fats toxic. http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturated-oils.shtml. Would I consume a product that had this in it? Nope not a chance.
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) contain 6–12 carbon fatty acid esters of glycerol. Sourced from palm kernel oil and coconut oil (just ask Dave at bulletproof). A number of studies back MCT oil as a weight loss supplement, these claims are not without conflict and results are inconclusive. It certainly isn't a magic ingredient.
Carrageenans are linear sulphated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds that are used in the food industry as gelling, thickening, and stabilizing agents. Animal studies have observed colitis-like disease and tumour promotion [Ref] which has raised dietary safety concerns. For this reason, carrageenan is currently prohibited in EU infant formula.
DL-Methionine is sometimes given as a supplement to dogs reduces the urine pH and helps keep them from damaging grass. Handy if you need a pee in your garden.
Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced by many plants, but most often extracted from chicory. Why is it here? No idea really but then I have no idea why any would any of the ingredients.
Magnesium oxide is produced by the calcination of magnesium carbonate or hydroxide or by the treatment of magnesium chloride with lime followed by heat and is used for making Portland cement and in medicine for the relief of heartburn/sore stomach (Antacid tablets), and as insulation in industrial cables amongst other things.
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica ingested orally is essentially nontoxic, yet inhaling finely divided crystalline silica dust can lead to silicosis, bronchitis, or cancer.
Liquorice Flavor, Natural Vanilla Flavour, Ginger Root Powder - Basically a bunch of flavours and powders stuck in for good measure and to make it look herbal.
Psyllium seed powder - Psyllium seed husks are indigestible and are used to relieve the constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhoea that Turdalife may cause...better safe than sorry.
Citrus Pectin - Pectin is a carbohydrate that is made of hundreds or thousands of polysaccharide molecules chemically linked together. It is found in most plants and is particularly plentiful in the peels of apples, citrus fruits, and plums. Pectin in its natural form cannot be absorbed by the body and is considered a type of undigestible soluble dietary fiber, whereas modified citrus pectin has a reduced molecular weight compared to regular citrus pectin, is mostly linear homogalacturonanic acid, and rich in galactose residues, which are easily processed by the digestive system and absorbed into the bloodstream if of the correct molecular weight range. Who knows what type herdalife include.
Protease is any enzyme that performs proteolysis, meaning that it begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein. Digestive proteases are part of many laundry detergents and are also used extensively in the bread industry in bread improver. Proteases are inhibited by protease inhibitors and without this added inhibitor the raw soybeans are toxic to many animals, including humans. The protease inhibitors perform the role of stopping predators and it is therefore necessary to denature the soy prior to consumption.
Honey Powder - Basically dehydrated honey which has a texture similar to corn flour and is spray dried into fine powder using heat and contains stabiliser such as maltodextrin and fructose. Personally I wouldn't label it as honey.
Ascorbic Acid is vitamin C in its cheapest form.
DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetete - Commercial vitamin E supplements can be classified as these 3 types:
- Fully synthetic vitamin E, "dl-alpha-tocopherol", the most inexpensive, most commonly sold supplement form usually as the acetate ester;
- Semi-synthetic "natural source" vitamin E esters, the "natural source" forms used in tablets and multiple vitamins. These are highly fractionated d-alpha tocopherol or its esters, often made by synthetic methylation of gamma and beta d,d,d tocopherol vitamers extracted from plant oils.
- Less fractionated "natural mixed tocopherols" and high d-gamma-tocopherol fraction supplements
Herdalifes is naturally the first and the cheapest. As far as I'm aware, most sources are from yet more soya.
Papaya Fruit Powder, Blueberry Powder & Pomegranate Powder - Thought I'd group these three together. Basically just dried fruit powder so really natural and not denatured in any way at all...honest. No details forthcoming when I asked but I'd imagine its a chemical process that creates this powdered fruit.
Biotin is also known as vitamin H or coenzyme R is a water-soluble B-vitamin (vitamin B7). The only human health condition for which there is strong evidence of biotin's potential benefit as a treatment is biotin deficiency which doesn't seem too likely in the average consumer.
Nicotinamide, also known as niacinamide and nicotinic amide, is the amide of nicotinic acid (vitamin B3 / niacin). Nicotinamide is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B group. Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin, is converted to nicotinamide in vivo, and, though the two are identical in their vitamin functions, nicotinamide does not have the same pharmacological and toxic effects of niacin, which occur incidental to niacin's conversion. Thus nicotinamide does not reduce cholesterol or cause flushing, although nicotinamide may be toxic to the liver at doses exceeding 3 g/day for adults.[ref link] Who knows if this is a link to the incidences of liver problems reported by those on Herbalife.
Beta Carotene, the substance in carrots, pumpkins etc that colours them orange. When used as an additive it is known as E160a. Chronic high doses of β-carotene supplementation increases the probability of lung cancer in cigarette smokers.[Ref Link]
Ferrous Fumarate - This medicine is used to treat and prevent iron deficiency anaemia. It belongs to a group of medicines called iron supplements. This medicine contains the iron salt, ferrous fumarate which helps restore iron levels in the body when levels are low. The ferrous fumarate salt may help reduce the chances of getting gastro-intestinal problems which are usually associated with other iron salts.
One of the most important functions of iron in the body is in the formation of red blood cells. Iron is a component of haemoglobin which is the oxygen-carrying pigment of red blood cells.
This medicine is available in two forms that are taken by mouth: tablets and liquid.
This medicine should only be taken on advice from a healthcare professional ( a herdalife wellness coach generally isn't one of these). Iron supplements contain different amounts of iron and it is important you take the correct dose or to establish if you even need it. Most of the anemics I've seen have done far better without this.
Some foods such as tea, (so best avoid magic calorie burning thermo tea then), eggs or milk may decrease the absorption of iron and should not be taken at the same time as iron supplements. - NHS
Zinc Oxide - An insoluble powder that is widely used as an additive in things such as rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, and you guessed it foods. Most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.
Copper Gluconate - A copper salt of D-gluconic acid. It is really important that you understand your needs for both copper and zinc prior to playing around with them. Herdalife adds both so you don't have to consider if you need either of them.
D-Calcoium Pantothenate is a synthetic substance made from pantothenic acid and sold as vitamin B-5 supplements. Could you get this from food? Yeah if you ate it instead of skipping food and building a dysfunctional relationship with foods.
Cyanococbalamin is a produced form of the chemical compounds which the body converts to any one of the active vitamin B12 compounds. The amount of cyanide (yes cyanide) liberated in this process is so small that its toxicity is negligible. It's still there though.
Folic acid or folate is a B vitamin. It is also referred to as vitamin Ф, vitamin M, vitamin B9, vitamin Bc (or folacin), pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, and pteroyl-L-glutamate . Folic acid is synthetically produced, and used in fortified foods (i.e. foods that need fortifying after they have been stripped of nutrients) and supplements. Excessive consumption of folic acid (and does your wellness coach know if you're consuming too much?) is a major risk factor for cancer.
Cholecalciferol is a form of vitamin D, also called vitamin D3. It is structurally similar to steroids such as testosterone, cholesterol, and cortisol (though vitamin D3 itself is a secosteroid). Also a form of rat poison so pretty handy if you have some herbalife left over and need to dispose of some rats. http://www.aspcapro.org/sites/pro/files/n-toxbrief_1201.pdf Couple this with the cyanide mentioned above and its starting to look like the FBI should investigate.
Thiamine Mononitrare Riboflavin is a stable nitrate salt form of thiamine (vitamin B1). It occurs as a white crystalline powder and is prepared from thiamine hydrochloride. It is used as a food or nutritional supplement.Thiamin mononitrate is used in the pharmaceutical industry to treat beriberi and general malnutrition or malabsorption. [1] Thiamine can be found naturally in foods like grains, yeast, molasses, pork and animal organ meats. Dairy, eggs and legumes have smaller amounts. Though thiamine is found naturally in foods, thiamine mononitrate is not. Thiamine mononitrate is synthesized by removing a chloride ion from thiamin hydrochloride and mixing the final product with nitric acid.
Chromium Chloride is mainly used in medical, food additives, feed additives, chromium compounds, and oilfield industry for chrome plating. In inorganic industry it is used for the production of other chromium salts and pigments used in the manufacture of various industrial chromium pigments. It is used in organic industry for the manufacture of a variety of chromium-containing catalyst. In printing and dyeing industry it is used as a mordant.
Sodium Molybdate
The agriculture industry uses 1 million pounds per year as a fertilizer. In particular, its use has been suggested for treatment of whiptail in broccoli and cauliflower in molybdenum-deficient soils. However, care must be taken because at a level of 0.3 ppm sodium molybdate can cause copper deficiencies in animals, particularly cattle. Good job herdalife included that copper earlier on in the list...always thinking.
Sodium Selinite - As 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.”
However, selenium is toxic in high concentrations. The chronic toxic dose for human beings is about 2.4 to 3 milligrams of selenium per day (Wilber, C, G. (1980). Toxicology of selenium. Clinical Toxicology. 17 (2): 171–230). Much of this would be dependent upon your own current levels of selenium, which I'm guessing your wellness coach/dealer hasn't measured with their magic Tanita scales.
Many thanks to the wonderful wikipedia for the brief research and explanation of some of the weird and wonderful products that go into making a product such as herdalife. And finally, remember if you aren't sure what an ingredient is, don't consume it. At least if a dealer approaches, you can be sure that you have a good amount of knowledge to discuss the product with them.
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