The Kardashian sisters and makers of a weight loss supplement they have endorsed could soon face a lawsuit for what reads like misleading claims.

Now, the New York Post is reporting that QuikTrim’s manufacturers Windmill Health Products and the Kardashian sisters could be headed to court over marketing claims made by the product. New York law firm Bursor & Fisher is preparing the suit, writing on its website, “The active ingredient in QuickTrim weight loss products is a large dose of caffeine … The FDA has determined that caffeine is not safe or effective for weight loss.”

Both Kim and Khloe have claimed that the product, which features a bikini-clad Kim on the packaging, has helped them slim down. Last year, Kim tweeted that the supplement got her in shape for her August nuptials to NBA player Kris Humphries.

The Post reports that Bursor & Fisher was approached by a QuikTrim user and has now provided written notice to Windmill Health Products of its client’s claims. Now, the firm is reaching out to other users to build a case. According to its website, in 2006, Bursor & Fisher won a $12.8 million settlement against Nutraquest, the makers of Xenadrine® dietary supplement products, in response to personal injury and wrongful death claims related to ephedra, an ingredient in the drug. See original story

Speaking of Xenadrine®, I am a former user of this supplement when it was made by Cytodyne Technologies. This was back in the days when the famous thermogenic was ephedra-based. I would use it mainly during my cutting phase (for those not familiar with bodybuilding lingo that's when you're cutting down in order for that six-pack to appear). I would also take a pill pre-workout for energy. The non-ephedra version does not give me as good effects so I don’t take it. Guess what what other main ingredient was Xenadrine® besides ephedra?

If your guessed caffeine you are… right! Many popular thermogenics contain ephedra (now banned in the US, so they use alternatives), caffeine and aspirin. Go figure.

It's no secret that fish oil is good for you. After all we get bombarded about yet new findings about the benefits of Omega-3 virtually every day. A recent study found yet another benefit of fish oil can help prevent certain cardiovascular problems in infants.

Infants kept on a regimen of supplements and omega-3-rich oils for most of their first five years of life showed none of the accelerated atherosclerosis associated with impaired fetal growth among controls, Michael R. Skilton, PhD, of the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues found.

At age 8, the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) came out 0.041 mm less per kg birth weight in the omega-3 group than in those given omega-6 oils as a placebo (P=0.02), the researchers reported in the March issue of Pediatrics.

Because carotid IMT tracks into adulthood where it predicts incident cardiovascular events, this magnitude of benefit would be expected to decrease future risk of myocardial infarction by 5% to 7%, and future stroke risk by 6% to 8% per kg reduced birth weight.

Overall, each kilogram underweight has been shown to independently predict a 10% to 20% higher coronary artery disease risk later in life.

But further study is needed to confirm whether the early arterial benefits seen in the study carry through to fewer cardiovascular events in adulthood, Skilton's group cautioned. See original story

While we know that fish oil can help prevent atherosclerosis in adults, many of us might not have been aware that it has similar benefits for babies. This is one more reason expectant mothers should supplement on this important oil, with the guidance of physician of course.

You should be aware that fish oil supplements are not created equal. Fish may contain toxins such as mercury, dioxins, lead and PCBs. Also, you want fish oil with high concentration of DHA and EPA, two most important fatty acids. Taking a good quality DHA fish oil supplement may be the best way of getting these oils while avoiding the impurities.

Eating healthily and physical fitness go hand in hand, but there are no miracle foodstuffs that make you one hundred percent healthy by just eating that one food. Always aim to take in a variety of foods from the different food groups to get the best for your health. Also keep an eye on the sizes of your portions to be sure that you are not overeating. You will enjoy your food more if you ensure that mealtimes are happy relaxed occasions and this will work towards you having a healthy mind as well as a healthy body.

Berries

Whether you are a fan of all types of berries or just like one or two varieties, try to eat them as often as possible. They make a fantastic addition to your diet whether just for a quick healthy snack, a delicious smoothie of for a main desert. Berries are all high in Vitamin C and most have a good amount of antioxidants too.Ripe blueberries are great for vitamin C and have heaps of antioxidants to benefit your circulatory system. Gogi berries are lesser known but if you come across these give them a try as they are wonderfully rich in nutrients.For the berries with the highest amount of antioxidants, chose Acai or Maqui berries although due to the nature of the berries it is best to take these in the form of supplements.

Citrus

Citrus fruits are another very valuable source of vitamin C. It is best to eat these when fully ripe and as near as possible to the time they were picked from the tree. This will give you the highest possible nutritional benefit. As well as being a fast, ready to go snack, citrus fruits can be eaten at all times. Try a grapefruit for breakfast. If you find grapefruit a little bitter, try sprinkling with a little brown sugar or honey. One of my favourites is swedges of orange with coconut in a light honey dressing. This makes a delicious dessert. You don't need to go to a lot of trouble to get your citrus, try a squirt of lime on a sald instead of a calorific dressing. Lovely!

Vegetables

Many people say they don't like vegetables but there are such a fantastic variety available that there really is bound to be something for everyone. Including a variety of vegetable in your diet should really become a way of life for everyone. As well as vitamins, vegetables contain many of the essential minerals required for a sound diet. In fact a single stalk of broccoli can provide adequate potassium.Try experimenting with not only different types of vegetables but different ways of cooking them, such as steaming, grilling oven baking or putting on the BBQ in summer.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are an important element to any healthy diet as they provide the fiber necessary for good digestion. Don't just chose one type of grain as this won't give the variety necessary for a nutritionally sound diet. It is best to mix together different grains. For example wheat kernels together with brown rice and a few spices makes a great dish for a main meal.

Fish

Fish is full of nutrients an anyone who is not a vegetarian should really consider add ing it to the diet a few times a week. Salmon is a great choice, being rich in Omega-3 oils.These are thought to aid the functioning of the brain. Salmon can be as plain or as fancy as you like. Give it a quick squirt of lemon or lime and pop it in the microwave and it is cooked in minutes. A genuinely healthy fast food! For anyone watching the calories, avoid smoked salmon, or just have a little as it is high in calories. instead choose steamed or baked for a healthy low calorie meal.

Legumes

Legumes are a type of fruit which has a single, dry seed. These can also be known as pods. The best known legumes are peas, dried beans, peanuts and soybeans. Rich in iron and high in fibre, legumes are always a great choice in terms of nutrition.

Nuts and seeds

Nature has packed a lot of goodness into small packages. Nearly everyone has heard of Brazil nuts and almonds which are fantastic nutritional foods, but did you realize that flax seeds are brain food--containing vital non-meat sources of the Omega-3 oil. You don't have to to have a lot of nuts to get their benefits. Just have a handful a day and you'll get the nutrients without too many calories. Nuts really are a superfood in terms of nutrition as are seeds. They contain an marvelous source of non meat Omega 3 oil. Although they tend to be calorific it is important to be aware that you don't have to consume to get the benefits, a small amount is sufficient and not too calorific. Nuts and seeds are a super healthy choice for good nutrition. Whether or not you eat meat, nuts and seeds will provide a great source of Omega 3 oils. If you are trying to shed weight and are worried about your calorie intake, it is vital to realize that you only need eat a tiny amount of nuts and seeds to get the nutritional benefit. Just a small handfull per day is plenty

Lean proteins

The main thing here is lean. Americans eat far too much protein compared to the rest of the world. Cut down of portion sizes--three ounces will provide all the needed protein needed for your daily intake. Also, trim all visible fat from your protein source. Alternatively, use non meat substitutes such as the complete proteins found in vegetable dishes like beans and nuts

Tea

There are many benefits to be found in a cup of tea. Try chamomile for a calming effect or green tea to perk you up when you require an energy boost. Choose a good quality tea such as Tava Tea and it can also help you to maintain a healthy cholesterol level and even help with weight loss. Remember too that drinking tea also contributes to your daily water intake.

Olive oil

Extra Virgin Olive oil is probably the healthiest substance you can use to keep a healthy kind of fat in your diet. You can use it on your salad, mix it with a small amount of vinegar to create your own, or fry other foods in the hot oil. Just make ensure that the temperature is not too hot so that the oil is broken down. Even if you are following a weight loss plan it is important to include healthy fats in your diet. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is by far the best type of oil that you could pick. Again it is something that needs to be used in moderation, in terms of overall calorie intake, but the same as with nuts, you don't need a lot to get the benefits. If you are using oil to cook with, take care not to heat it too high as a high temperature can cause it to break down. It is essential to include fat in your diet, even when trying to lose pounds. A little goes a long way in terms of getting the benefits. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the ideal choice to give you a healthy fat. Do take care if you are cooking with it though as very high temperatures can cause it to break down.

Including a choice from each of these top ten food groups will make sure that your diet is well on the way to giving you the best possible health.

Sometimes good intentions can have bad effects. Like substituting organic brown rice for high fructose corn syrup in "healthy" foodstuffs including baby formula. Recently, organic brown rice was found to contain high levels of arsenic, a poison linked to cancer, developmental defects and other chronic diseases. Watch this video:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

With arsenic having been found in juices (see Consumer Report), we totally agree that the government should set standards to lower the levels of arsenic and lead in juices and food. Our modern farming methods while increasing food production have not only compromised food quality but also wreaked havoc to our environment.

Eating a mango: But we're not making any promises

Needless to say, weight loss is big business. Just looking at the types of celebrities doing weight loss commercials can give one an idea of the kind of money involved. There are all kinds of diets, supplements and other products. One that has been creating a buzz recently is the African mango (Irvingia gabonensis). Is it just a fad or is it here to stay?

It is not surprising that another "natural" weight loss product is creating such interest. The word "natural" is synonymous with safety, even though some things that grow on the ground can actually kill you. Granted, African mango is actually food so there is at least some assurance of safety there. But with multiple supplements makers now trying to jump on the African mango extract bandwagon… well it's just a matter of time before the good, the bad and the downright ugly begin to emerge.

One fundamental problem with any new dietary supplement is that of lack of documented tests. Sometimes users become testers, later offering anecdotal evidence one can choose to believe or not to believe. If tests are available they will perhaps have received financial and/or logistical support from the very people who hope to profit from selling the product being tested. We can only hope that such tests remain impartial. Like one done recently about African mango and weight loss.

Bel Marra Health, offering high-quality vitamins and nutritional supplements, is lending its support to a weight loss clinical study of African Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) that shows significant improvements to body weight and body fat in obese or overweight individuals.

Dr. Alwyn Wong, expert in nutrition and natural health care, declares African Mango as a weight loss ingredient has reached a crescendo of demand and success and predicts African Mango, also known as Irvingia gabonensis, will be the fastest growing weight loss phenomenon in 2012. In a recent statement Dr. Wong reaffirms “Supplements claiming to help people lose weight are nothing new in this day and age. Diets and quick weight loss fads come and go. But, African Mango has immerged and 2012 looks to be its breakout year. Unlike previous weight loss supplements African Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) has strong human clinical research demonstrating its amazing weight loss potential.”

In a 10 week double-blind placebo-controlled study, 102 overweight or obese individuals received either a placebo or 150 mg of African Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) extract twice daily. After 10 weeks, the group taking the African Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) extract saw a weight loss of, on average, 28 lbs of body fat, compared to only 1.5 lbs of body fat for those taking the placebo. “These weight loss results from individuals taking African Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) are nothing short of incredible,” said Dr. Alwyn Wong, author of “The 4 Week Fat Loss Challenge” and Scientific Advisor and Lead Researcher behind Real African Mango Weight Loss. See original story

Here's an interesting report about this supplement, posted at Health News Digest:

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - White Plains, New York – January 17, 2012 — African mango supplements are touted to help shed pounds, but do they really work? “Long-term weight loss with African mango has not been proven,” said says Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com which evaluated the claims and science for African mango. “The evidence for weight loss with African mango, so far, is only from short-term studies conducted by one group of researchers financed by the product’s manufacturer,” Dr. Cooperman added.

In its report about African mango supplements, ConsumerLab.com reviews the evidence, describes the specific extracts of African mango seed used in studies, and notes potential side effects of African mango. African mango seed extracts have not yet been characterized well enough for ConsumerLab.com to test and approve any product. However, ConsumerLab.com points out that a variety of African mango extracts are currently sold, including many from suppliers in China.

I couldn't help wondering why suppliers in China are now selling African mango extract. Okay, there is nothing wrong with that per se, as long as they are selling the real thing. But when big money comes in, morals can tend to fly out the window.

So, is African mango the next big thing in weight loss? Unfortunately only time can tell. But since it is something that comes from natural food, my opinion is that it would typically cause no harm to try it. This does not mean you should simply start on it without consulting a healthcare professional. And, do buy from a reputable supplier.

Once again the supplements industry is under attack for the way it markets one popular product. The product of focus is St. Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum), marketed as an herbal treatment for depression, anxiety and sleep disorders among other things. The supplement comes in various forms including teas, tablets, and capsules containing concentrated extracts.

When I first heard of St. John's wort back in the years, it was not because I was depressed. Rather, it was because I was on the lookout for a supplement that could help me crank up my workout intensity through better focus and energy. One of the supplements I found was Neurogain, that was made by EAS™, then headed by Bill Phillips, author of the popular fitness book Body For Life. But first let's get back to the shocking truths about St. John's Wort.

St. John's wort is a small, yellow-flowered herb whose name derives from one of its first known uses—warding off evil on St. John's Day, June 24. Now, Americans shell out roughly $55 million a year for SJW at big-time distributors like Whole Foods, GNC, and The Vitamin Shoppe, making it one of the most popular herbal remedies on the market. Usually taken in the form of capsules or tea, the supplement has demonstrated benefits in treating mild to moderate depression. Rather surprising, then, that it's also been shown to negatively interact with some of the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical anti-depressants on the market.

Safe to say that's fairly counterintuitive, and that it could even be dangerous. What's more, SJW has also been shown to reduce the efficacy of some oral contraceptives. It's even suspected to have caused unplanned pregnancies. (One woman reported having been prescribed birth control for over 9 years, and experiencing an unintended pregnancy just 6 months after starting her SJW treatment.)

But lots of drugs have potentially dangerous interactions. The real problem here lies in transparency to consumers—a problem that goes directly back to the supplement's manufacturers. In a 2008 study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine that tested 74 different SJW brands, less than a quarter of the product labels identified possible interactions with antidepressants. Even more disturbing was that only 8 percent identified possible interactions with birth control. See original story

This is one of the reason you should never begin a supplement before consulting a healthcare profession. Just because it is natural does not automatically mean it is safe. Interaction of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals is not that uncommon. What about additional supplement labeling and other regulations being proposed from some quarters? Well, read this quote from the same article above:

"Supplements are largely based on food and widely considered to be safe, so they don't need to be labeled," says Mike Greene, vice president of government affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the industry's largest trade group. "For example, you don't see anyone labeling grapefruit, even though it interacts with Lipitor."

As for my own experience with St. John's wort, it wasn't a very encouraging one. Instead of improving my workouts, I seemed to tire rather quickly somewhere in the middle of an intense weight training session. Then a competitor product pointed out that they did not include St. John's wort in their product because it had shown to cause fatigue during intense exercise (or similar words). The coincidence was rather uncanny.

This does not mean that Neurogain – or other St. John's wort based pre-workout products – does not work. Individual results can vary, and the fact that this product is still in the market means it does work for a good number of people.

By George P. Opitz

When we do not get everything we require from our diets our bodies suffer, but we luckily have help from vitamin supplements. Even though the majority of us are aware of the importance of eating healthy that does not indicate that we do it all of the time. The convenience of unhealthy eating follows us anywhere we go. Alternatively, eating healthy foods at home is less convenient and takes more work. But when we trade off convenience for health, the functioning of our bodies is what declines.

Sometimes the result of this is getting sick or having a lack of energy. For complete body health it is essential to feed your body all of the essential nutrients and vitamins it needs to perform all of its functions. If your diet is not offering your body everything it requires vitamin supplements can help. When you start getting tired and do not have energy all of the time to do your typical daily activities, your body could be letting you know that it needs Vitamin B. Similarly, if you feel as if you are starting to get sick your body might need an extra boost of Vitamin C.

Vitamin supplements are typically considered safe; however, you still have to be careful when you take them. Because the supplement itself has been labeled as safe, this does not mean that you can take anything want. Health risks are linked to overdosing on vitamins, so you should always pay attention to the label and follow the directions. It is also a smart idea to speak with a health professional before you begin taking supplements because some of them do have negative interactions with other drugs.

But just because vitamin supplements are available to you, that does not mean you can skip healthy eating. You should always attempt to eat lean meats and plenty of fruits and vegetables. You will not be able to simply eat a diet containing junk food and expect vitamins to take care of everything else. Instead you should only use vitamins for their true use - as a supplement.

When you just want to make sure you are providing your body everything it needs to maintain its health, taking a good daily multivitamin is an easy way to do that. But when you know that you are not getting enough Vitamin C because you do not eat fruits and vegetables at all, it is probably a good idea to get a vitamin supplement that can give you all of the Vitamin C that you need each day.

If this above mentioned data has not satisfied all your queries and you are researching for more answers to questions about the disease please visit us at Vitamin Supplements or Anti Aging Products.

Are They Lying To Us About Cholesterol?

Call it a controversy or a storm (in a tea cup?). But with millions of people now on statins (medications for lowering cholesterol) you can't help but wonder whether there may just be a grain of truth in the recent high cholesterol "conspiracy" theory. Watch this video:

$29 Billion Introduction from 29billion on Vimeo.

I'm one of those people who after my doctor sent me to the lab to get my blood drawn and tested, was found to have high cholesterol. I couldn't help but notice the alacrity with which the good doctor wrote a script for a known statin.

Trying to explain that I had recently been leading a sedentary life (for certain reasons) didn't help. I had high cholesterol and medication it had to be. You know, because of my heart blah, blah. Forget that I was otherwise in perfect health. Now I had to take medications with side effects such as liver damage, muscle pain, fatigue, and digestive problems to name but a few… for the rest of my life. I opted for lifestyle change and other alternatives.

Indeed, this is one of the main problems the anti-statins camp raises; prescribing lifetime medication to people who are otherwise healthy. Considering that statin drugs can be prescribed to just about any person and the cholesterol medications industry is a multi-billion dollar one, is it a wonder that motives a being questioned?

How Do You Get Cholesterol In The First Place?

Many believe that cholesterol comes from the food we eat. But the truth is, our bodies make it in the liver. That's right, most cholesterol is not ingested.

Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your liver and other cells in your body make about 75 percent of blood cholesterol. The other 25 percent comes from the foods you eat. Cholesterol is only found in animal products. American Heart Association

So, how do cholesterol –lowering drugs work? They work by "inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver." (Wikipedia)

Now, we are not saying that you should discard your cholesterol-lowering medications. We have always maintained that in some cases medications are the best, maybe even the only, way to go. But they should be the last and not the first way to go, especially for a healthy person. In many cases they are the first, which makes us wonder whether profit is the real driving factor.

Don't Gamble With Your Health, Avoid This Vegetable

I was shocked to see this video. An otherwise healthy vegetable with some frightening stuff (for lack of a better word) on it. Maybe I've already eaten it. And if you buy your veggies pre-cut and packaged, there is no way to tell if this stuff is present; at least it is not easy. Watch this video:

Different theories have been offered by different quarters about what the plastic-like stuff is, including genetic modification, "invisible" packaging and more. Maybe you should not be worried if you only buy organic, right? Wrong. Here's another video:

Scary stuff. I don't about you, but I will not be putting this lettuce in my mouth until they get to the bottom of it. Problem is, you don't really know whom to trust anymore when some "trusted" organizations are pushing genetically modified food as safe and are even opposed to labeling so we can make our own decision to buy or not to buy.

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If you are suffering from a broken heart - hopefully not - you might be able to find solace in a pill. At least that's what a new supplement appears to claim. Even the name, Broken Heart Rx, is suggestive of heart-mending. Can it really work?

Well, without actual documented tests, which are lacking at present, one cannot say for sure whether it works or not. But to me, it is just another supplement with claims bordering on the ridiculous as that of another supplement for procrastination. It is one thing to promise, say, improved mood, but another to claim a solution or remedy for a particular emotional problem simply by swallowing a pill or two. I doubt there is even a mind-altering or mood-enhancing substance that is so specifically targeted.

One well-written article points out certain possible legal issues issues this "broken hearts" supplement could run into.

I called Duffy MacKay, N.D., vice president, scientific regulatory affairs, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), to get his take, and agreed, saying, "They're dancing in some territory that would likely draw scrutiny." He also noted some other possible problematic areas:

• Using "RX" in the name is considered an implied claim, MacKay said. "If you call yourself 'Broken Heart RX,' you're sort of making the implication that you're a prescription."
• Some of its testimonials may be questionable. A press release sent in January said psychologist Judith Chusid uses Broken Heart RX with patients in her practice. "My patients are having good results from Broken Heart RX," she said in the release. "They are experiencing a decrease in symptoms such as depression, hopelessness, physical pain and repetitive rumination."
• The website lists the ingredients, but doesn’t give amounts actually contained in the product. "It's hard to access if the amount of ingredients in the product are associated with the amounts used in the research," MacKay said. "When you have 13 different ingredients in a product, as this one does, sometimes it's hard to squeeze efficacious amounts of all those ingredients unless you're taking a lot of capsules." According to the website, the product serving size is three capsules per day at bedtime.
• Substantiating claims around a broken heart may be difficult. "What is a broken heart?" MacKay asked, "Are we talking anxiety, depression, stress, acute traumand suicidal tendencies? There are just so many different things it could be, and they are probably going to have to get more specific." He said the company may want to say the product, "supports a healthy mood during trying times," and use the mood health science on the ingredients. While the site lists several testimonials, Mackay noted these are not considered substantiation. "This clinician may have many positive experience with patients, but you can't use it as evidence of something working; you need science," he said. "They need to either think about softening what they are saying, or they need to think about doing some studies on their product."

MacKay also noticed something odd in the ingredients lists. One of them is a homeopathic ingredient—Ignatia Amara. Ignatia Amara is commonly used in a homeopathic setting for grief, but combining it with dietary ingredients into a product called a dietary supplement may not pass FDA scrutiny. See original post

The ingredients in the supplements have actually been used for boosting mood, such as St John's Wort, maybe even alleviating grief as in the case of Ignatia Amara. This is not the problem. The problem is pin-pointing is singling out one of the oldest problems of mankind and promising relief in a pill.