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Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain

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KenS
Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 23, 2012 08:02PM
.
An Energy Shot for the Brain .
JANUARY 24, 2012
By LAURA JOHANNES

For people looking for a dose of mental edge, a purported brain enhancer called citicoline is popping up in beverages and dietary supplements.

... Citicoline is an organic molecule found naturally in the body, particularly the brain. Scientists believe citicoline speeds up formation of brain cell membranes and may boost production of neurotransmitters essential to brain function.

In some countries, citicoline is sold as a prescription drug to help regenerate the brain after a stroke. But efforts to gain Food and Drug Administration approval in U.S. were stymied when clinical trials found citicoline was no more effective than a placebo.

In October, citicoline hit the U.S. market in liquid form as a "medical food" called CerAxon for use in patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury. Medical foods don't require FDA approval ...


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203806504577178970931093522.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsFifth
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 23, 2012 09:06PM
Just because it is found in the brain doesn't mean that if you take some as a suppliment that it will do any good for you and most likely will only benifit the manufacturer. These so called "medical foods" don't require FDA approval because they are neither foods, nor medical. Most do nothing but make the manucturer rich.
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 24, 2012 06:38AM
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Dave
Just because it is found in the brain doesn't mean that if you take some as a suppliment that it will do any good for you and most likely will only benifit the manufacturer. These so called "medical foods" don't require FDA approval because they are neither foods, nor medical. Most do nothing but make the manucturer rich.

These miracle foods and associated advertisements require an intelligent analysis to understand. I believe it was a tremendous set-back for science when nutritional supplements were allowed to make claims couched in terms that suggest unproven and usually unprovable benefits like "immune enhancement", "energy booster", "mood stimulant" or "better connective tissue healing". This sort of advocacy degrades science and bypasses the necessary analysis needed to understand the effects, side effects, physiology, and risk-benefit of any ingested substance taken to achieve some particular health goal. Overall health, exercise, social contact, and cognitive challenges probably do far more than any ingested nutritional supplement to improve mental function.

Every action has a possibility to be followed by a particular benefit. There is a common argument that because they are not apparently harmful, that they should be taken for potential benefit. In actually, there is a financial cost, a cost to delay in appropriate treatment, and a cost associated with engaging in unscientific decision making.


The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 24, 2012 10:40AM
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Frank Furter

These miracle foods and associated advertisements require an intelligent analysis to understand. I believe it was a tremendous set-back for science when nutritional supplements were allowed to make claims couched in terms that suggest unproven and usually unprovable benefits like "immune enhancement", "energy booster", "mood stimulant" or "better connective tissue healing". This sort of advocacy degrades science and bypasses the necessary analysis needed to understand the effects, side effects, physiology, and risk-benefit of any ingested substance taken to achieve some particular health goal. Overall health, exercise, social contact, and cognitive challenges probably do far more than any ingested nutritional supplement to improve mental function.

Every action has a possibility to be followed by a particular benefit. There is a common argument that because they are not apparently harmful, that they should be taken for potential benefit. In actually, there is a financial cost, a cost to delay in appropriate treatment, and a cost associated with engaging in unscientific decision making.

thumbs up
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 24, 2012 12:02PM
Isn't citicoline a major additive in Twinkies? Just trying to keep the conversation alive.Chick-on avec les pieds
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 24, 2012 07:22PM
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Frank Furter
These miracle foods and associated advertisements require an intelligent analysis to understand.
Which the "suppliment" industry does not do. I have a degree in biology, sure, entomology, but one has to learn alot about biology, how things work, and I had a few pre med courses too. I can do a fairly intelligent analysis of those so called "miracle foods." As I said, just because something is found in the brain doesn't mean that more of it will change anything.

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I believe it was a tremendous set-back for science when nutritional supplements were allowed to make claims couched in terms that suggest unproven and usually unprovable benefits like "immune enhancement", "energy booster", "mood stimulant" or "better connective tissue healing". This sort of advocacy degrades science and bypasses the necessary analysis needed to understand the effects, side effects, physiology, and risk-benefit of any ingested substance taken to achieve some particular health goal. Overall health, exercise, social contact, and cognitive challenges probably do far more than any ingested nutritional supplement to improve mental function.
The suppliment industry is not interested in any of that. They are profit driven just like the pharmicutical industry they rail against.

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Every action has a possibility to be followed by a particular benefit. There is a common argument that because they are not apparently harmful, that they should be taken for potential benefit. In actually, there is a financial cost, a cost to delay in appropriate treatment, and a cost associated with engaging in unscientific decision making.
I have had two friends, and soon to be a third, die because of the suppliment industry. They were offered some "natural" cancer cure, stopped the real treatments, and died.
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 24, 2012 10:13PM
Sounds a bit like Steve Jobs. If only he hadn't waited so long. Not that we know if it would have made a difference in the long run, but he might have lasted longer.
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snorkus
Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 25, 2012 06:39AM
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Dave
They are profit driven just like the pharmicutical industry they rail against.

How many industries are not profit driven?
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 25, 2012 10:06AM
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snorkus
How many industries are not profit driven?
Most are. My point was that the for profit supplement industry keeps whining about the for profit pharmaceutical industry. Both have profits in mind, not your health.
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avatar Re: Purported dietary supplement for the brain
January 25, 2012 10:54AM
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Dave
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snorkus

How many industries are not profit driven?

Most are. My point was that the for profit supplement industry keeps whining about the for profit pharmaceutical industry. Both have profits in mind, not your health.

The supplement industry is just jealous that the pharmaceutical industry can maintain a lot higher profit margin for their pills, while the pharmaceutical industry is jealous that the supplement industry can offer their pills to the general public with zero testing to their efficacy and safety.


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