PhD-HappyToHelp
New member
After the experience The Dude had (SERIOUS side effects from injecting something that was impure), I wanted to write a short piece on the importance of only using clinical grade substances in your supplement program.
All substances, even with similar names, are not created equally. There are different methods of producing the substance in the first place, then different ways of purifying it, different ways of packaging it, and different tests to run along way for Quality Assurance.
Chemicals destined for human consumption and chemicals destined for lab work DO NOT go through the same process. Even if they have the same name, you are RISKING YOUR LIFE by consuming lab-grade rather than human grade or clinical grade substances. So, please understand the difference.
I worry that this post will simply cause the unethical web sites out there to start labeling everything as "clinical grade." If they are going to outright lie about it, there isn't much we can do (other than perhaps report them to the FDA). But, at least understand the difference so that when you are dealing with an ehtical company and they say "This is not for human consumption" you know why and you take it seriously.
Let me give you a good example: Proteins (which include many of the newer "wonder treatments" being discussed on this forum, such as follistatin, ACTIIRB, and other myostatin blockers) often involve bacteria (E. coli normally) at some stage in their production (generally to amplify a plasmid). This means that is you are not SUPER careful in your purification steps, you end up with bacterial protein (one is called endotoxin) in your product. Endotoxin causes EXTREME allergic responses, which can lead to anaphalactic shock and death.
Consequently, if you are going to inject a protein, it must be endotoxin-free. But, making something endotoxin free isn't easy, and it's unecessary for normal lab use, since, when using the protein for purely analytical purposes, the endotoxin won't hurt anything.
So, plenty of lab-grade proteins WILL contain endotoxin. That's not because the company that made them isn't making a quality product. It is because the company that made them never intended them for human injection!
To get something that is safe for human use, it needs to be manufactured by a company with experience, and the process, to certify it as endotoxin free. among other requirements. That is NOT what you are getting from these random fly-by-night companies offering the latest [insert buzzword here] protein.
And that's just one example. In the Dude's case, his supplement was found to be contaminated with mercury and other seriously dangerous chemicals. Is that because the company that produced them is bad or incompetent? Maybe, or maybe not -- maybe the way they made the product was fine FOR ITS INTENDED USE, which was not injection into a human.
Making products safe for human use is EXPENSIVE. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't kill yourself thinking you've found a deal on the web from some unknown company with unkown production methods, especially if you don't have the background to fully assess the product yourself (e.g., an MD, or PhD in bio or chem) and subject it to some analysis before using it.
All substances, even with similar names, are not created equally. There are different methods of producing the substance in the first place, then different ways of purifying it, different ways of packaging it, and different tests to run along way for Quality Assurance.
Chemicals destined for human consumption and chemicals destined for lab work DO NOT go through the same process. Even if they have the same name, you are RISKING YOUR LIFE by consuming lab-grade rather than human grade or clinical grade substances. So, please understand the difference.
I worry that this post will simply cause the unethical web sites out there to start labeling everything as "clinical grade." If they are going to outright lie about it, there isn't much we can do (other than perhaps report them to the FDA). But, at least understand the difference so that when you are dealing with an ehtical company and they say "This is not for human consumption" you know why and you take it seriously.
Let me give you a good example: Proteins (which include many of the newer "wonder treatments" being discussed on this forum, such as follistatin, ACTIIRB, and other myostatin blockers) often involve bacteria (E. coli normally) at some stage in their production (generally to amplify a plasmid). This means that is you are not SUPER careful in your purification steps, you end up with bacterial protein (one is called endotoxin) in your product. Endotoxin causes EXTREME allergic responses, which can lead to anaphalactic shock and death.
Consequently, if you are going to inject a protein, it must be endotoxin-free. But, making something endotoxin free isn't easy, and it's unecessary for normal lab use, since, when using the protein for purely analytical purposes, the endotoxin won't hurt anything.
So, plenty of lab-grade proteins WILL contain endotoxin. That's not because the company that made them isn't making a quality product. It is because the company that made them never intended them for human injection!
To get something that is safe for human use, it needs to be manufactured by a company with experience, and the process, to certify it as endotoxin free. among other requirements. That is NOT what you are getting from these random fly-by-night companies offering the latest [insert buzzword here] protein.
And that's just one example. In the Dude's case, his supplement was found to be contaminated with mercury and other seriously dangerous chemicals. Is that because the company that produced them is bad or incompetent? Maybe, or maybe not -- maybe the way they made the product was fine FOR ITS INTENDED USE, which was not injection into a human.
Making products safe for human use is EXPENSIVE. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't kill yourself thinking you've found a deal on the web from some unknown company with unkown production methods, especially if you don't have the background to fully assess the product yourself (e.g., an MD, or PhD in bio or chem) and subject it to some analysis before using it.
