Where is the proof that racemic ala is no good for you, or that s-ala is not just neutral or mildly good but harmful?
In general, here's the real point (in my book). Forgive me if any minute details are incorrect - I'm typing this off the top of my head...
http://www.usatoday....-epa-pfoa_x.htm
In a surprise turn Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency moved to eliminate the production of a suspected carcinogen used in the making of Teflon and other non-stick and non-stain coatings. The EPA has asked eight manufacturers that use a family of chemicals known as perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, to reduce production 95% by 2010 and to stop using it altogether by 2015.
As you've seen on some of my other postings, the Teflon thing "bothers me". Some people may think I'm overreacting since no official study proves anything is wrong with Teflon/PFOA in your body. Well, it seems the EPA has connected the dots with what little evidence there is and didn't like what it saw. So much so, that they want to ban it entirely.
Any scathing studies? None as far as I'm aware of. Some clues pointing to the conclusion? Yup.
Sometimes you just have to go with the data you have and make an informed decision. You saw how fast the discussion with Justin went. He came in late and it was over on the same page. Maybe not with everyone agreeing 100%, but the important matters were hashed out quickly and logically.
1. There are some preliminary studies that show S-ALA has some issues. The reasons for those issues seem to make logical sense (to me). Perhaps they used large doses or the studies were not large enough. Perhaps they will be proven false, but it's something to keep in mind when making a decision about your health. As for not pulling the whole study, or only reading the abstracts - If I try to help out and give someone a lead, I expect them to go do the leg work and research it. I'm not the one with the questions, so why would I go through great lengths to answer it for somebody else?
2. Almost the whole reason most of us are on the ALCAR/LA combo is because of researchers like Ames, Hagen, etc. They are expert scientists on the subject and I doubt anyone would argue that point. They used R-ALA. I think there was a quote earlier with the Ames people saying that they would ditch the racemic for R-ALA when they got the process down. R-ALA is good enough for Ames, so it's good enough for me.
So far all we have are testimonials from vendors.
3. Geronova is not just some vendor. If this was a year ago, I would have been more skeptical of Geronova's claims. But it seems their documentation and materials have been public for a year or more. If they were talking BS, I would expect more than a few top vendors to come out with a strong rebuttal. As far as I know, nobody reputable (AOR, LEF, etc.) has challenged their assertions. In fact, AOR seems to have worked hard for a year or more to create a sustained release R-ALA and LEF went the R-Di approach. Clearly there's a direction everyone is going here. Also, Geronova dropped right into PHD researcher central when they went to A4M (5,000 people?) and I haven't heard anything about them getting blasted for bad data there? In fact I think I saw something about them picking up some major orders for a couple of the upcoming studies being conducted.
The original studies were done on racemic ala. Were those ever shown to be false?
4. I'm not sure why you repeat that statement so much? The most common reasons for racemic ALA were already explained in another post (I forgot who summed it up). But more importantly - Nobody EVER said that racemic ALA would NOT provide some beneficial result. Again, as far as I recall, nobody ever said that racemic ALA did not produce beneficial results. AT the very least, I know I NEVER said that. The point that was trying to be made was that the S-ALA portion of the R-ALA has been argued, and shown in some limited studies, to have troubling results.
5. Don't forget - 'everyone' is running around popping ALCAR and LA based on a study (or few) done with RATS! This group is kind of funny because everyone runs around talking about this study or that study and the "data"...when we really take a leap of "preliminary data" faith with many of the things we do. People that are waiting for someone to tell them exactly what to take and when and how much for how long...well, this isn't the area for them. Our whole world is filled with extrapolations and best guesses. Today's conventional wisdom is something that I fully expect to change tomorrow. I'm not the church and this is not doctrine - It's discovery.
As for the constant question of the temps - I can't say enough how I do not now, nor will I ever care about the stable temps of pure R-ALA. Ames and company said it was unstable at fairly low temps, I defer to their opinion. But again, just to be clear - I DO NOT CARE since I do not take pure R-ALA. AOR's R-ALA products had a "refrigeration required" warning on them before they made modifications to their process. So it seems they too felt temperatures were an issue at some point. But it's NOT my issue.
If the summation of these points leads you to tell your mom to go ahead and take ALA with no worries, then simply say "I disagree and see no smoking gun" and that's the end of it. FWIW, I see a strong possibility of a smoking gun and that's enough for me. If I add in the CHIRALITY argument, I see more than a smoking gun.
As with all things - time will tell. But I hope I'm wrong on this one, becuase there are a lot of people out there taking racemic ALA and I would hate for there to be some hidden problem. I really and truly hope that racemic turns out to be "no big deal".
Side note - I've ordered a lot of stuff from Pete, and as far as I can tell, he runs one of the most up and up outfits I've ever seen. I willingly pay a premium for proper storage of the inventory and stringent 3rd party testing for the "house brands". However, him being part of the "community" is a double edged sword, especially when combined with his passion for the subject.
Yikes! I sure can run my mouth! Sorry about the long post! [:o]
