Also known as Sacred Lotus.  A medicinal plant used in Asian traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments.  The rhizomes, leaves, seeds or flowers may be used, depending on the complaint.

There is only a limited amount of research on bioactive components…for example, the seeds have antioxidant activity, while rhizome extracts may have hypoglycemic effects.  Nonetheless, there is little data to justify the inclusion of lotus extracts in dietary supplements at this time.

See L-Phenylalanine.

See D-Phenylalanine.

The “D” isomer of L-phenylalanine, an essential amino acid.  D-phenylalanine has been used as an alternative treatment for pain relief, on the strength of its alleged ability to inhibit enkephalin breakdown. The supporting studies have been described as “weak and contradictory,” however, with negative results in humans and primates.  It’s also claimed that d-phenylalanine increases brain phenethylamine concentration, but this is disputed by other research.

May be included in supplements as a part of “DLPA”, or DL-phenylalanine, which is a 50-50 mixture (i.e., a “racemic” mixture) of the 2 isomers.

An essential amino acid.  L-Phenylalanine is also the precursor to l-tyrosine as well as phenethylamine (PEA). It may be included in certain weight loss/bodybuilding supplements for this reason, as both metabolites have mood/cognitive effects.

Phenylalanine is a product of aspartame metabolism.  Various activists insist it’s (partly) responsible for the reputed (and often exaggerated) side effects of the sweetener, since it’s a “neurotoxin” when taken in isolation.  This claim is based on studies of phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disorder that affects phenylalanine metabolism.  However, there is no reason to believe that small amounts of phenylalanine, taken in supplemental form, will have any adverse effects on healthy people.

See L-Tyrosine.

Gymnema sylvestre is native to India, and its leaves are a traditional folk medicine for diabetes. Several studies in humans and animals have confirmed it can improve glucose control, possibly by inhibiting glucose uptake in the small intestine and enhancing insulin release. It may even have positive effects on lipid metabolism and has potential for use in treating diabetes and obesity.

Gymnema also seems to inhibit the ability to taste sweet or bitter (studies proving this have been performed in large part on mice and rats, however).

CLA represents a family of linoleic acid isomers containing conjugated* double bonds. The two primary isomers in commercial supplements are c9, t11-CLA and t10, c12-CLA.**

Supplemental CLA has a range of potential health effects – both positive and negative.  CLA has antioxidant and anti-cancer activity, and may be beneficial for fat loss.  It may also increase inflammation and insulin resistance.  The type of effects seen may be isomer-specific: the t10, c12 isomer appears to be responsible for both the effects on insulin resistance AND body fat losses.

Nonetheless, CLA supplementation appears to be relatively safe for human consumption in typical, supplemental amounts.  A recent meta-analysis concluded that a dose of 3.2 g/day “…produces a modest loss of body fat in humans.”

See Paul’s “CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) Review” for more information.

*this refers to a pair of double bonds separated by a single bond.
** c = “cis” and t = “trans” – terms which refer to the orientation of the functional groups attached to the double bonded carbon atoms.

See Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

See Chá de Bugre.