The Shell Game that is the
"Proprietary Blend" Nutritional Supplement
By Will Brink. (Author of Muscle Building Nutrition
http://musclebuildingnutrition.com - a
complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean muscle, and Diet
Supplements Revealed http://aboutsupplements.com - a review of diet supplements and
guide to eating for maximum fat loss.) See FREE offer at the bottom of the
page.
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The Shell Game
that is the "Proprietary Blend" Nutritional Supplement
Recently I
wrote an article entitled "Terms, Terms, Terms, An Inside look to buying
supplements" which can be found on the Gurus and Guests section of my private
forum. The article covered many of the misleading marketing terms buyers have to
deal with in an attempt to make informed decisions on the supplements they spend
their hard earned money on. Some of the more potentially misleading commonly
used marketing terms I covered were:
"Clinically proven"
"Patented"
"Doctor recommended"
"All natural"
"Scientifically formulated"
"Research proven"
"Used for thousands of years" |
Readers
interested in understanding why the above terms can be so misleading, can read
my write-up on each of those terms.
In a nut shell, I went onto cover
each of these common marketing terms that are used to sell supplements to
unwitting consumers and explained each in detail as to what I view as their
common misuse within the market place.
However, one term I didn't cover,
was "proprietary blend" which in many cases is the most potentially misleading
term of them all, though not a term always seen in ads per se, but the side of
the bottle.
Thus, why I felt it was a separate topic to be covered at a
later date as it does not fit under the classic definition of a commonly used
marketing term found in ads. I also decided to cover this term in a separate
article as it requires much more space dedicated to it then the other terms
needed for reasons that will be apparent shortly.
Proprietary blends are
not inherently a negative for the consumer, though they are inherently confusing
for the buyer in most cases.
A supplement that lists a "proprietary
blend" on the bottle can be there for one of two reasons:
(a) to prevent
the competition from knowing exactly what ratios and amounts of each ingredient
present in the formula to prevent the competition from copying their formula
exactly (commonly referred to as a "knock off") or
(b) to hide the fact
the formula contains very little of the active ingredients listed on the bottle
in an attempt to fool consumers.
Sadly, the latter use is far more
common then the former. They see a long list of seemingly impressive ingredients
listed in the "proprietary blend" none of which are there is amounts that will
have any effects. This is commonly referred to as "label decoration" by industry
insiders. The former use of the term is a legitimate way for a company of a
quality formula from having the competition copy or "knock off" their formula
and the latter use of the term is to scam people.
So how does the
consumer tell the difference?
They can't, or at least they can't without
some research and knowledge, which the scam artists know few people have the
time and energy to dedicate to finding the answers. Although there are a few
tips the consumer can use to decide if a product with a "proprietary blend" is
worth trying, no one, not even me, can figure out exactly how much of each
ingredient is in the blend or in what ratio of each is contained within the
formula, hence why the honest and not-so-honest companies employ "proprietary
blends" so often.
Thus, we have something of a conundrum here and
conflict between a company making a quality formula attempting to protect that
formula from other companies vs. the company simply looking to baffle buyers
with BS.
There are at least some basic tips or food for thought here
regarding this problem. A formula that contains say 10 ingredients in a
"proprietary blend" is by no means defacto superior then one with three
ingredients in it. It's the dose that matters. Clearly, it's better to have
higher amounts of ingredients that will have some effects vs. a long list of
ingredients in doses too low to have any effects.
Some times it helps to
look at both what's in the blend and how much of the blend actually exists. As
an example, if say the blend is 300mg total and contains ten ingredients, that's
only 30mg per ingredient, assuming (and you know what they say about assuming!)
that each is found in equal amounts. Clearly, for most compounds out there, 30mg
wont do jack sh*&.
On the other hand, if
say the blend is 3000mg (3 grams) and contains three or four ingredients, there
is at least a better chance that the formula contains enough of each (and
remember, we can't tell how much of each is in there as that information is
"proprietary") to have some effects you are looking for such as an increase in
strength, or a decrease in bodyfat, etc.
Unfortunately, the above
examples are so vague as to be close to worthless as it's easy enough to
formulate a 3000mg blend where all the ingredients are worthless to begin with
or a 300mg blend that contains compounds that only require small doses to have
an effect and or can be toxic at higher doses.
For example, the mineral
zinc tends to be no more then 30mg in most formulas and no more is needed or
recommended. Much of this comes down to the consumer knowing what the various
ingredients are and how they work (to decide if they are even worth using in the
first place) then deciding if said blend appears to at least contain a dose that
would have the desired effects, which just brings us back to my prior comment:
most people have neither the time or inclination to research all that info just
to decide if they want to use a product and thus the many "proprietary blends"
on the market that are no more then a long list of under-dosed
ingredients.
Wish I could be of more help giving specific advice to
readers of this here article as to what makes a good blend and what constitutes
a poorly made blend, but the above advice is the best I can do under the
circumstances. Although a "proprietary blend" is not by default a negative to
the consumer, it is by all means the poster child for the well-known Latin term
Caveat emptor which translates into English as "let the buyer
beware".
About the Author - William D.
Brink
Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and
writer for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications. His
articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine
can be found in such publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag
International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate,
Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women's
World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He is the author of Priming The
Anabolic Environment and Weight Loss Nutrients Revealed. He is the Consulting
Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine and an
Editor at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with
a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major
supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
He has been co author
of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer
reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. He
runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned
to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and
knowledge.
The BrinkZone site has a
following with many sports nutrition enthusiasts, athletes, fitness
professionals, scientists, medical doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay
people. William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training
and nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has
appeared on numerous radio and television programs.
William has also
worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers, fitness
contestants, to police and military personnel.
See Will's ebooks online
here:
Muscle Building Nutrition
http://musclebuildingnutrition.com
A complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean muscle
Diet Supplements Revealed
http://aboutsupplements.com
A review of diet
supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat loss
He can be contacted at: PO Box 812430
Wellesley MA. 02482.
BrinkZone.com
Email: will@brinkzone.com
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