Geranium's Days May be Numbered - DMAA to be Banned in Britain?
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Hi All,
Ever since I first heard about and tried Geranium (aka Geranamine, DMAA, 1,3 dimethylamylamine, 1,3 dimethylpentylamine, Mthylhexanamine, etc), I figured its time as a legal supplement was limited. I remember being at the Arnold Classic Fitness Expo about 5 years ago and trying ErgoPharm Clear Shot. It was actually my buddy, the infamous Patrick Arnold who first brought Geranium (and prohormones) to the market who personally gave me the shot.
It was at the Muscle Insider Booth (Muscle Insider is a bodybuilding magazine owned by my good friend Scott Welch) and I couldn’t believe the kick this stuff delivered, I felt high and buzzed at the same time...actually too buzzed. The booth was just inside the front door of the exhibit hall and had a two crazy DJs spinning loud tunes and that just made the whole geranium buzz that much weirder.
I didn’t try geranium again until two or three years later when I used a small serving of Jack3d a few times. But not since then because I am just too sensitive to the stuff. So trying Jack3d just confirmed my opinion that this stuff was too intense to remain legal!
Anyhow, with that little bit of background out of the way, you’re probably wondering what is going on with geranium (DMAA). Well, a website in the UK has been selling banned prohormones and various other products with ingredients that are considered drugs or to have drug-like effects for a while now. Today, that website was contacted by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and they were given a long list of things that they are not legally allowed to sell and now they have to comply with this ban.
None of this is surprising to people who know how supplements are regulated in the UK. The following ingredients are banned and have been for years...
Ephedra
Yohimbe (Rauwolfia)
Sida Cordifolia
Evodia
Synephrine (if it is a high-concentration extract)
GABA
Melatonin
Prohormones (DHEA, Andro, etc)
...other ingredients can be considered ‘medicinal’ if the formula of the product has certain characteristics and/or if it is marketed or labelled in a certain way.
Anyhow, the one ingredient that was mentioned, which was somewhat surprising was 1,3 Dimethylamylamine (geranium). Now technically, this is a chemical extract (and most experts believe that it isn’t even found naturally in geranium), so it doesn’t fulfil the definition of a “food supplement” but many extracts are allowed because the parent herb is known to be safe and there are studies to back up their safety record.
...but it doesn’t look like the MHRA thinks that this is the case with geranium any more because this represents the first time 1,3 dimethylamylamine has been specifically referred to as potentially being a medicinal herb that is not suitable for sale in the UK! Now officially, it is not actually banned...yet, as its status hasn’t been officially determined...but the smart money says that it is just a matter of time!
Mark Gilbert B.Sc. (Nutrition)
Ever since I first heard about and tried Geranium (aka Geranamine, DMAA, 1,3 dimethylamylamine, 1,3 dimethylpentylamine, Mthylhexanamine, etc), I figured its time as a legal supplement was limited. I remember being at the Arnold Classic Fitness Expo about 5 years ago and trying ErgoPharm Clear Shot. It was actually my buddy, the infamous Patrick Arnold who first brought Geranium (and prohormones) to the market who personally gave me the shot.
It was at the Muscle Insider Booth (Muscle Insider is a bodybuilding magazine owned by my good friend Scott Welch) and I couldn’t believe the kick this stuff delivered, I felt high and buzzed at the same time...actually too buzzed. The booth was just inside the front door of the exhibit hall and had a two crazy DJs spinning loud tunes and that just made the whole geranium buzz that much weirder.
I didn’t try geranium again until two or three years later when I used a small serving of Jack3d a few times. But not since then because I am just too sensitive to the stuff. So trying Jack3d just confirmed my opinion that this stuff was too intense to remain legal!
Anyhow, with that little bit of background out of the way, you’re probably wondering what is going on with geranium (DMAA). Well, a website in the UK has been selling banned prohormones and various other products with ingredients that are considered drugs or to have drug-like effects for a while now. Today, that website was contacted by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and they were given a long list of things that they are not legally allowed to sell and now they have to comply with this ban.
None of this is surprising to people who know how supplements are regulated in the UK. The following ingredients are banned and have been for years...
Ephedra
Yohimbe (Rauwolfia)
Sida Cordifolia
Evodia
Synephrine (if it is a high-concentration extract)
GABA
Melatonin
Prohormones (DHEA, Andro, etc)
...other ingredients can be considered ‘medicinal’ if the formula of the product has certain characteristics and/or if it is marketed or labelled in a certain way.
Anyhow, the one ingredient that was mentioned, which was somewhat surprising was 1,3 Dimethylamylamine (geranium). Now technically, this is a chemical extract (and most experts believe that it isn’t even found naturally in geranium), so it doesn’t fulfil the definition of a “food supplement” but many extracts are allowed because the parent herb is known to be safe and there are studies to back up their safety record.
...but it doesn’t look like the MHRA thinks that this is the case with geranium any more because this represents the first time 1,3 dimethylamylamine has been specifically referred to as potentially being a medicinal herb that is not suitable for sale in the UK! Now officially, it is not actually banned...yet, as its status hasn’t been officially determined...but the smart money says that it is just a matter of time!
Mark Gilbert B.Sc. (Nutrition)
By Mark Gilbert
Nutritionist and Supplement Specialist
Nutritionist and Supplement Specialist
over 1 year ago
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