DMAA, also known as methylhexanamine or geranium extract, is frequently marketed as a “natural stimulant,” although the FDA is not aware of any credible scientific evidence to support this claim.
Geranium: a DMAA or not?
The aliphatic amine 1,3-Dimethylamylamine (1,3-DMAA) is said to be naturally present solely in geranium plants and has stimulating qualities (Pelargonium graveolens). The discovery of 1,3-DMAA in geranium plants was first reported in a 1996 research, while others have questioned the study’s 1,3-DMAA identification. Since then, several more studies have been released, the majority of which have reported that 1,3-DMAA is not present in geranium plants or commercial geranium oils. However, utilizing a streamlined extraction method on tissues and oil imported from China, 1,3-DMAA was discovered in geranium plant tissues and a geranium oil sample in two recent research. Whether or not 1,3-DMAA occurs naturally in plants has a substantial impact on how the US Food and Drug Administration regulates commercial goods that include 1,3-DMAA. In order to explain the seemingly contradictory data for the presence of 1,3-DMAA in geranium plant materials, this research reviews variations in source materials, extraction techniques, and analytical methodologies.
The legality of geranium extract
The synthetic stimulant DMAA, which is frequently found in sports supplements but is frequently mislabeled as an extract of geranium plants, is causing some segments of the European botanicals sector to raise alarms.
The use of DMAA, also known as 1,3-dimethylamylamine and methylhexaneamine (MHA), in food supplements is not permitted in the European Union, despite the fact that it is present in many bodybuilding and weight reduction pills that are typically marketed as geranium extracts.
Despite the fact that the substance 1,3-dimethylamylamine is listed on the product’s ingredients panel and is said to be produced from “geranium stem,” products like USPLabs’ “Jack3d” are still being offered on numerous retail websites within the EU.
One Italian-based analyst at the recent NUCE trade show in Milan was troubled by the situation and questioned why his nation’s officials are not acting in any way.
The fact that DMAA and geranium oil, even in their natural form, cannot be utilized in Italy as food supplements is, of course, the issue, he said.
But so far, nothing has been done.
The second-most popular food supplement online retailer in Italy is selling Jack3d for roughly $30. It claims to “create an intense sensation of drive, focus, energy, motivation & awareness” and “enable for rapid increases in strength, speed, power and endurance.”
At least one European trade organization is aware that the matter is being looked into, and the EU-funded PlantLIBRA botanical research project has taken notice of it.
The question of whether DMAA, which drug tycoon Eli Lily initially synthesized in the 1940s and trademarked as Forthane in 1971, is indeed a component of geranium is still being debated, notably in North America, but the general consensus is shifting away from it.
In August, Health Canada released a statement stating that DMAA is not naturally present in geranium and that any goods containing it need a drug authorization. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t taken any action on the issue, however trade associations are doing their own investigation.
While there is some legal ambiguity, the labeling practice is based on the idea that while a natural chemical may be acceptable in food supplements, a synthetic substance is not unless there is a specific license for it. However, natural extracts also need authorizations in several countries, including the US.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) forbids the use of DMAA and geranium extracts, and there have been doping infractions, some of which are ongoing, which may draw attention to the potential for adulteration to a higher extent than has been done thus far.
Robert Kendrick, a US tennis player, received a 12-month suspension earlier this year after testing positive for “geranium” after ingesting a Jack3d-like substance containing 1,3-dimethylamylamine.
Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), said of DMAA, “This is being offered as an otherwise safe and legal dietary supplement.” “It isn’t. For athletes, the outcomes have been devastating. And there is a sizable segment of the customer base that is clueless.”
Many in the business want DMAA to be taken out of goods because they worry that consumers may misuse the strong stimulant, as happened with the strong herbal stimulant ephedrine before the US FDA banned it in 2003. In most nations, it continues to be illegal.
However, no DMAA-related incidents were reported in 2008 or 2009, according to a check of the FDA’s adverse event report (AER) database.
The presence of DMAA in geranium oil has only been documented by a single analysis performed by Chinese researchers using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods and published in the Journal of Guizhou Institute of Technology (1996, Vol. 25, pp. 82–85).
Health Canada criticized the Chinese research for having “errors” and pointed out that no DMAA was discovered in geranium oil in at least seven other papers.
Agency statement: “DMAA cannot be categorized as a natural health product because there is no reliable scientific evidence that it is a plant isolate.
At the time, NSF International’s general manager of dietary supplement programs, Ed Wyszumiala, informed NutraIngredients-USA: “This demonstrates once further that DMAA is an API—an active pharmaceutical ingredient—and not a food additive.
What goods include DMAA?
The main active ingredient in products like Jack3d, OxyElite Pro, Hemo Rage Black, Creafuse, and many other dietary supplements is DMAA, also known as methylhexanamine, 1,3 dimethylamylamine, and geranium extract. Over the past few years, the FDA has issued numerous safety alerts regarding dietary supplements containing DMAA. The FDA issued a warning to consumers in April 2013 not to use goods containing DMAA owing to the danger of life-threatening cardiovascular damage and death. Over 100 reports of DMAA-related adverse events have been submitted to the FDA thus far.
Blood veins and arteries are constricted by DMAA, which also quickens heartbeat and may raise blood pressure. Aside from cardiovascular issues (arrhythmias, chest pain, heart attack, and cardiac arrest), seizures, heat stroke, kidney, liver, and kidney failure, rhabdomyolysis, loss of consciousness, tremors, headaches, anxiety, and other neurological and psychological issues, using DMAA can cause kidney, liver, and kidney failure. The drug’s original developer, Eli Lilly, was forced to remove DMAA off the market in the 1980s due to these substantial and occasionally fatal safety hazards. At least seven nations’ health authorities have outlawed dietary supplements containing DMAA. For more details, see the articles to the right.
Customers should check the supplement ingredient labels for DMAA. DMAA could be noted as:
- Dimethylamylamine
- Geranamine
- Methylhexanamine
- Methylhexanenamine
- 1,3-DMAA
- 1,3-Dimethylamylamine
- 1,3-Dimethylpentylamine
- 2-Amino-4-Methylhexane
- 2-Hexanamine
- 4-Methyl-2-Hexanamine
- 4-Methyl-2-Hexylamine
- 4-Methyl-9Cl
- Ginseng Extract (Pelargonium Graveolens Extract)
Several dietary supplements, including Jack3d and OxyELITE Pro, are being looked into by the Army after two American troops passed away from heart attacks while engaging in physical activity. All military bases that used these and the other products with the same active ingredient, DMAA, were shut down by the Defense Department. The chemical is likewise forbidden by the Australian regulatory body, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The FDA has declared DMAA to be hazardous and prohibited its marketing as a dietary supplement.
The effectiveness and energy of workouts are said to be improved by the active component DMAA (dimethylamylamine). Despite contradictory data, manufacturers maintain that DMAA is a naturally occurring substance in Asian geraniums. In actuality, DMAA is a hazardous artificial ingredient. The hazardous properties of DMAA were found in medical literature in the 1950s.
Numerous governing bodies in the world of sports, including the one in charge of overseeing Olympic competitors and various professional sports, have prohibited the use of DMAA.
Andrews & Thornton was successful in obtaining millions of dollars in settlements for OxyElite Pro and Jack3d customers who experienced cardiac episodes as a result of the DMAA in those products after nearly ten years of litigation.
What has DMAA’s similarity?
- The central nervous system stimulant DMAA, also known as 1,3 dimethylamylamine, is frequently present in potent pre-workouts and fat burners.
- Since August 2012, DMAA has been prohibited by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Australia (TGA).
- Trainers have access to effective, safe, and legal DMAA substitutes. These consist of Higenamine HCL, Dynamine, and Teacrine.
- Stimulants like caffeine, phenylethylamine (PES), and the other chemicals mentioned in this page are other choices.
Since 2006, DMAA (1,3 dimethylamylamine) has fought its way up the ingredient chain to become one of the most widely used substances in supplements for bodybuilding and sports. As a powerful CNS stimulant, DMAA was once a common ingredient in concentrated fat burners and pre-workout supplements. However, its popularity was short-lived as it was soon outlawed in many nations, including the USA, New Zealand, and Canada. Since August 2012, the Australian TGA has also banned the sale of DMAA products in Australia. According to the TGA, the basis for this restriction is because DMAA may be abused by some people, leading to negative health repercussions (TGA, 2012).
The fact that DMAA was outlawed in Australia was unfortunate for the vast fan base of DMAA users, many of whom have swore by the effectiveness of the drug in increasing their level of exercise and weight loss. But do not worry; there are existing alternatives, and it is very possible that new alternatives are currently being developed. Major supplement producers are currently creating new components to replace DMAA as I write this post. Since some corporations keep this a well guarded secret, it is obviously hard to conjecture as to what has now been developed. However, by examining currently available DMAA-free supplements, we may offer some recommendations for effective DMAA substitutes.
Why might geranium extract be useful?
Since ancient times, geranium essential oil has been utilized to treat various illnesses. Scientific evidence suggests that it might help with a variety of ailments, including anxiety, depression, infection, and pain management. It is believed to possess antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.
Never use an essential oil without first consulting a physician, and never replace a prescription treatment with one.
The definition of geranium supplement
The rose geranium plant’s leaves and stem are used to make rose geranium oil.
Rose geranium oil is used by some people to treat depression, diarrhea, and nerve discomfort (neuropathy). In order to treat nerve pain, particularly pain following shingles, it is also applied directly to the skin. In order to tighten skin, some people may apply it topically as an astringent. It is occasionally used to treat a variety of skin issues or to aid in the healing process.
For those with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, a drop of rose geranium oil in sesame oil is inserted in the nose. This helps to lessen nosebleeds.
On the label of products marketed for weight loss, athletic performance, and body development, rose geranium oil may occasionally be found. This is due to claims made by supplement makers that rose geranium oil contains trace levels of the stimulant chemical dimethylamylamine. However, laboratory testing reveals that it is unlikely that this medication originates from rose geranium oil. Instead of getting it from rose geranium oil, it’s believed that these makers artificially added this medication to the supplement.
Rose geranium oil is a less expensive alternative to rose oil in production. Additionally, it serves as a scent in perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps.
How does it work ?
Several compounds found in rose geranium oil appear to have antimicrobial properties. When applied to the skin, the oil might have a calming effect and reduce swelling.
Is DMAA now accepted?
An amphetamine derivative known as DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) has been marketed in weight loss and athletic performance products, many of which are sold as dietary supplements. The marketing of items containing DMAA that are sold as dietary supplements is unlawful because DMAA is not a component in food.
How do consumers know if a product marketed as a dietary supplement contains DMAA?
Customers should check the product label to see if DMAA is listed. You could see it listed as:
- 2-Amino-4-methylhexane
- the 4-methyl-2-hexanamine (9CI)
- 4-Methyl-2-hexanamine
- 4-Methyl-2-hexylamine
Some goods may also list geranium or pelargonium graveolens extract, which could mean that they contain DMAA.
Can DMAA be detected in a drug test?
(DMAA), which is rumored to result in a “false positive drug test,” mass spectrometry (GC/MS) testing is used to verify the results of urine tests. DMAA will never show up as positive for amphetamines or any other drug tested by the DoD in GC/MS analysis.
Has GNC ever had DMAA?
The biggest supplement shops in the US still have the product on the shelves ten days after the FDA warned supplement producers in warning letters.
As of Tuesday morning, OxyElite Pro and Jack3d were still available for purchase in GNC and Vitamin Shoppe’s online and physical stores, respectively.
Tony Truesdale, the CEO of Vitamin Shoppe, stated to analysts during a conference call that he did not believe the category could materially affect the company’s operations. Truesdale emphasized that the business offers 8,000 different products and feels that its diversification will allow it to survive a potential government shutdown of the ingredient.
According to Truesdale, “We think we’ll make it through this depending on how the FDA rules. The company would undoubtedly comply if the FDA were to mandate a recall of the products.
Truesdale refused to state just what proportion of the company’s sales are attributable to DMAA-containing products, claiming that the company has never broken out those figures.
Companies have maintained that DMAA is a substance that naturally occurs (from the geranium plant), but the FDA has disputed that claim. Since DMAA has never been authorized as a dietary supplement, it would theoretically be regarded as a drug and be subject to stricter regulation. Before being on sale, dietary supplements are not required to have regulatory approval. Products that are categorized as medications cannot be sold without FDA approval.
Although the FDA stated in its warning letters that DMAA’s safety history is unclear, Vitamin Shoppe and GNC appear to be placing their bets on DMAA’s safety. The two shops might receive their money back from the producers, but they would still be subject to legal action if it turns out that DMAA is harmful.
The US military removed 18 DMAA-based items from GNC stores on military sites after the component was detected in two soldiers who died of heart attacks. GNC is currently being sued by a woman who claims she purchased a DMAA product in one of its stores.
Cohen urged the FDA to recall DMAA products in a study letter that was published on Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Cohen claims that he has dealt with patients who have used these supplements and that he thinks they are more effective than ephedra, which the FDA outlawed in 2004.