I like Grow! the most of all the ones I’ve tried. I got some Muscle-Yech a while back on impulse and recomendation, and that stuff was pure crap. My dog didn’t even like it, and it had big chunks of unflavored protien all through it. Like little stink bombs on the tounge.
Grow! really does taste the best. All the flavors are good, but the banana cream is my current favorite. Vanilla is the most versatile if you like adding in fruit or mixing it with yogurt or oatmeal.
We’re really privileged that the best tasting protein is also the highest quality and is sold direct to us via this site for a decent price. Some of us used to buy it even when it cost double what it does now because there was a middle man. Thanks, T-Nation!
[quote]t-dude wrote:
[quote]Unfortunately, consuming this chemical seems to have the undesirable effect of elevating blood levels of a substance called homocysteine, which is a very strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease (Stead et al., 2001). Cardiovascular disease is easily the number one killer in the Western World, and the last thing we need to do is increase our risk for it. [/quote]at this stage it is unknown whether raising or lowering homocysteine actually does anything to alter the risk. While the observational research shows that raised homocysteine is a risk factor, within a lot of risk factors, altering them doesnt really result in any reduced risk. At this stage it is relatively unknown… other than being a risk factor.
being male also increases homocysteine…
as does being old for the most part
and coffee
and low b vit status,
and or choline status
or smoking
or if your the lucky percentage of the normal population who has some SNP in the key enzymes within the homocysteine methionine cycle.
Unfortunately
it doesnt, or at least at this stage doesnt appear to
In theory it should, but doesnt pan out in experimental trials
Origonal work from McCarthy
Supplemental creatine may decrease serum homocysteine and abolish the homocysteine ‘gender gap’ by suppressing endogenous creatine synthesis.
McCarty MF.
Pantox Laboratories, San Diego, California 92109, USA.
Creatine synthesis is responsible for the large majority of the methyl group transfers in normal hepatic metabolism, and is significantly greater in men than in women. Since methyl group depletion impairs the efficiency of homocysteine disposal, it is believed that the comparatively high rate of creatine synthesis in men is primarily responsible for the ‘gender gap’ in homocysteine levels. Adequate supplemental intakes of creatine can suppress creatine synthesis by inhibiting expression of the enzyme arginine-glycine transamidase. Thus, it is proposed that creatine supplementation may represent a practical strategy for decreasing plasma homocysteine levels.
From the lovely journal called Med Hypotheses
it does mildly in animals (about the same that should be acheived by folic acid with or without B12/B6)
Methylation demand and homocysteine metabolism: effects of dietary provision of creatine and guanidinoacetate.
Stead LM, Au KP, Jacobs RL, Brosnan ME, Brosnan JT.
Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada A1B 3X9.
S-adenosylmethionine, formed by the adenylation of methionine via S-adenosylmethionine synthase, is the methyl donor in virtually all known biological methylations. These methylation reactions produce a methylated substrate and S-adenosylhomocysteine, which is subsequently metabolized to homocysteine. The methylation of guanidinoacetate to form creatine consumes more methyl groups than all other methylation reactions combined. Therefore, we examined the effects of increased or decreased methyl demand by these physiological substrates on plasma homocysteine by feeding rats guanidinoacetate- or creatine-supplemented diets for 2 wk. Plasma homocysteine was significantly increased (~50%) in rats maintained on guanidinoacetate-supplemented diets, whereas rats maintained on creatine-supplemented diets exhibited a significantly lower (~25%) plasma homocysteine level. Plasma creatine and muscle total creatine were significantly increased in rats fed the creatine-supplemented or guanidinoacetate-supplemented diets. The activity of kidney L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase, the enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of guanidinoacetate, was significantly decreased in both supplementation groups. To examine the role of the liver in mediating these changes in plasma homocysteine, isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated with methionine in the presence and absence of guanidinoacetate and creatine, and homocysteine export was measured. Homocysteine export was significantly increased in the presence of guanidinoacetate. Creatine, however, was without effect. These results suggest that homocysteine metabolism is sensitive to methylation demand imposed by physiological substrates.
but this doesnt show up in human interventions
this article has no abstract, however this is part of the commentary at the end.
We expected plasma homocysteine concentration to decrease following creatine supplementation as a result of reduced creatine production. However, 61 days of supplementation had no significant effect on circulating homoycsteine levels.
creatine also decreases homocysteine within animal models of kidney disease, but does not show the same effect in humans.
I should also add that one trial found a significant effect (small) on homoycstiene with creatine supplementation, but there are issues with the quality of that research
Oral creatine supplements lower plasma homocysteine concentrations in humans.
Korzun WJ.
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 301 College St, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980583, Richmond, VA 23298-0583, USA. wjkorzun@vcu.edu
OBJECTIVE: To determine if oral creatine supplements will lower the concentration of total plasma homocysteine (tHcy). SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Apparently healthy volunteers, at least 19 years old, were recruited from the University of South Alabama and surrounding community. DESIGN/INTERVENTION/MAIN OUTCOME: Participants took multi-vitamins daily for four weeks, then were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (C) continued to take multi-vitamins daily for an additional four weeks. The experimental group (EX) took multivitamins plus an amount of creatine each day equal to twice their daily creatinine excretion, for the additional four weeks. Total plasma homocysteine concentrations were measured in all participants at the beginning and at the end of the second four week interval. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in age, initial tHcy, serum folate, erythrocyte folate, serum vitamin B12, or creatinine excretion. After four weeks of creatine supplements, tHcy in EX changed by an average of -0.9 micromol/L (range: -1.8 to 0.0), compared to an average change of +0.2 micromol/L in C (range: -0.6 to 0.9) during the same four weeks. The difference in the changes in tHcy between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Creatine supplements may be an effective adjunct to vitamin supplements for lowering tHcy.
[quote]cycomiko wrote:
I should also add that one trial found a significant effect (small) on homoycstiene with creatine supplementation, but there are issues with the quality of that research
Oral creatine supplements lower plasma homocysteine concentrations in humans.
Korzun WJ.
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 301 College St, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980583, Richmond, VA 23298-0583, USA. wjkorzun@vcu.edu
OBJECTIVE: To determine if oral creatine supplements will lower the concentration of total plasma homocysteine (tHcy). SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Apparently healthy volunteers, at least 19 years old, were recruited from the University of South Alabama and surrounding community. DESIGN/INTERVENTION/MAIN OUTCOME: Participants took multi-vitamins daily for four weeks, then were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (C) continued to take multi-vitamins daily for an additional four weeks. The experimental group (EX) took multivitamins plus an amount of creatine each day equal to twice their daily creatinine excretion, for the additional four weeks. Total plasma homocysteine concentrations were measured in all participants at the beginning and at the end of the second four week interval. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in age, initial tHcy, serum folate, erythrocyte folate, serum vitamin B12, or creatinine excretion. After four weeks of creatine supplements, tHcy in EX changed by an average of -0.9 micromol/L (range: -1.8 to 0.0), compared to an average change of +0.2 micromol/L in C (range: -0.6 to 0.9) during the same four weeks. The difference in the changes in tHcy between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Creatine supplements may be an effective adjunct to vitamin supplements for lowering tHcy.
[/quote]
Point taken, but I just wanted to make them aware of this ingredient and also read the article…
Not everyone sup. with creatine…might I add…
Found a place that sells Grow! I and I am going there as soon as it opens