Vad är det för dumheter de har hittat på? Jag hörde på radio idag att de ska förbjuda kreatin. De säger att det kan ge cancer och att det försämrar matsmältningen. När och varför ska man förbjuda det? Hoppas ni vet mer än jag. Mvh. En nöjd läsare.
Detta är ytterligare ett fall av sensationsrubriker utan stöd från forskning - varningar av detta slag väcker naturligtvis uppmärksamhet och är tacksamt stoff för "säljande" rubriker. Nedan följer några citat från olika källor på nätet:
Paulun.com: Har du också drabbats av kosttillskottsterrorn?:
"Det har på sistone gjorts en del onyanserade uttalanden om kosttillskott. I min nya artikel "kosttillskottsterrorn" kan du läsa vad som egentligen gäller om t ex kreatin och proteinpulver."
Upsala Nya Tidning: Livsmedelsverket varnar för kreatin: 3 mars
"Statens livsmedelsverk avråder allmänheten från att äta större doser av kreatin som kosttillskott eftersom det är osäkert hur det påverkar kroppen. Många idrottsmän, och även kroppsbyggare, använder kreatin i hopp om att det ska höja deras prestationer. Effekten av detta är dock omdiskuterad."
Svenska Livsmedelsverket: Undvik höga halter av kreatin: 2 mars
"Så länge det inte finns data om säkerheten vid höga intag av kreatin bör konsumenten vara försiktig. Det är slutsatsen i två olika rapporter som lett till många frågor från konsumenter. Kreatin säljs som kosttillskott. Läs mer om kreatin."
AST Sports Science: The French Deception: 21 februari
"A couple of weeks ago newswires around the world ran stories about the French equivalent to the FDA claiming creatine may cause cancer.
Either these scientists are absolute morons or they are pushing agenda by distorting the scientific facts on creatine supplementation. One thing is for certain; their claims against creatine are baseless and are an embarrassment to the scientific and medical community.
Not only are there no studies whatsoever indicating in even the wildest possible interpretation that supplementing with creatine could even remotely cause cancer, but their literature support for their statements does not even involve creatine.
The sad part of all this is that the media will report this through thousands of news outlets throughout the world effectively propagating an outright lie. It stinks."
Ovanstående artikel på svenska på ASTs webbplats.
alt.sport.weightlifting: Creatine Safety: A Physician's Prospective: 23 februari
"Dr. Lynn Myers is widely regarded as one of the country's foremost experts on nutrition. He has been interviewed by CNN Sports, heard on ESPN's "One On One Sports". Dr. Myers has addressed the National Wrestling Coaches Association as a special guest speaker on nutrition. Dr. Myers is also the father of four wrestlers.
As a pathologist with a lifetime of experience in solving medical puzzles, I have learned the value of avoiding rumor and hearsay, and the value of examining all the scientific facts for myself. Here are some of the facts that bear on this question."
Tillskottet.com: BSE-smitta - viktig information till återförsäljare: 31 januari
"Vi fick ett brev från Eiselt som vi har fått tillstånd att publicera och som vi tycker att även ni bör ta del av. Det handlar om BSE - Galna kosjukan (protein) och Cancer (kreatin) inom kosttillskott."
Strength Sport Nutrition: Nyheter:
"Den senaste tiden skriverier som varit angående kopplingen mellan Kreatin och cancer, har vi fått fram följande: Inga nya studier är gjorda, och den franska person (som inte angivit titel) har inga nya vetenskapliga studier eller andra undersökningar att stödja sig på.
Vi har talat med Ulla Beckman Sund på Livsmedelsverket som inte har fått någon ny information, utan hänvisar istället till en rapport som EU gjort om Kreatin (OBS! .PDF-dokument). Sammanfattningsvis om rapporten kan sägas att det inte finns något samband mellan Kreatin och cancer."
peakhealth.net: The Facts Behind the Creatine and Cancer Hype: 7 februari
"There has recently been a rash of misinformation that has been spread around the world that has arisen from a statement made by a Mr. ? Dr. ? Martin Husch for the French Agency of Medical Security for Food (AFSSA), claiming a link between creatine monohydrate supplementation and cancer.
This is not supported by the literature and it is unfortunate that medical misinformation can be spread throughout the world so rapidly."
IFBB: News Reports of Creatine's Evils are Sensationalized Fiction:
"First the facts. Creatine is safe. It is produced naturally from amino acids in the body and stored in muscles. Creatine in supplement form works as a training aid for many athletes. Creatine has never been proven to be carcinogenic or a health risk. And creatine has nothing to do with any perceived decline of Western civilization."
Flex Magazine: Creatine: the Latest Research: December 2000
"Recent studies confirm the safety of the oft-scrutinized supplement."
Från Göteborgsposten:
"Vad det beträffar cancervarningen, som gäller vid långvarigt bruk, har AFSSA inga hållbara vetenskapliga belägg. Det finns en risk som ännu inte undersökts på ett tillfredsställande sätt, heter det.
Kreatin har funnits på marknaden i max tio år, så jag har svårt att tro att det finns vetenskapliga belägg för att långvarigt bruk kan orsaka problem. Det är för kort tid, säger Karin Söderlund, forskare vid Karolinska Institutet och av många ansedd som den främsta svenska experten på kreatin."
Verdens Gang: Ikke skremt av kreftalarm: 27 januari
"Finn Chr. Jagge vet foreløpig for lite om undersøkelsen til det franske næringsmiddeltilsynet (AFSSA) til at han ligger våken om nettene:
- Alt er farlig nå om dagen. Dette gidder jeg ikke å bruke krefter på, sier han."
Eiselt: Henrik Eiselt reagerar på skriverier i tidningar, nyheter på tv och annat:
Kan kreatin ge cancer? Felaktiga artiklar i dagspressen!: 27 januari
Tilläggas bör att det franska läkemedelsverket är bland det hårdaste i världen - närmast lik en "polisstat" för att citera en av världens största kreatinproducenter. Det vore inte konstigt om Frankrike förbjöd kreatin, men anledningen skulle definitivt inte vara att det kan orsaka cancer.
FLEX Online: The Phony French Creatine Scare:
"News Reports of Creatine’s Evils Are Sensationalized Fiction."
Inexplicably, the French health authorities implicated supplemental creatine as having the same harmful effects that carcinogenic substances found in charred meat are suspected of having! That’s the only support the AFSSA offers for its cancer-creatine claims. That leaves the French report with zero real data even remotely suggestions that that supplemental creatine has any cancer-causing or cancer-promoting properties.
That’s it. This extremely weak evidence is what gave birth to the screaming headlines suggesting that creatine may cause cancer. The result was needless hysteria, fear and confusion among the many athletes who use supplemental creatine.
Supplementwatch Newsletter 29 januari:
SupplementWatch takes its mission of educating people about dietary supplements very seriously. Unfortunately, the media often hypes information that has no scientific basis. This newsletter is a copy of our response to some irresponsible reporting that recently took place....
Creatine and Cancer? - SupplementWatch responds to irresponsible reporting and media hype.
Draper, UT, January 29, 2001 - This past week has seen an irresponsible report ("French experts link creatine to potential cancer risk") from both the Associated Press and Reuters circumnavigate the globe and cause undo scare among users of the popular sports supplement, creatine. The story reports on comments from "French food safety experts" about an alleged link between creatine and a "potential risk of cancer" - a position that is NOT supported by any credible scientific evidence. The report also mentions that members of France's Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) are recommending that creatine also be listed as a banned substance (a position that the French Rugby Association also made about a month ago).
Both AP and Reuters report that members of the AFSSA warn that the "long-term" use of creatine supplements constitutes "a potential carcinogenic risk" - though this position is not based on any study. The French have also taken the position that creatine supplements are "of little benefit to athletes hoping to improve their performance" a patently false statement.
Members of the AFSSA, Jean-Louis Berta and Martin Husch (neither an expert on creatine or sports nutrition) told AP reporters that creatine use "involves a risk disproportionate to its effectiveness." This statement is made despite the fact that there are dozens of studies showing a clear sports performance benefit of creatine supplements and a handful of studies (with many on-going) to suggest that creatine may help prevent brain damage following traumatic head injuries and may be effective in treating neuromuscular disorders and in treating congestive heart failure.
While we at SupplementWatch have no doubt that reports such as this indeed do a wonderful job of selling papers, they do a great disservice to consumers and health professionals who are trying to understand an increasingly complex and confusing area of health. It is unfortunate that nutrition MIS-information can be spread so quickly and by dozens of supposedly "credible" media outlets.
In summary, let us state that THERE ARE NO STUDIES IN HUMANS THAT EVEN SUGGEST AN INCREASED RISK OF CANCER WITH CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS (in fact, there are several studies showing an anti-cancer effect of creatine in animals and several reviews of safety of creatine in humans). In the future, it is the hope of SupplementWatch that media outlets such as Associated Press, IntelliHealth, Reuters, ESPN, and all the rest try to get their facts straight (perhaps by consulting with subject-matter experts) before they disseminate this kind of disturbing misinformation.
For an overview of creatine, please visit our page on Creatine.
Detta skickade Will D Brink ut den 26 januari:
Hello all. As many of you may know, there is a new report out of France linking creatine to increased cancer risk. According to the French "experts" creatine may lead to increased rates of cancer. As always, the "don't confuse us with the facts" media has taken up the story as if it were fact. This is irresponsible journalism at it worse. For example, see ESPN's coverage.
As expected, I have gotten a lot of email from panicked people asking about this report. I was going to write up a response, but Dr. Tarnopolsky (a noted researcher in the field) was nice enough to write up a full rebuttal. I think you will find it useful when you are faced with the wave of ignorance sure to follow this report from France.
From: Mark Tarnopolsky
RE: Creatine and Cancer
To whom it may concern:
There has recently been a rash of misinformation that has been spread around the world that has arisen from a statement made by a Mr. ? Dr. ? Martin Husch for the French Agency of Medical Security for Food (AFSSA), claiming a link between creatine monohydrate supplementation and cancer. This is not supported by the literature and it is unfortunate that medical misinformation can be spread throughout the world so rapidly.
This agency claims to have reviewed the literature using nutritional experts (yet does not list them so we can judge their credentials), and the author has not published a single paper in a peer reviewed journal (at least none that have appeared in PubMed). I found the statement to be somewhat accurate in several areas (with the exception that it states that creatine increases muscle cell water (10 %) - this is high and it is more likely 3 - 4 %)).
The MAJOR problems come when they/?he tries to make a comment about the potential side effects:
1. approximate translation of the AFSSA statement on cancer "considering that creatine and creatinine under certain circumstances, particularly in the presence of simple sugars and elevated amino acids, could have carcinogenic effects based on preliminary experimental arguments in vitro and in vivo have been equivocal". [I am not aware of any studies showing that creatine taken with sugar and amino acids is carcinogenic - especially when taken in physiological amounts - any compound, even amino acids may be carcinogenic in high doses (see MSDS label on leucine!)].
The real issue comes with the statement that "with the potentially carcinogenic effects..." - this is unfounded and certainly the jump to stating that epidemiological studies have shown a link is complete fabrication and misinformation. This sort of misinformation is as bad as the health care fraud that some folks claim regarding unproven agents. I do agree that we need to concern ourselves about impurities in creatine and any unregulated substances (ie. Problems previously with tryptophan and eosinophilic myositis) and I am all for creatine and other neutraceuticals being exposed to rigorous purity testing by federal agencies - I do know that most of the creatine for the neurology studies is exposed to careful testing for impurities and other chemical standards - Many of the large reputable companies in the US and Canada buy their creatine from high quality sources.
It then goes on to say that the effects of high levels of creatine ingestion has not been studied in the short or long term (yet they claim there have been epidemiological studies). They quote that there are epidemiological studies showing difficulties with digestion, muscle cramps and apparently cardiovascular problems (???????? - not sure where this comes from - there are in fact 2 studies in humans with congestive heart failure showing benefits to performance and studies in animals showing cardioprotective effects and we have shown that it does not affect blood pressure (Mihic, et al, Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2000)). There are other issues with this - firstly there have been no true epidemiological studies of creatine use and papers are suggesting from this article that epidemiological studies show a possible risk - THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT.
In the final summary they state that supplementation with creatine constitutes a risk, but it has been insufficiently evaluated, particularly in the long-term. With the potentially carcinogenic effects, it would be necessary for the regular reevaluation of studies.
I am shocked that this amount of misinformation can be placed on the internet by such and agency claiming legitimacy and trying to advocate for the good of people. This type of speculative misinformation does not serve the interests of anyone. Our group and others are carefully evaluating the risks and benefits of creatine monohydrate ingestion in patients with neuromuscular and neurometabolic disorders as well as in human aging - Patients reading this stuff in the papers have already called to drop out of studies. Creatine may be very helpful in a number of medical conditions and thanks to this inaccurate statement we will all have difficulty in recruiting and retaining subjects. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for the lay public to evaluate the quality of the information and the AFSSA statement violates many of the key factors to look for in judging legitimacy:
- The person signing their name to the statement does not list their credentials.
- The supposed scientists who evaluated the literature are not listed.
- There is no evidence of external review of the statement.
- The statement has internal inconsistencies (medium and long term studies not done and yet concludes that epidemiological studies show their may be a cancer risk).
- There are no references to peer reviewed studies to support the statement.
THERE ARE NO STUDIES IN HUMANS EVEN SUGGESTING AN INCREASED RISK OF CANCER WITH CREATINE.
There are many papers showing an anti-cancer effect of creatine in animals:
Jeong KS, Park SJ, Lee CS, Kim TW, Kim SH, Ryu SY, Williams BH, Veech RL, Lee YS. Effects of cyclocreatine in rat hepatocarcinogenesis model. Anticancer Res 2000 May-Jun;20(3A):1627-33
Kristensen CA, Askenasy N, Jain RK, Koretsky AP. Creatine and cyclocreatine treatment of human colon adenocarcinoma xenografts: 31P and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies. Br J Cancer 1999 Jan;79(2):278-85
Schiffenbauer YS, Meir G, Cohn M, Neeman M. Cyclocreatine transport and cytotoxicity in rat glioma and human ovarian carcinoma cells: 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Am J Physiol 1996 Jan;270(1 Pt 1):C160-9
Ara G, Gravelin LM, Kaddurah-Daouk R, Teicher BA Antitumor activity of creatine analogs produced by alterations in pancreatic hormones and glucose metabolism. In Vivo 1998 Mar-Apr;12(2):223-31
Miller EE, Evans AE, Cohn M. Inhibition of rate of tumor growth by creatine and cyclocreatine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1993 Apr 15;90(8):3304-8
There are several reviews of creatine so people can get their facts straight:
Casey A, Greenhaff PL Does dietary creatine supplementation play a role in skeletal muscle
metabolism and performance? Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Aug;72(2 Suppl):607S-17S
Tarnopolsky MA Potential benefits of creatine monohydrate supplementation in the elderly. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2000 Nov;3(6):497-502
Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17
Wyss M, Kaddurah-Daouk R. Creatine and creatinine metabolism. Physiol Rev 2000 Jul;80(3):1107-213
There are several reviews of safety:
Poortmans JR, Francaux M Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction? Sports Med 2000 Sep;30(3):155-70
Mihic S, MacDonald JR, McKenzie S, Tarnopolsky MA. Acute creatine loading increases fat-free mass, but does not affect blood pressure, plasma creatinine, or CK activity in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Feb;32(2):291-6.
Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17
I would hope that Reuters, ESPN, National Post, Associated Press, etc. would get their facts straight before they put out misinformation. I know that a flashy inflammatory and inaccurate statement is better for press, but please think of the patients who are involved in the studies and those who may stand to benefit from carefully controlled evaluation of the risks and benefits of creatine supplementation. Yes, there may be some side effects, but please, let the researchers evaluate what these are and the incidence so that people can evaluate the risks and benefits of supplementation in an unbiased manner.
Sincerely,
Mark Tarnopolsky, MD, PhD, FRCP(C),
Neuromuscular Disease Unit, 4U4 Neurology,
McMaster University Medical Center,
Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA, L8N 3Z5
Här citat ur diskussion på nätet av folk som vet något om vad de skriver om, och är ytterst kritiska till saker som inte har någon täckning i verkligheten, som denna kreatinvarning:
<< I find this completely bogus. I would like to hear what Dr. Siff has to say about this.. >>
***The same news item was posted on my Supertraining listserv and has attracted a lot of criticism there, too. I think that if we studied the literature, there is almost nothing in life which has not been associated with cancer. The most canecrous thing about creatine probably is this sort of cancerous belief being proliferated by ignorant French sports officials and equally ignorant, sales minded media journalists.
Here is an extract from one of my letters on this media exaggerated topic, fueled by the usual highly uninformed French sports official declarations.
You can find other correspondence on this issue at: http://www.egroups.com/group/supertraining
James Krieger wrote:
<....no one seems to fuss if an athlete uses caffeine, which has been repeatedly shown to be ergogenic in a wide variety of sports activities, ranging from high-intensity, power activities to endurance events (which creatine does not enhance). And it probably is a more effective ergogenic aid than creatine is. Not only that, but caffeine has more side effects than creatine. Caffeine can cause jitters, nervousness, insomnia, dehydration, and is also addictive. Research shows that creatine only causes weight gain. An ergogenic dose of caffeine is well within the IOC's limits and will not cause an athlete to fail a drug test. But some countries, like France, have banned the sale of creatine.
There is such a double standard when it comes to ergogenic aids. The use of caffeine, a stimulant that is not naturally present in our bodies, is accepted. The use of creatine, an amino acid naturally present in our bodies, is not. Search the media and you will find all sorts of articles raving about the potential dangers and unknowns of creatine use, but you won't find a thing about caffeine.>
***Exactly! The hypocrisy here is enormous. When the French created a fanatical uproar over creatine use by their rugby players, those of us in the rest of the rugby playing world (I lived in South Africa at the time) could not believe the idiocy of it all, especially since their banning of creatine was based entirely on emotive committee argumentation and not a shred of genuine scientific evidence.
All of this sounds like déjà vu to me. It seems as if the French are simply trying to create the same sort of scare campaign that was used in the early days of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse. Many of us recall the medical experts way back then stating that AAS did not even 'work' and, worst of all, that they caused cancer, heart disease, liver damage, etc etc. Yet, even though they maintained that AAS are ineffectual, they started AAS testing and banning athletes for their use. What a contradiction! Why ban something which the experts declared was useless, anyway??
With reference to your very valid comments on caffeine use in sport, the French should also note that there has also been some research suggesting that caffeine may also be a carcinogen and possibly even dangerous for the heart.
That French article also commented that creatine possibly also is harmful to the heart. However, there is published research which shows that it may be beneficial in assisting in cardiac rehabilitation. Other work suggests that it may also be helpful in the management of some neuromuscular disorders. It would be interesting to see which research the French committees this time are using in their efforts to tar and feather creatine.
Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
Några länkar till kreatininformation, bl a från intressenter i tillskottsmarknaden (yeah Cuddly...):
Fine Pharmaceuticals: Creatine FAQ:
"Creatine is classified as an immine. This means that it is a protein. It is made from three amino acids, arginie, glycine and methionine in the body. Synthetically it is made in a factory from 2 chemicals: sarcosine & cyanamide."
Creatine FAQ
Absolute Creatine - The Absolute Guide to Creatine:
"Creatine is a compound that can be made in our bodies or taken as a dietary supplement. The chemical name for Creatine is methyl guanidine-acetic acid. That sure is a mouth full - which is why it is much easier to just call it creatine."
uk.rec.bodybuilding: Creatine - Frequently Asked Questions
Extreme Sports Nutrition: Research: Creatine Monohydrate: The Facts
Performance Development Laboratories: Creatine - Frequently Asked Questions
Creatine Monohydrate: Everything You Need To Know
NutraSense: Creatine FAQs
Från misc.fitness.weights FAQ, Section VIII: Supplements:
Supplements are just that, supplements. Before even considering the use of supplements you should ask yourself if you're doing everything you can to make progress in you workouts. Are your weight workouts intense? Is it possible that you are overtraining? Are you regularly performing aerobic exercise to aid in the fat burning process? Is your diet the best it can be? If you haven't answered these questions, you probably have more fundamental problems than whether or not some supplement will aid your muscle gains or fat loss.
Some supplements can be beneficial. Some are quite toxic. Many are promoted by the companies who make them because of the quantity of money that can be made. Many supplements have absolutely no value other than the money they make for those who produce it.
Beware of all claims. Those that sound too good to be true, usually are. Almost all of the supplements below do have some scientific studies behind them. So, there will usually be some small grain of truth in an advertising claim. However, upon reading the study, it is rare that the advertising claims are actually supported. The producers of supplements will often make leaps of faith (extrapolating rodent data to humans, increases in growth hormone are often equated with increased muscle without substantiating evidence) that no scientist would ever make.
Many "studies" of these supplements involve only isolated cases (showing those lovely before and after pictures). Although the pictures can be quite dramatic, they do not constitute valid evidence for the efficacy of the supplement.
Infomedica: Hur kontrollerar man kvaliteten på den information man får på Internet?
- "Den information man får på nätet ska inte ersätta kontakten med en riktig läkare, utan användas som tilläggsinformation.
- Det är viktigt att själv försöka ta reda på så mycket som möjligt om källan till informationen. Vem är avsändaren och hur garanterar avsändaren kvaliteten på sin information? Om reklam eller sponsorer förekommer ska de vara tydligt redovisade. Det ska också gå att se när sidan senast uppdaterades.
- Man ska vara kritisk mot all information som verkar för bra för att vara sann."
Se även Länkskafferiet: Att värdera webbplatser själv:
"Tryckt material, t ex böcker och tidningar, granskas noga innan det publiceras. På Internet kan alla som har tillgång till en server (en kraftfull dator) enkelt publicera vad de önskar. Därför är det extra viktigt att du kritiskt granskar material som du hittar på nätet. Det är bara du själv som kan avgöra om texten, bilden, mjukvaran, ljudfilen mm som du har funnit motsvarar dina egna förväntningar och kvalitetskrav."
Quackwatch: Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery, and Intelligent Decisionmaking: Intelligent Consumer Behavior
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