Seeking beauty, virility and vitality

Seeking beauty, virility and vitality

Santi Hendrawati, Contributor, Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Food supplements available in the market are
becoming increasingly more varied both in types and uses. But the
most common seem to be those promoting beauty, sexuality and
vitality.

Supplements claiming to enhance beauty are mostly intended for
the treatment of skin, hair and nails.

Nourish Skin, for example, claims to prevent early aging of
the skin, remove age spots and do away with wrinkled, loose, dry
and dull skin.

Nourish Skin, which retails for about Rp 159,000 contains
amino acids, anti-oxidants and herbal and mineral substances.

It is recommended by the company for those who have problems
with acne, blackheads and moles to take Imagine, a product
slightly cheaper than Nourish Skin at Rp 118,000. Imagine also
contains the three main elements that Nourish Skin has but in
different proportions.

PT Pharos Indonesia, the manufacturer of Nourish Skin and
Imagine, say these two products are good for anybody from age
twelve up but that they are not recommended for pregnant/breast-
feeding women, people with kidney problems or those allergic to
seafood.

Another supplement popular among men and women, called
EverSlim, claims to "streamline" your body and burn fat more
efficiently.

EverSlim is locally produced and claims to be specially
designed to help people reduce weight without the effort a
special diet plan usually requires. Available at Rp 99,000, this
product says it helps people lose weight while also offering the
added benefit of less frequently having to perform nature's call.

Like the two products mentioned earlier, EverSlim also is not
recommended for pregnant/breast-feeding women and people with
kidney problems.

Meanwhile, imported weight-reducing supplements readily
available in stores are brands such as Diet Fuel, Ripped Fuel and
Chromic Fuel, all imported by TwinLab.

Diet Fuel, sold between Rp 195,000 and Rp 210,000, contains Ma
Huang, a Chinese herb that claims to work by using adrenaline as
a means to weight loss.

The next most popular group of supplements after beauty/diet
products, are those related to sexuality. In general, these
supplements contain tribulus substances such as ZMA and DHEA
which claim to improve libido and enhance sexual strength.

Imported supplements in this category available in stores
include, Macho Man, Cobra, Maxipotent or ZMA CAPS 90. The popular
Maxipotent, for example, is sold at Rp 117,000 while ZMA CAPS 90
at Rp 330,000. They claim to be able to increase testosterone and
heighten libido.

A local product in this category is the multi-functional
Valiant. In addition to its claims of improving virility and
facilitating blood circulation to sexual organs, Valiant also is
said to prevent men from suffering from prostate enlargement. A
combination of herbs, vitamins and minerals, this product is sold
for Rp 59,000.

Vitality supplements are also competing with similar products
on the market. Athletes, particularly body-builders, take various
sports nutrition products, most of which claim to give users
their desired body shape.

Sports nutrition products, popular since the 1990s, include
anabolic formula products for muscle building such as Creatine
Fuel Powder, ZMA Fuel and Tribulus Fuel. Also popular are the
Catabolic Formula products such as Amino Fuel 2000/1000, HMB Fuel
and Amino Fuel Liquid.

Creatine Fuel Powder, a naturally-produced formula said to be
useful in maximizing creatine monohydrate intake in muscles, for
example, costs only Rp 210,000.

Another product, Amino Fuel 2000/1000, tells users it enhances
muscle building and is in the form of amino acid tablets
containing 2000 mg of protein produced from whey and egg whites.
Sold at Rp 190,000, this supplement is rich in BCAA, an anti-
muscle-break substance and L-Carnitine, a substance supposedly
useful in preventing muscle shrinkage, a phenomenon usually found
during rigorous aerobic weight training.

In addition to the three main categories of supplements on the
market, there are other more specifically-produced supplements or
basic supplements, as TwinLab calls them, such as vitamin
products like Ester-C, E & Carotene; mineral products such as
Calcium 1000 TABS and ZincCAPS 90; herbal products like Siberian
Ginseng Root and Daily Garlic, as well as several others.

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid, which can be easily dissolved in
water and which is excreted from the body if too much is
consumed, is largely responsible for the human body defense
system, and can aid in preventing a variety of illness.