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.