Saturday, April 3, 2010

ASEA - Does it Work?

As with most people, I am quite wary of any product which tells me it can help me do something better without very little effort. In September of last year I was introduced to a product called ASEA at a marathon expo. I listened to a gentleman describe the product to me and I was intrigued. I learned how antioxidants, by themselves, are incapable of fighting free radicals without the help of certain reactive molecules. The reactive molecules contained in ASEA  are the fundamental components of cellular communication  and greatly influence the operation of the immune system. Why am I giving you a science lesson?

Well, without going into too much detail (as I probably do not fully comprehend all the science anyway), ASEA supposedly is the only product which can increase the effectiveness of the body’s most important natural antioxidants by over 500%.  Was I skeptical? Is the Pope Catholic? (Yes, he is.)

Unfortunately for my health and fortunately for the purpose of experimentation, I was just a few weeks removed from getting hit by a car and severely separating my shoulder.  I was in the perfect place to see if any product could help me heal faster and get me exercising as soon as possible.  When I saw that the product was  made up of Distilled Water and Sodium Chloride, I was even more skeptical that this “salt water” could do much for me.

I did not expect to see results right away but was happy to try a few bottles that were given to me. Can’t hurt to get it a shot though, right?  And for a few weeks I did not see a noticeable difference. But as the months went by, I began to notice that even my normal recovery time, which was faster than most, was actually increasing. However, as I was getting over the car accident and the downtime from it, I figured it was just my body ramping back up to speed again. As such, I didn’t think much of that until New Year’s Eve.

You may have read here how I ran a 6 hour run around Liberty Park on NYE to prep for my upcoming 204 miler. I then went out and inexplicably ran a 19 minute 5k, in freezing cold weather, just a few hours after churning out 43 miles in 6 hours. This seemed absolutely ludicrous to me. I have been able to surprise myself often with my efforts in races but the turnaround time on this was just remarkable. 

In the past few months, while running and traveling a schedule that makes my 52 Marathon schedule look weak in comparison, I have been able to stay healthy and strong in spite of the rigors I have been putting my body through.  Sure I have had some niggling pains here and there – I am not immune to injury – but I have always bounced back.

The company has done a couple of studies already to ascertain ASEA’s positive effect on athletes’ ability to increase endurance. They studied multiple factors and one of the most amazing results was that taking ASEA for just two weeks increased the Ventilatory Threshold (time to hit the runner’s wall) over 12% on average. That’s a huge improvement for any athlete.

I am told that the company is just completing a much larger study with two well-known sports physicians in Park City, Utah: Olympic Gold Medalist Eric Heiden and professional cycling team physician Max Testa.  Stay tuned for those results.

That said, it is never wise or prudent to make rash judgments about what happens in causality.  By that I mean I am not one to say ASEA is automatically helping me recover like I never have before. Since I am not certain if that is the case, it would be unwise for me to say so. Then again, I do not know for certain when I toe the line of a marathon if I will finish that race, either.  However, I have a pretty good idea I will get to the finish line. I also have a pretty good idea ASEA is doing something right.

As I gear up for my solo running of the American Odyssey Relay, I am happy that ASEA will be on board with me. I plan on taking a regimented dosage as I traverse the entire 202 miles and hope to continue to challenge my own personal limits.  I feel that with my hard work, dedication, and planning I will be able to do so. ASEA will help.


16 comments:

David Yingling said...

Wow, that is pretty impressive Dane! I am very skeptical of many new products because the majority of them don't work. Thanks for the introduction to ASEA though, I'll have to try it out!

George said...

I am in no position to doubt the benefits you say you you have experienced (the New Years Run is just extraordinary). But as an outside observer, I still remain a skeptic.

I'd really like to see a double blind study. Or a study comparing asea to salt water. Is there a benefit of buying this product over creating my own salt water?

And while Im a skeptic, I am also in no position to dismiss the product without using it. Maybe it will just need a test run from me.

Dane said...

David,

I am always skeptical. Period. I think the best way to find things out is to test them yourself (as you mention!)

George,

I think a test run itself is indeed in order. It took me 6 months of trying the product before I mentioned here as I wanted to see if it worked for me.

Outdoorpartner said...

I understand you have to make a living and finding sponsorship is not easy. However, before endorsing nutritional supplements you should consult with a physician, pharmacist, dietician or someone medically educated regarding the company’s claims.

First of all, no matter what the efficacy or how valid the claims, nutritional and herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA. Perhaps they may put the exact ingredients in sufficient quantities on Day 1, but there’s nothing stopping the company from just bottling tap water on day 2 and from then on. No governmental or independent agency tests the product batches (as are medications). That is why when independent labs test products such as USANA vitamins, the quantity of ingredients never meets labeling standards. It is not uncommon for supplements to be completely devoid of “active” ingredient, nor is it uncommon for contaminants to be discovered. The FDA only has authority to stop the sale of these products if people are harmed and killed, NOT if the products do not contain the quantity of active ingredients. This is why many health systems such as Intermountain Health Care ban the use of dietary supplements by inpatients. We can pretty much guarantee the products don’t contain the amount of labeled ingredient, but we can’t guarantee they don’t contain harmful extraneous ingredients.

Secondly, numerous medical studies have shown the use of antioxidants (in the form of supplements) is DETREMENTAL. End points such as increased mortality and increased cancer rates have been demonstrated over and over in studies. Just one example here: http://www.theheart.org/article/773375.do So by taking a product whose claim is: “ASEA stimulates the production of anti-oxidants. This product turns on and activates the anti-oxidants in our body and can make them 500% more effective”. Sounds like you’ll be doing “500%” more damage.

The study touted by ASEA on the website is laughable. Only fifteen cyclists, NO control group, and there was no blinding in the study! For a study to be valid, you need more subjects, a control group, and double blinding. Unfortunately, there are still many ways to manipulate even the results of these studies (statistical manipulation, subject selection, evaluation criteria). That is why the study needs to be peer reviewed and published in a major medical journal. You won’t find any MLM products that meet rigorous tests of scientific validity.

MLM products are famous for their use of anecdotes. “John Doe uses product X and he reports 500% gain in performance”. The plural of anecdote is anecdotes – not data. If events such as this were to be published in medical journals, the specific terminology “case reports” would be used. Anecdotes do not provide proof and are easily invented. In fact, the use of anecdotes for the promotion of any product is a huge red flag to any medical professionals that the product is a fraud.

I’m sure after you review this, you won’t publish it on your blog. That’s OK, I understand you gotta make a living and sponsorship money is difficult to obtain. But you need to know the product you are endorsing has no credibility in scientific and medical realms. MLM products have notoriously been associated with scams, and this may tarnish your reputation with future legitimate sponsors. As a follower of your blog, I was very disappointed when the ASEA logo appeared.

Ditch ASEA, go Power Bar all the way. I’m hoping you’ll have your booth set up at the SLC marathon expo Thursday evening, so I can wish you good luck for the American Odyssey 202/204.

Dane said...

Valerie,

I am happy to post your comment as people are welcome to express their opinions in a respectful way. You do, however, make the wrong assumption (on multiple occasions) that ASEA is sponsoring me. While I have received some of the product gratis and am pleased about that, ASEA has not given me a single dime.

Not to start an argument, however, you mention that there were not enough tests or studies done but then you say if they were done they are still not enough. For me, tests are fine and dandy but whether the product appears to work for me or not is what matters most. Which is what I have stated here

So, as a follower of my blog (which I am slightly skeptical of as you have no last name or google profile), I am sorry you are disappointed by the ASEA logo. But it has been there since November and my blog remains exactly the same: me sharing my thoughts and feelings. If I feel ASEA is not for me, then I won't be speaking about it any more. I give my honest opinion now and alwasy will.

I will not be at the SLC Marathon expo but if you wish to say hello, my email is listed hereon the site.

Tempus Phoenix said...

Howzit goin Dane!

Lemme just say that I commend your hard work and all the good things you've done. That 52 marathon blast for a good cause still blows my mind. And the fact that you JUST ran a 200+ mile marathon causes me to sometimes go "HOT DAMN" cause no words can really suffice. I'm writing a comment because thanks to Asea I discovered your amazing story, you are quite the inspiration for those of us sharing the Asea story.

Ok Just a couple things:

For the "Valerie" person. Theres always a cynic and skeptic out there aint there? I have no doubt she means well but shes probably not even tried the product.

Nutraceuticals are not bound by the same guidelines that pharmaceuticals are. It is law in this country that: "Only a drug may cure, treat or prevent any illness" while this sounds like something great and people like Valerie i'm sure think thats a wonderful thing that excludes ALL non patentable synthetic drugs from being able to emphatically say they even HELP a disease.

In my opinion this law really protects the drug companies profits. Because if my aunt had a natural hawaiian remedy (i'm from Hawaii) that cured lets say, Gout, if she ever got caught saying that she could be arrested for practicing medicine without a license and put in jail. If you laugh at that example just know that its happened to people.

Pharmaceutical drugs kill over 100,000 people yearly, and before you say "those must be over doses or something" those are deaths from people taking them AS PRESCRIBED. When Vioxx (pain drug) was known to cause heart problems in patients Merck waited years before pulling the drug. Vioxx went on to kill more americans than the Vietnam war times 2. Am i decrying all modern advancements in medicine? absolutely not, but what i am saying is there is a battle going on and the side that is winning right now are the huge multi billion dollar drug companies. The last thing they need is the American public to be aware of natural supplements that have better benefits than drugs.


Why am i getting on the "soap box"? because people like Valerie need to be counter balanced. I have been taking Asea and sharing Asea for 5 months now and i have seen lives change for the better, i have seen my own mother get off her bursitis medication for her knees and have better sleep and more energy than ever before. I have seen a good friend of mine who is only 40 and suffers from high blood pressure and arthritis and bone spurs have his BP go from 150 (ON MEDICATION) to 120 (with no meds) and his resting heart rate go from 95 bpm to 65! I was blessed by that because he has 3 kids and i know that his over working heart would mean less life for him...

Thats just the tip of the ice berg Dane! But with that i must give the disclaimer that Asea didnt do any of that, its not intended to cure treat or prevent any disease or illness...Asea just gave the body something incredible an the body did incredible things with it.

Thanks for all you do, all your hard work, perseverance and training. And just know that for every Valerie out there, there is also a Marlon whose actually thrilled that you are sharing the benefits of Asea!


Aloha!

Unknown said...

Dane I too agree with Tempus Phoenix's comment. I'm not sure I want to be taking something that is regulated by the FDA because I don't think they have MY best interest at hand. I think we know what there biggest interest is. Also there is a new study that says 85% of Big Pharma's new drugs are "lemons". You can see that article here http://vigilantcitizen.com/?p=4602.

When you watch TV at night you cannot get past seeing ALOT of advertisements for drugs that you supposedly "need". My favorite is for Abilify, if you are depressed and your antidepressant alone isn't enough you can take this with it as well. Now all you have to do is watch a little TV, find the symptoms you have, go to the doctor and tell him what you need and you'll walk out with that prescription plus a few more I'm sure he will see fit for you.

Another thing is all these prescription drugs do is cover up the symptoms. They are treating the symptoms not the issue at hand. A perfect example:
I have a stepson who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 6, he was prescribed Adderall and maxed out on the number of mg he could take in ratio to his weight, so they could not give him a higher dose, but it was not having a long enough effect so now he also takes blood pressure medicine which is suppose to prolong the effect of the Adderall and also takes risperdal, which is an atipsychotic because the Adderall causes tics. CRAZY! He is now 12. What are the affect going to be on his body with all these medications he has taken at such an early age? It is really sad!

I too am taking ASEA and it is definitely a "have to see it for yourself" product. It is truly in a class of its own. As for the naysayers they will always be around. They said the earth was flat, its not. They said Albert Einstein was unteachable, he wasn't. They said that flying a contraption in the air would never happen, it did. It's called progress and ASEA is progress. Thanks for your post on ASEA, this product has and will change a lot of lives!

John said...

Though I'm happy that you and others have seen some great results with this product I'm greatly disturbed by the nutritional label on the back of the product.

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't all foods, supplements, drugs, etc. require that you list ALL ingredients int he product? (Active Ingredients especially) If ASEA really is just salt water where do these other molecules come from? What ingredient provides them? Distilled water is H20 and Sodium Chloride is NACL. What else is in there? Why is it not listed?

So that being said, they can throw all the research at you and all the testimonials that they want but at the end of the day according to their own label they are ONLY selling you salt water. That is disturbing to me. I'd like to see somebody address this before remotely taking this product seriously.

Unknown said...

In regards to Johns comments about the ingredients of Asea being only salt and water... Well, that's true. However, the reactive molecules found in Asea are not an ingredient, they are formed within the solution through a 3 day, heavily patented (over 20) process that has to be overseen by an Atomic Physicist. The US government does not consider molecules an ingredient. If you google redox signaling molecules or reactive molecules you will see that they are at the forefront of today's medical research. Asea is the only company in the world that has been able to, not only create these molecules, but stabilize them and put them into a bottle. There is so much I haven't said, but I believe I've addressed Johns concern.

Shamir Roshan said...

A life long friend and associate in the petroleum exploration industry has hailed the product as doing great things for him and his mobility (he is a 92 year old cancer victor). My husband decided to try it as per his friend's testimony. The product was received at our home yesterday, and I read the ingredients and was really upset that it listed only distilled water and salt, and wanted to return it for a refund of the $120 the four bottles cost. Got on the horn with a Dr. who was familiar with the stuff and he hailed it as a "great breakthrough in Wellness Health". He cited several cases that he himself had witness in his own practice...I am very skeptical, but try to be open minded but, with $120 being an equivalent to a million in our present household economy and my husband having several health problems (kidney failure being the most major) we prayed, talked and thought and decided to give the stuff a try starting today. Tastes like stale sweat. A bit miffed because there is no way to contact the HQ directly by phone or for customer service if you want to get a refund. We'll see how this goes. Since my husband sees doctors quite frequently IF there is any beneficial service this product offers it should show up some change in his labs and test results within 7 days to a month.

Davidf15x said...

Tempus Phonenix hits the nail on the head regarding the efficacy and science behind any non-drug supplement--regarding Valerie's complaint.It is sure mischief that we have such a circumstance and drugs are a real menace in our society--killing and harming many people. The FDA does nothing about it and the Orthodox medical establishment is against supplements because they wish to guard their turf.

Valerie is way behind the times regarding the manufacture of many supplements which come from many really good labs that do a good job assuring that the active ingredient is standardized, in many cases as well as any drug. Because most supplements do not rely in the first place on such exactitude, this is not a concern.

Regarding the point that anti-oxidants are not helpful or useful in the body, this is a sure misunderstanding. There is much disinformation against the use of supplements and a reliance on a few bad cases to ban the entire spectrum of products. For Valerie, I wish to assume she is merely uninformed and not trying to spread misinformation.

To the topic, I have just bought my first bottle of the product--I have a horrible reaction to salt and this product makes the ringing in my ears increase. I will see if it gives me any perceptible benefit and I am pleased so many people are buying and trying this product.

I surely do not require or expect some really stupid agency like the FDA to tell me if anything I take is beneficial or not since I cannot rely at all on such an opinion. The fact that it was suggested by a good source and I now find so many people at least willing to give it a try is encouraging. I will keep a close eye on how this product is being reviewed by skeptical people like Dane. I am also a skeptic--but a sure alternative medicine advocate.

I likewise mistrust mainstream medicine and I find the willingness to deny the benefits of almost all alternative therapies to be a real scandal and even, if one might allow for the use of the term in this context--rather evil.

Free people have a right to explore their health options without being brow-beaten by the arrogant saying that what they are finding to be so helpful is actually not working.

Dave King said...

I received a box of ASEA as a gift from friends of friends to help me with cirrhosis of the liver. The only thing is that sodium is the worst thing for this condition. ASEA states they have a 30 day refund policy. I mailed the box of 4 bottles back to the main office with a letter from my Doctor stating my conditon. I did'nt hear back from them. So, I called them & they said they had not received the pkg.& that they could not refund me. You would think that a company who is trying so hard to push their product would be willing to work with its customers, not to get a bad rap & if it is so great why not refund me & resell the product. And if it isn't a scam why not just say sure we understand your condition here is your refund. It seems like any other scam, its all about the money. Thanks for nothing ASEA. Dave King Monticello, Utah

Tempus Phoenix said...

In response to Dave King:

He states "I received a box of ASEA as a gift from friends of friends" you then state you tried to REFUND the bottles that you received AS A GIFT...Wow..thats kinda cheap dont you think? Why not give the bottles to someone who could benefit from them? Instead you try to get a refund on money you never spent. I'm glad you couldnt get the refund...maybe it was karma. But you probably wont see it that way.

Unknown said...

i don't know if you'll get to read this, but yes they've done a double blind study http://powerofredox.teamasea.com/newsite/science/CellularHealing.aspx

if you want to learn more, email me at lalprado@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

WOW...it is interesting to see all the different opinions and I feel sorry for those that limit their world as naysayers. I've been taking ASEA for over a year now and have introduced many others to it. Most are so happy with how ASEA has changed their lives. Others are to comfortable with their ailments that they quit taking it because their results tread on unfamiliar territory for them. A couple examples:

A 76 year-old female that was being tended by her husband 24/7. He had to help her to the bathroom and to bed and couldn't leave the house. Within a couple days of ASEA, she was washing dishes, cooking, started crocheting again, even her voice was much stronger. Her husband started venturing out to do things he enjoyed without her. After 3 months she stopped taking it saying it didn't help. I've known her all my life and she's been "sick" for 30 years which keeps her husband at her side.

Another 80 year-old female and her husband came for a weekend visit and car show. She has battled cancer, on several medications, and is very forgetful. Since they were up early and got in late, they were eating at McDonalds every day! I introduced them to ASEA and they decided to try it. A couple days later she stopped taking it because she said it made her feet swell. The daily recommended dosage of ASEA contains about the same amount of salt as a carrot. I could tell she really didn't want to take ASEA and her feet swelling couldn't of been all the sodium in McD's food, now could it! Again, a person that is comfortable with her blanket of illness.

For myself, I won't bore you with all the improvements I've experienced over the last year. But to be brief: my energy felt like I was 12 years old again, lack of hair loss and friends are saying my hair is shinier/healthier, my vision has improved and so has the color, my joints don't hurt anymore, my sleep is better, I haven't had anymore menopause symptoms, my thyroid tests are normal without medication, and my skin looks and feels so much better since I started using Renu28 (ASEA's topical form http://youtu.be/K1rUJCAZCpU).

ASEA does not cure any diseases, but it does support the body so it can make the improvements needed. I know many people that are now off many pharma meds or at least greatly reduced. My stepmother for example has reduced her insulin use by half! So in the end, she spends less money on her health.

ASEA is now Redox Certified by BioAgilytix Laboratories. ASEA and BioAgilytix have entered a partnership; BioAgilytix is partnered with 8 of the top 10 global pharma and biotech companies. Their PhDs test ASEA weekly to insure every product made is of the highest quality and effectiveness. Dermatest: a global leader in dermatological research in Germany (www.dermatest.de/en/) has tested Renu28 and is doing more studies and research. ASEA is NSF GMP Registered.(www.nsf.org) ASEA has a Medical Professionals Board and Science Council. Athletes that have amazing testimonies such as: Gerard Louis Robert, a 65 yo World Masters Cycling Champion cyclist; Breeja Larson, Olympic Gold Medalist.

When taken correctly, ASEA will help at the cellular level 100% of the time and is 100% non-toxic.

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing!