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Creatine: What Makes it the Best?
posted on 08-20-2008
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Quality is a trait that cannot always be immediately observed. For instance, a glass of crystal-clear water at a restaurant that looks pure can have a number of impurities that may compromise your health if taken over an extended period of time. The same applies to creatine. Any “100% creatine” on the market today may look as pure and clean as virgin snow, but unfortunately the harsh reality is that due to inferior raw materials and substandard processing methods some manufacturer’s creatines have more than 5% chemical impurities including, in some, a carcinogenic known as DHT. That makes this highly prized supplement also one of the most highly suspect as regards quality level.
So who can you trust for a legitimate, pure source of creatine? Look to the one that uses the highest-grade raw materials and most effective testing methods for their product—Creapure® by AlzChem.
Manufacturing
Creapure® creatine is manufactured according to the same highly exacting requirements as used in pharmaceutical manufacturing under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) guidelines. Each step and facet of production is thoroughly documented to assure the highest level of product safety and quality. All raw materials used for Creapure® are subject to an exhaustive analysis for purity specifications by an internal quality control department (independent from the manufacturing department) which has been certified for GLP (Good Laboratory Practice). After raw materials are inspected and passed Creapure® is then produced via the “cyanamide route”, a patented process using the compounds cyanamide and sarcosinate. To cut costs many unscrupulous manufacturers use a cheaper manufacturing process that necessitates large quantities of thiourea, a carcinogenic compound banned from the list of acceptable ingredients for cosmetic products. Inferior raw materials coupled with shabby manufacturing processing produces a creatine with unacceptable levels of creatinine (a protein by-product), dicyandiamide (a skin irritant) and dihydrotriazine (DHT, a known carcinogenic). The presence of these detrimental and carcinogenic compounds is largely due to an accelerated reduction in the amount of water during a process called “recrystallization” which many manufacturers fail to monitor closely. Creapure® on the other hand is monitored diligently during each step of the process for the presence of these dangerous compounds to assure the highest level of purity.
Testing
The result of this quality control and superior manufacturing is a creatine that’s been the subject of no less than 50 clinical trials verifying its safety and efficacy and known the world over as the purest and best available. This extensive safety and purity verification through independent research makes Creapure® a standout product compared to most creatines on the market that use inferior manufacturing processes yielding products with questionable effectiveness and inconsistent purity profiles. The fundamental and most crucial test for a creatine though comes down to its analysis through high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), a highly accurate method for evaluating the precise molecular profile of chemical substances. Although a miniscule amount will be present as byproduct in any creatine, as you can see from the following, any harmful substances are practically non-existent in Creapure®.
Typical analytical values for Creapure®:
Creatine monohydrate: min. 99.95%
Creatinine: < 67 ppm (below the limit of detection)
Dicyandiamide (DCD): < 13 ppm (below the limit of detection)
Dihydrotriazine (DHT): not detectable
Most creatine manufacturers will not disclose this highly critical information which is truly the only way to be sure that you’re receiving a safe and effective product.
Other Creatines?
There are approximately 20 different creatine derivatives currently available with creatine ethyl ester (CEE) one of the more popular. After being absorbed into the bloodstream CEE is broken down very quickly into creatine and ethanol. The ethanol has to be detoxified by the liver and 12% of the creatine is converted into creatinine (the previously mentioned toxin) within 30 minutes. Also, there is currently no toxicological information for CEE or any other of the other creatine forms. On the other hand, creatine monohydrate has been the subject of over 300 studies, one of the most researched sports supplements ever, and can be clinically verified as non-toxic. The key to safe and effective creatine is purity and AlzChem's Creapure® is the purest you’ll find.
Always Use the Best
One of the hallmarks of a superior manufacturer is the level of purity in their choice of ingredients. Without question, this should be the first step in the evaluation of any supplement and supplement manufacturer. Many companies avoid Creapure® and opt for a less expensive creatine for their products to cut costs and increase their profits. But if you want a truly effective formula, it is absolutely essential to use the best ingredients. That’s why, to guarantee the highest efficacy and purity we use only genuine AlzChem Creapure® in our Synthatrex, Synthatrex Extreme and Creatine Monohydrate for superior results. As our friends at AlzChem say, “Creapure®, das ultimative Kreatin.” Translated, Creapure®, the ultimate creatine—and we couldn’t agree more.
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Product ratings, descriptions, and general information are based on a combination of factors and sources, including customer feedback, customer reviews, manufacturer's literature, product labels, and/or opinions of the authors. The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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