LabDoor Blog

San Francisco, CA – November 7, 2013 – Today, LabDoor released its data and ratings on 50 best-selling protein supplements. LabDoor reverse-engineers products to find out what's really inside, exposing inaccurate labels, contaminated products, and false claims. The FDA performs no pre-market regulation of protein supplements, leaving the responsibility of product safety testing to organizations like LabDoor.

Protein Supplement Winners and Losers:

LabDoor scored MET-Rx Protein Plus as #1-ranked in overall quality. BSN True-Mass ranked #50 in this category.

LabDoor scored Pure Protein 100% Natural Whey Protein as #1-ranked in value (efficacy/price). GNC Pro Performance AMP Amplified Mass XXX ranked #50 in this category.

LabDoor’s quality ranking is based on five key factors – label accuracy, product purity, nutritional value, ingredient safety, and projected efficacy. (See: Understanding the LabDoor grades).

Other Key Findings:

There is no significant correlation between quality and price in protein supplements (n=50, r2=0.0016). LabDoor plans to publish a scientific paper on this study in late 2013.

Protein content (per serving) ranged from 11.3g to 61.9g. Price (per serving) ranged from $0.69 to $5.30.

63 different inactive ingredients and 147 different active ingredients were identified in at least one protein supplement analyzed.

The single most common ingredient in the protein supplements tested was sucralose (41/50), not whey protein (40/50).

All of LabDoor’s product testing is performed in FDA- and USDA-registered analytical chemistry laboratories. Research funding is provided through premium memberships purchased by consumers and angel investments from Mark Cuban, Rock Health, Band of Angels, and others.

Pharmaceuticals and supplements are vital parts of our modern society. We rely on them for our lives, our health, and our looks. But do we really trust these products or the people responsible for product safety? Surveys say no. Only 27% of Americans really trust the pharmaceutical industry with their health, and the FDA doesn’t fare much better, at just 43%.

Last year, I left my role as Founder & President of an FDA-registered laboratory to create LabDoor, the first technology startup to use science and clinical data to solve this market failure. LabDoor utilizes FDA-registered independent laboratories, along with a team of technical experts, to curate the best public and private safety data about the products we use every day. But while the data is complex, the applications are simple - just input your product name or scan a bar code to receive an instant A-F grade based on its safety and efficacy. It’s comparison shopping with the power of chemistry.

It’s a risky mission to take on giants like the FDA and these billionaire manufacturers, but there are three reasons why this product safety revolution must happen now:

FDA is a (well-intentioned) failure

Starting in 1906 with the Pure Food and Drug Act and 1938 with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA has made many good faith attempts to improve the safety of important consumer products. However, especially with pharmaceuticals, the FDA has led the development of huge mounds of data and detailed product labels, but provided very little information that can be easily understood by consumers.

Meanwhile, the FDA has had little control over dietary supplements manufacturers, who can make whatever claims they want on the front of their bottles as long as the back has the disclaimer: “This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA…”

Lack of industry innovation

The arrival of the internet as a mainstream source of health information brought huge promise and an obvious source of disruptive innovation in the field of product safety. And thus, companies like WebMD in 1996 and Drugs.com in 2001, plus DrugStore.com in 1999, tried to fit the initial demand. But since then, we’ve stopped fighting for better public access to simple, easy to understand information about our pharmaceuticals and supplements.

People have given up

When I tell people about LabDoor, I get a very common response: “Why has no one done this yet?” I have a couple theories on why it took so long for an idea like LabDoor to become public. Likely, people had given up hope for easy access to public safety. People either assumed all products are healthy (because they are able to be sold), or assumed products were unhealthy (but had no better alternatives). It is also very possible that a few entrepreneurs dreamt up a similar solution, but couldn’t assemble the team of scientific and technical experts necessary to pull it off.

LabDoor is dedicated to correcting these long-term industry failures. Our mission is to personalize product safety for all, making it easy for anyone to benefit from the vast clinical and laboratory data released by organizations like the FDA, while adding expert research and data from our own independent labs. We’ve got the best team, science, and technology. All of this will combine to create the most accurate and user-friendly source of product safety information ever assembled.

The vitamin and supplement world is back in the headlines again, and it’s not a pretty picture. USA Today, The New York Times, and a best-selling book are all shouting the same message: the supplement industry is full of fakes, frauds, and danger. The man behind all of these stories is Dr. Paul Offit, a respected medical expert. LabDoor is well aware of the myriad issues in this industry, and built its mission around bringing trust and transparency to a messy market. But it’s also important to filter the hype and hyperbole out of Dr. Offit’s message.

First, while Dr. Offit does identify a number of recent studies that highlight the potential for supplement overdoses, there are also hundreds of studies that find significant health benefits from acute and chronic supplement usage. The most-cited study recently, which followed the usage of Centrum Silver vs. a placebo for nearly fifteen years, is a particularly important example. LabDoor loves large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, and this one tells an important story: "daily multivitamin supplementation modestly but significantly reduces the risk of total cancer.” The media loves a sensational story, and “Don’t Take Your Vitamins” is an excellent headline hook sure to boost page views. But Offit’s own book highlights many ‘non-traditional’ methods that out-perform conventional medicine. Why? Because prevention often trumps curative solutions.

Second, it’s easy to point at a broken system, excoriate it, and then walk away. Most of us are happy to look at an institution like Congress and do just that. It takes leaders like Code for America willing to wade into the mess and find the solutions. When LabDoor points out research that shows over 70% of dietary supplements have inaccurate label data, our goal is to focus attention on the 30% of products worth trusting. Also, honestly, LabDoor tracks this data because when the proportion of accurate labels increases, we want to be able to take a little credit for shifting an entire market towards greater transparency.

Third, and most importantly, focus on the compounds that keep coming up in Offit’s featured studies – vitamins A, E, and beta-carotene. Our followers who paid attention in high school chemistry will notice a pattern. They are all fat-soluble vitamins, which means they are stored in the body for longer periods of time. This is an important point, and one that should be duly noted. LabDoor’s grading algorithms carefully weigh the risks of fat-soluble vitamin megadosages. It’s why a daily vitamin pack that contains over 200% of the daily value of Vitamin A will likely score lower on ingredient safety than one with under 100% DV. However, it’s poor science to throw out an entire industry, one that features hundreds of active ingredients, over these studies.

To understand the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of LabDoor’s products, you must first learn why we first became obsessed with simplifying the world of product safety.

It all started when I watched my parents come home from a doctor’s appointment with a new prescription. After years of taking Pfizer’s Lipitor, they had both been prescribed Ranbaxy’s generic equivalent.

My father, a Ph.D. chemist, pulled out every book, article, and online review he could find on the two products. 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry helped him make the right choice – after hours of intense research.

Why did he tackle this problem himself? How can LabDoor make this process easier for everyone else making the same decisions? What is the perfect product to solve this huge challenge?

Why: Be safe. Be certain. My dad was choosing an important medicine for my mom and himself, a pill that will be a daily part of the rest of their lives. Just like him, you want to know you’re making the right call.

How: Find the best product research and safety data. Wouldn't it be perfect if we all had scientists and doctors as spouses, friends, or neighbors, ready to answer our every question? Luckily, the friendly team of scientific and technical experts at LabDoor have you covered.

What: Choose a product that is safe, effective, and affordable. We make decisions like this every day – whether it’s reviewing your daily multivitamin or deciding which prescription to fill. You want to make a smart decision faster. LabDoor provides this through our report cards for top supplements.

Every LabDoor employee is here to build a little peace of mind for someone special. For me, it’s my parents, whom I adore. For others, it’s their wife, brother, daughter, friend, or even a stranger.

When we put in a sleepless night at the lab or in the office, we’re working to make sure each LabDoor user sleeps a little better. We invite you to share our passion, join our journey, and sign up for our exciting new product at LabDoor.com!

Lose weight. Quit smoking. Learn something new. Eat healthier. Save Money.

We enter each New Year filled with promises for bettering ourselves. Yet if everyone actually accomplished these goals, the world would be a much smarter, healthier place than the one we currently inhabit.

What did we do to sabotage our chances at success? And how can we do a better job in 2013 and beyond? LabDoor curated a set of top research studies on habits and resolutions to give you a helping hand with your top goals.

Why Do We Break New Year’s Resolutions?

1.       Too many goals: Humans are notoriously stubborn. It’s hard enough to get us to change one thing about ourselves. So why do we think that the start of a new calendar year will suddenly spur us to a long list of improvements?

2.       Fear as a motivator: Don’t try to scare yourself into being healthy. Contrary to popular belief, humans are actually good at understanding the risks of bad habits. However, this knowledge isn’t enough to motivate them to change their behavior.

3.       Fake commitment: It’s not enough to just dream about future success. That’s one reason why 18% of people don’t even last a single day on their New Year’s resolutions. Real success requires careful self-control to turn your expectations into binding goals.

Tips for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

1.       Survive the first month: If you get to February 1st and still can hold on to at least one resolution, your odds of sustaining this change increase significantly, up to 76% chance of success.

2.       Find a partner: It’s easy to fail secretly. No one will notice if you spend one more night lounging on the couch. That is, unless you have a gym buddy that’s now working out alone. Plus, it’s more fun to accomplish goals together!

3.       Study self-efficacy: Learn more about your habits. Find out what methods of goal-setting and adherence work for you. We are all motivated by different triggers. What gets you going? Money? Guilt? Trophies? Put your favorite prize at the end of your journey, and you’ll greatly improve your chances at success.

What are the benefits of losing 10 pounds?

Most Americans have this goal at one or more points in their life. But we rarely follow through. Here are some stats (courtesy Livestrong & the Dr. Oz Show) which could help you get over the hump:

People who successfully lose just ten pounds can reduce the risk of heart attacks by more than 50%

Diabetes risk drops by nearly 60% with a ten pound fat loss.

Joint pain and cancer risk also diminishes with weight loss.

Think of all the stares and compliments you would get if you were noticeably fitter! Positive reinforcement goes a long way.

How do I easily lose weight?

Focus on small, discrete changes. Do you drink a 20oz soda every day? That's worth 240 calories, or an additional two pounds per month. Replacing a sugary mocha or cappuccino can have an even bigger impact. 

The best way to sustainably lose 10 pounds? Target 10 weeks of 500 calorie daily deficits. It's going to take some serious self-control, but studies show that it takes about a month to solidify a long-term habit, so you'll be on your way to creating a life-long healthy lifestyle.

Why do weight loss plateaus happen? How do I reverse this?

As you lose weight, your metabolic rate decreases. This is a function of reduced energy required to sustain your body mass and, often, the result of your body adjusting itself to a reduced calorie diet.

Build your muscles. Build your metabolism. Muscle cells burn up to twice as many calories as fat cells, which seems like easy math to us.

Isn’t there some juice fast I can do to lose all the weight easily?

Don't do it! Quick fixes almost always lead to quick losses. While members of the LabDoor team are sometimes guilty of passing a wandering eye at an easy solution, we know that it would quickly lead to unproductive work days and short-term, unsustainable results.

Yesterday, LabDoor was accepted into the prestigious Rock Health incubator. Needless to say, we are thrilled to be a part of this awesome organization and add a great set of new advisors and investors, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Mayo Clinic Innovation Fund, Aberdare Ventures, and Mohr Davidow Ventures.

Here's a sampling of health and technology experts responding to the exciting new Rock Health class, its fourth:

Here's TechCrunch's description:

Rock Health, the seed accelerator for startups focused on the health space, landed a big, new partner back in August: The well-known Silicon Valley venture firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The result of the new partnership? The promise of a considerably larger seed investment for its next batch of startups, as Kleiner joined Rock Health’s existing partners in offering $100K in seed funding to each founding team.

GigaOM cited an impressive statistic:

The San Francisco-based health tech accelerator on Thursday announced its fourth class of 14 startups, saying that it accepted less than 3 percent of the applicants.

Others:

Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Associate Director of Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation: “Mayo’s involvement is focused on working with others in the healthcare industry to advance the delivery of health care in new ways to meet the needs of patients now and in the future. Together, we can innovate more and accomplish more.”

Beth Seidenberg, M.D., Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers: “Our goal is to bring together KPCB’s 40 year history of leadership in information technology and life sciences with entrepreneurs who want to change the healthcare industry.”

You’re nearing the end of another development sprint. 16-20 hour work days are becoming the norm, and even the office futon is starting to look comfortable. The last thing on your mind is your quietly expanding waist line.

LabDoor employees have all been there. But the core of our company is helping customers make healthier and safer decisions, so we’ve spent some time developing three easy strategies to help entrepreneurs eat right, whether you’re coding in your mom’s garage or tracking your IPO from a swanky Silicon Valley office.

Lesson One: BATNA vs. BATFF

Startup founders should all understand BATNA–Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. When you’re negotiating with investors, the terms of your top deal are highly dependent on the quality of your backup term sheet.

Today, we introduce a new key term for startups: BATFF –Best Alternative To Fast Food. In most cities, you’re only a couple blocks away from an 800-calorie fast food burger, 400 calories worth of fries, and a 250-calorie soda (and that’s just the Medium meal). A bunch of studies have shown that most humans have a limited supply of will power, and you’ve already used it up pulling late work nights over and over. So make it easier on yourself. Stock your work fridge with tasty, healthy snacks only a few steps away. Soon your laziness will be rewarded, as you skip the two block walk and simply raid the fridge.

LabDoor favorites include Greek yogurt, whole wheat pitas and English muffins, and low-sodium pickles.

Lesson Two: UI/UX

When you launch a new app or website, you may think it’s the most beautiful, intuitive product ever invented. But in your potential customer’s eyes, you have millions of competitors for their attention, from cute cat pictures on Reddit to stalking exes on Facebook. Your product has to look and feel awesome from the very first second, and get right to the point.

Paul Graham said it best: “The median visitor will arrive with their finger poised on the Back button.” It’s up to you to convince them to stay, and commit to becoming a loyal user.

In a startup diet, the look and feel of your food is going to go a long way in determining whether you quit on day one, or keep your healthy living going for years. Aim for products that taste great and follow it up with immediate energy and nutrition. Buy a new bag of fruits each week for the office. Sweet, healthy, and zero prep time – it’s hard to go wrong here.

And just like with your website, Flash kills functionality. All of those bright, shiny energy drink cans look so enticing on the shelf, but you can’t afford the inevitable crash.

Lesson Three: Startup Perks

One day you’ll have an office as cool as Zynga, complete with gourmet chefs and full-service gyms. But right now, your only fun, free office perk is a case of beer in the office fridge. Now don’t worry, we would never make you get rid of that! But we’ve got a few recommendations to make your evening beverages of choice a little healthier.

For fewer calories than a Budweiser (145), have a Guinness (125). Great taste, more filling, and fewer calories. How’s that for a lean startup?

Note: Please drink responsibly. Your employees must be at least as old as Brian Wong in order to drink beer in the office.

What are your favorite startup diet tricks and secrets? Is there anything we recommended that you absolutely hate? Join the conversation in our comments section!

-Neil

In every drugstore aisle in America, shoppers cast the classic pose: two products in hand, confusion on their faces as they attempt to decipher the advertising claims and safety labels. It's an important decision, but it is so hard to be certain you're making the right call.

Introducing an easier way to make smart decisions: www.labdoor.com.

Controversial claims and dense labels can show up on everything from your dad's cholesterol drug to your sister's new lipstick. It's always tough to know if you're making the right call.

At LabDoor, it's our job to make sense of it, and translate that research for you in a way that's easy to understand.

Be safe. Be certain. We sort through the science, so you can choose with confidence.

Follow us: twitter.com/LabDoorApp