Comment · Tue, October 29, 2019
Consumerlabs Ashwagandha Testing Results
Original post in this thread
MisterYouAreSoDumb · 44 points
I actually just wrote most of this in a comment on /r/Nootropics, but I figured I would make a post here for everyone. We have been getting a lot of emails about this, so I wanted to address it.
Consumerlabs recently released a report of a bunch of ashwagandha products on the market. They did not test any of our products. However, they did test Life Extension and Jarrow, which use KSM-66 and Sensoril. Those failed for withanolides, which caused some of our customers to be concerned about those extracts. Before I start, I want to stress that both of these extracts have human clinical research behind their effectiveness. They have multiple studies in humans that show improvements. So this is absolutely not a case of fake or low quality product. Anyone that has used these extracts knows they work. They are some of our most popular patented natural extracts. It's not some mass placebo happening here. They actually do work, and there is research showing that. So I want everyone to know that before we get into the science. I won't comment on whether other brands are using different ashwa…
What they were answering
TheGermanGuy21 · 2 points
I always wondered why thoses shady companies don't get caught by the patent owner, because they know their own prices obviously and I would have imagined that the patent owners don't like to see an inferior product being sold labeled as their patented ingredient. I guess that answers it lol. Really a bummer that they don't care.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
Some do get caught. Generally those are the ones selling generics in violation of the patent, though. That's easier to monitor and defend. It's harder to prove the type of shadiness that I think is happening. Remember, legal matters are EXPENSIVE and time consuming. The only people winning in a lawsuit are the lawyers, and things do NOT work like people see in TV and movies. It also takes YEARS to settle most things. We have dealt with a lot of legal issues in the background. I am dealing with one at the moment, in fact. I dealt with half a dozen last year. We've been on both sides of the table: plaintiffs and defendants. I've seen a lot now. The legal system is a mess. Fair and reasonable is not how I would describe it. It's like business, but with the technicalities amplified to 1,000. Something as simple as a misplaced word or sentence can completely change the legal standing of something. It's not a nice logical way to resolve disputes. So when you see lawsuits happening, that's generally because what was going on in the background broke down. The better funded and stronger opponent generally prevails most of the time. Some people are logical. Some are emotional. Some are willing to throw money at a losing cause just to fuck you in the process, others are level headed and looking for a reasonable solution. Some people have very well-designed asset protection structures. Others are open to tons of liability. Some are insolvent, so even if you win you might not be able to collect. As a rule of thumb, just expect that people are much more incompetent than you think. You'll be right 90% of the time.
If your sales numbers are increasing, your brand is getting more recognition, and your personal bonuses and commissions are intact, why would you rock the boat? If their bottom line was feeling it, I bet they would look into it more. However, it's hard to justify taking expensive and divisive measures when your numbers are looking good. It's the same reason Amazon doesn't do ANYTHING about the blatant manipulation of their systems and violations of their TOS. They are making tons of money, so they look the other way.