# Gel Shots Without Arsenic?



## 247 (Apr 23, 2009)

I have to give up my CliffShots (after hearing their main Ingredient has HIGH levels of Arsenic.) What are the best and most Natural Alternatives to those (that don't have Arsenic??)---


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

uhhh. wut?


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## Chase1996 (Jun 30, 2010)

http://forums.mtbr.com/nutrition-hydration/arsenic-769018.html


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## boostin (Apr 21, 2008)

try pure unprocessed wildflower honey


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## miss rides a lot (Jul 23, 2008)

First Endurance EFS Liquid Shot?


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

http://forums.mtbr.com/passion/arsenic-energy-bars-shots-768994.html#
That does it. I'm going to stick to puting actual food into my body, and not whatever all those expensive energy things all are.


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## Vermont29er (May 27, 2006)

Dr. Allen Lim has some great recipes for real food.
Dr. Allen Lim - YouTube


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## ROPECHA (Jan 5, 2012)

+1 on honey.


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## 247 (Apr 23, 2009)

> First Endurance EFS Liquid Shot?


They are real expensive $6 compared to most which are $1. I guess I'll have to ask the guys at this health food store here for recommendations.


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## mtb_rider11 (Dec 28, 2011)

How about GU? They are maltodextrin and water. No brown rice syrup.


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## 247 (Apr 23, 2009)

> How about GU? They are maltodextrin and water. No brown rice syrup.


Yeah, Im gonna switch to GU....


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## Chase1996 (Jun 30, 2010)

247 said:


> Yeah, Im gonna switch to GU....


..or you could make your own..I do. Easy and cheap.

Maltodextrin
Honey 
Sea Salt
Fruit Fresh
Pectin
Juice/Flavoring
Caffeine


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## 247 (Apr 23, 2009)

--making your own is okay (if you have the ingredients)---but I dont have any malto, or pectin or flavoring lying around---PLUS I dont do the caffeine in shots (gotta see if GU has without)--looking up now...


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## Chase1996 (Jun 30, 2010)

247 said:


> --making your own is okay (if you have the ingredients)---but I dont have any malto, or pectin or flavoring lying around---PLUS I dont do the caffeine in shots (gotta see if GU has without)--looking up now...


Caffeine is optional...

What does a 24 serving case of GU cost? $29?

Maltodextrin: $26

NOW Carbo Gain at Bodybuilding.com: Lowest Prices for Carbo Gain

Tha malto will make almost *150* servings of gel unflavored

One $4 box of pectin will make *at least 50-75* servings of gel.

The fruit fresh ($5) will last as long as the maltodextrin serving wise..

Flavoring is optional..but a 2l container of fruit juice is like $4 and will make *50* servings..

Add it up.


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

I mean, if we are talking about fuel for your body to burn practically instantly, swing by mcdonalds and get your favorite flavor of jelly packets. having had raspberry gu, i'm pretty sure it's metabolically the same thing. the packet may have fancy words on it, but my body just sees fuel.


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## mtb_rider11 (Dec 28, 2011)

247 said:


> --making your own is okay (if you have the ingredients)---but I dont have any malto, or pectin or flavoring lying around---PLUS I dont do the caffeine in shots (gotta see if GU has without)--looking up now...


The strawberry banana and lemon sublime GUs are non caffeinated.


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## miss rides a lot (Jul 23, 2008)

247 said:


> They are real expensive $6 compared to most which are $1. I guess I'll have to ask the guys at this health food store here for recommendations.


For an entire flask maybe, but not for just one gel shot. First Endurance also sells the refillable jug for flasks.


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## 247 (Apr 23, 2009)

> The strawberry banana and lemon sublime GUs are non caffeinated.


I got on their website and saw the new Peanut Butter also (that has no caffeine.) I am going to have to see if the place I get these from has that flavor.. (they have just about Everything--supplement wise) and have best prices I (or anyone has ever seen)----especially for Nordic Natural Vitamins....

Its called *Savemart* in Lancaster Pa.---

A year ago the Nordic Natural Rep. was in the store and said those were the cheapest prices he had ever seen. When I moved to Philly I would still come here to Lancaster to buy my vitamins.

They have a better Natural selection (and about half the price of the best 'Whole Foods' Market I have seen)-----

_----As for making your own (i'd just rather buy the pre-packaged stuff)---it's just more convenient..._


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## givati (Dec 5, 2011)

Chase1996 said:


> ..or you could make your own..I do. Easy and cheap.
> 
> Maltodextrin
> Honey
> ...


What's yer favorite way to deliver said homemade gu's ?


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## Chase1996 (Jun 30, 2010)

givati said:


> What's yer favorite way to deliver said homemade gu's ?


Gel Flask


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## Psycho Mike (Apr 2, 2006)

The Hammer HEED products are also brown rice free (similar to the GU products).

I'm not a gel fan, personally, so I used to make a homebrew for my hyrdation pack. I've since gone to an in-line mixer (works with gels and most powders) but it doesn't handle the protein (Endurox) I used to like to mix in for extra-long rides very well. Oh well....my hydration program needed a revamp anyway


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## buryurfear14 (Mar 6, 2009)

convenient is right! I'm a horrible cook outside of a grill so I doubt I could mix up my own gels without wanting to vomit on the trails. I MIGHT just give it a try though. My LBS only sells Clif right now. gonna have to tell them to switch it up!!


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Sensationalized media reports scare you? You should recognize what they are trying to do.

Your drinking water has higher levels of arsenic - this is posted elsewhere on this forum.


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## Vermont29er (May 27, 2006)

FWIW, My wife sent Clif an email asking about this weeks ago but never received a response.


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## buryurfear14 (Mar 6, 2009)

Yes.


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## buryurfear14 (Mar 6, 2009)

it doesn't hurt me NOT to eat cliff gel, so why chance it until the muddy waters clear? besides, why would the media lie? :lol:


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## Vermont29er (May 27, 2006)

CharacterZero said:


> Sensationalized media reports scare you? You should recognize what they are trying to do.
> 
> Your drinking water has higher levels of arsenic - this is posted elsewhere on this forum.


You should check your info before posting.

From the article:
"The EPA drinking water standard is 10 parts per billion for total arsenic, which combines inorganic and organic arsenic. Jackson's team tested one package of soy-based toddler formula made with organic brown rice syrup and found a total arsenic level of 60 ppb, including about 25 ppb of inorganic arsenic.

That kind of level is dangerous, given toddlers' size and developing bodies, they said. Given the variety of formula brands available, he said, "I would choose one that wasn't based on organic brown rice syrup."

They also detected arsenic levels ranging from 23 to 128 ppb in cereal bars made with brown rice syrup; and levels of 84 to 171 ppb in three flavors of energy shots."


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

The effects of arsenic are also cumulative.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Y'all are missing the point. From one of the earlier threads on this issue:



Puzman said:


> I contacted the lab at Dartmouth that published the study. Dr. Jackson's reply: "I calculate (from the bars we analysed) that the maximum inorganic arsenic one would consume from a bar is 4 micrograms; I've been comparing this to an adult drinking water at the 10 ppb drinking water limit where one would consume 10 micrograms per liter of water drunk. The levels in cereal/energy bars are comparable to what people are exposed to from eating rice. We did run some Clif bars in this study; they are in the same range as the other rice product containing bars." Bottom line- 2 Clif Bars contain less arsenic than a liter of H20 at the federal limit of 10 ppb (i.e. 10 ug/l).


You have to consider that you are drinking multiple liters of water every single day of your life. The limits of 10ppb in drinking water are based on that assumption along with research on how arsenic is absorbed into the body from drinking water.

If you're going to stop eating energy products made with brown rice syrup, you should also stop eating rice. Keep in mind that the EPA publishes NO guidelines for arsenic concentrations in food. Probably because it hasn't been an issue. Maybe this will spark some research, but this much can be concluded - your body will not handle arsenic from food the same way it handles arsenic from water. Most likely, some of that arsenic will be bound to undigestible food particles and will pass through your system. How much of it that behaves that way is yet to be seen, but this issue is media sensationalism and failure to understand the science in a nutshell.


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

yep, the EPA assumes you consume 2 liters of water per day, if that helps anyone think this through.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Bill in Houston said:


> yep, the EPA assumes you consume 2 liters of water per day, if that helps anyone think this through.


Here is a study that reviewing the data the 10ppb rule is based upon. Having trouble tracking down WHY a 2L/day estimate was used, but it at least is clear in here that 2L/day IS the estimate that was used.

This report states:


> The vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide. The report did not specify exact requirements for water, but set general recommendations for women at approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water -- from all beverages and foods -- each day, and men an average of approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces daily) of total water. The panel did not set an upper level for water.


so take that for what you will. It is more recent (2004) than the 10ppb EPA limit (2001).

EPA Report with more info.

Keep in mind that while we definitely consume more than 2L of water per day when exercising, it's quite likely that many Americans consume less than a liter of water per day on a daily basis given the amount of other beverages consumed.


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## electrik (Oct 22, 2009)

Oh brother.

Don't eat rice either, it will get you.
-Signed your friends at the HFCS lobby.


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