X-Message-Number: 23221 Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 12:29:29 -0700 From: Paul Antonik Wakfer <> Subject: Re: CryoNet #23215 - Medical Question References: <> >Message #23215 >From: "Spoering" <> >Subject: Medical Question >Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2004 16:11:57 -0600 > >Greetings All, > >A couple of days ago I received in the mail a letter selling the >supplement Proxergen, and if a person would believe all that was >included this supplement would allow a person to delay middle age for >decades and live to 100 or later. I suspect these claims are highly >exagerated in relation to any supporting evidence that may be out >there. Am I right? This company has a web site at >www.Proxergen.com..... Another scam? This product is related to the tropical plant Morinda Citrifolia from which Noni juice is made. The phrase "Morinda Citrifolia" yields 47 hits on PubMed (the National Library of Medicine's list of all medically related scientific - peer-reviewed - journals), but a few of them are not related to other uses of the acronym "NONI" and not to this plant. Moreover, the website mentioned above refers to a Dr. Philippe Moser, who has no publications related to this subject. (There are other publications by several people with the name "Moser" and one or more initials "P", but it is impossible to tell if they are from this particular person or not.) In addition, the website refers to an enzyme called proxeronine and maintains that it is produced by the human body, while a related website on Noni juice refers to another enzyme xeronine similarly. However, a search of PubMed reveals no scientific publications relating to anything called "proxergen", "proxeronine" or "xeronine". Therefore, from a scientific pov these things simply do not exist. On the positive side, many of the abstracts on Morinda Citrifolia show a wide variety of effects such as immune enhancement, anti-inflammation, hpyotensive, anti-tumor anti-baterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-stress and anti-depressant in cellular and animal models. Thus, the products from this plant have potential benefit for humans, but to date there have been no scientific studies whatsoever in humans. It is important to note that many of the studies where done with extracts from leaves, roots, etc, so that Noni juice which comes only from the fruit only may not have all the potentially beneficial effects. With respect to antiaging and life extension, again there is potential, but the simplest experiment of all, a mouse lifespan study, has yet to be done so there is zero *evidence* here also. So yes, wrt the claims made, Proxerogen is a "scam". However, that does not mean that it is still not a beneficial product. Since it has been used for centuries by various polynesian peoples it is likely quite safe to take. This product is the sort of thing which I would not bother with if I were fully healthy (which I am and I don't take it). However, if one had certain serious diseases (particularly rheumatoid arthritis or cancer) which were not responding to anything else, then it might be worth a try. --Paul Wakfer MoreLife for the rational - http://morelife.org Reality based tools for more life in quantity and quality The Self-Sovereign Individual Project - http://selfsip.org Rational freedom by self-sovereignty & social contracting Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=23221