NVWA warns against fat burner DNPNVWA warns against fat burner DNP

Geschatte leestijd: 8 minutenThe Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) issued a warning two days ago for the substance 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP). This prompted a deeper look into this illegal fat burner.

Warning NVWA for fat burner DNP

Last week, seven packages from Hong Kong were found at Schiphol Airport containing, among other things, four kilograms of DNP and a few hundred capsules of DNP. In addition to DNP, bottles and pills of anabolic steroids were also found. The packages were intended for seven different recipients. Based on research into the recipients, it would appear that the DNP was intended for supplements.

2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), also known under the names Dinosan, Dnoc, Solfo Black, Nitrophen, Aldifen, and Chemox, is a chemical substance that was previously marketed as a medicine in the United States for the treatment of obesity. Bodybuilders use DNP to reduce subcutaneous fat. People can die after ingesting 1-3 grams of DNP per dose. Even at lower doses, DNP has adverse effects, such as rash, cataracts, and effects on the heart, blood vessels, and nervous system. The Risk Assessment Bureau of the NVWA recently issued a risk assessment on at what concentration DNP can cause health damage….

…DNP has been detected in sewage by humans in the Netherlands. Elevated levels are found in sewage around bodybuilding competitions.

DNP-containing products are not sold through regular webshops. It is suspected that the trade and distribution of these products occur through the illegal circuit. The NVWA continues its investigation into the destination of the discovered DNP batches.

NVWA

DNP fatality in Interpol warning

This is not the first time we have been warned about DNP. In 2015, an international warning was issued by Interpol [2]. This followed the deaths of a 21-year-old British woman and a Frenchman who became seriously ill after ingestion.

The British student Eloise Perry suffered from bulimia. She died on April 12, 2015, after taking 4 pills at night and another 4 pills of DNP in the morning [3]. She had ordered these online. After she began vomiting heavily, she wrote a note to a lecturer at the university where she studied.

I took another four when I woke and I started vomiting soon after. I think I am going to die. No one is known to survive if they vomit after taking DNP. I am so scared.

I am so sorry for being so stupid.

Thank you for everything. I never deserved it. Please pass on my absolute appreciation for all that you have done for me. Thank you more than words. Ella.

She died after being admitted to the hospital. The eight pills would be four times a lethal dose, causing her metabolism to go into total chaos.

DNP rediscovered as fat burner

DNP cannot be considered a new fat burner. It was used until the 1930s to treat obesity until it was discontinued due to its toxic effects [5]. However, it has never disappeared because it has been used in the industry for, among other things, dyes, insecticides, and film. As for DNP in the water around competitions, I couldn’t find any information myself. However, DNP is found in water used by paint factories [16]. In recent years, the use of DNP as a fat burner has resurfaced and it has been found under many names and in many different slimming products. Since this new resurgence of DNP, the number of poisonings worldwide has increased, such as in the case of Eloise [6,7,8].

Among the users, we find various groups of people with an above-average desire for fat burning, as evidenced by the various forums dedicated to DNP. Bodybuilders are most often mentioned in this context when it comes to DNP use, but also other groups dealing with rapid weight loss methods. Athletes, people with eating disorders, and a history of (drug use) appear to be well represented in this group [9-11].

Operation of DNP as a fat burner

DNP increases fat burning by inhibiting the generation of ATP in cells. ATP is the main form of usable energy for cells. ‘Energy’ is wasted by losing it in the form of heat [6,12,13]. In theory, this is useful when you have (objectively or subjectively) stored too much energy in the form of body fat. A similar process was described with the operation of beige fat as a way of survival when the body temperature drops. One of the possible dangers is overheating if such a process is activated under the wrong conditions. For example, when you are training very intensively or simply have ingested too much. Overheating is therefore the number 1 cause of death in acute DNP poisoning [4]. Other possible side effects include cardiac arrest, increased resting heart rate, tachypnea (rapid and deep breathing), excessive sweating, and necrosis of genitals. Long-term chronic use of low doses can lead to cataracts [5,6,7,12,14,15].

The doses at which illness and death from DNP have occurred vary between 1 to 46 mg per kilogram of body weight per day and 3 to 46 mg/kg/day, respectively. There are large differences in individual response to DNP, making it impossible to determine a safe dosage [16]. Fortunately, most sellers and forums advise building up the dosage when using. However, you cannot compare this to a pre-workout that makes you run to the toilet if you start with two scoops instead of one.

Research into the use of DNP

In late 2015, researchers from the University of Birmingham conducted research on the use and availability of DNP [4]. Most of the properties of DNP described above and references come from that research. The researchers wanted to answer two main questions:

1. What is the likelihood that the public will ingest DNP through contamination of supplements (intentional or unintentional by the manufacturer)?
2. What are the motives and experiences of conscious users using DNP and how do they protect themselves from dangerous side effects?

The research:

For this, the researchers searched for webshops offering DNP and forums discussing its use. This led them to bodybuilding forums, among others. They ordered various supplements to examine them for the presence of DNP. They also looked at how often DNP was openly offered and in how many products it was undisclosed.

In the forums, they found 35 participants willing to participate in the research through questionnaires about their use and their profile (33 men and 2 women). Only two of these did not train themselves and were only focused on fat burning. The others mainly came from the bodybuilding scene.

They examined 98 samples of supplements purchased online, in stores, and in gyms. In 14 out of 98 samples, they found traces of DNP (<100 mcg/kg). This was more common in supplements purchased online than in those purchased in stores. They also found several sites offering pure DNP, although some were no longer online at the time of the research.

Does such a warning make sense?

The NVWA and Interpol are, of course, doing their job. As a (potential) user, you must be aware of the possible dangers of these types of substances. Another reason for government intervention is to prevent contamination of supplements with traces of substances such as DNP. On the one hand, ensuring that you do not want to use such products and, on the other hand, by regulating to ensure that you do not inadvertently ingest them.

When we take over these kinds of warnings on this blog, the reactions mostly consist of wondering how people can get hold of this stuff. An interesting outcome of the Birmingham research is, among other things, that users attach more value to information about safe use than just warnings. Of the 35 surveyed DNP users, the majority found the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Only 2 out of 35 would no longer use DNP based on previous experience.

Positive experiences with the expected weight loss prevail over the negative experiences from side effects (all but two users considered using DNP again), and help with using DNP safely is considered preferable over scare tactics.

As also evidenced by the research, there will always be a group willing to resort to these kinds of substances and believes they are sufficiently protected against possible side effects.

Online information provision

If governments only issue warnings but do not provide information, then this latter happens online and in gym locker rooms. You often receive advice based on personal information, while especially with DNP, you cannot project other people’s experiences onto yourself. Due to the large individual response, another’s tolerance says little about what you can expect.

On a Dutch bodybuilding forum, we also find explanations about the use of DNP [17]. This includes a description of the dosages:

To avoid most negative side effects, you should stay in the range of 2-5 mgs/KG, however, on the US boards, 6 is the standard. Most users also have no problems with this if nutrition and supplements are taken well. Always limit DNP use to a maximum of 3 weeks! Most users are more likely to be at 7, 10, and 14 days. This is more than enough since you can lose 0.5 KG of fat per day.

-forum.bodybuilding.nl

However, at that 6 mg/kg/day mentioned as ‘standard,’ several cases of cataracts have occurred. Deaths have occurred at lower doses for the long term, but fortunately, the forum also advises limiting use to three weeks [16].

Some people who swallowed doses of 1 to 4 mg/kg/day DNP for short or for long periods developed serious skin reactions that sometimes disappeared even while they were still being exposed. DNP caused cataracts in both eyes of some people who swallowed about 2 to 4 mg/kg/day DNP for short or long periods. This condition could lead to blindness in both eyes. If you breathe in, swallow, or have skin contact with large amounts of DNP, you may die. A few people have died after swallowing 3 to 46 mg/kg/day of DNP for short periods or doses as low as 1 to 4 mg/kg/day for long periods.

-Petróczi et al

On the forum, tips are also given on how to make an interesting fat burner yourself by combining DNP as a raw material with other substances for greater effectiveness. Also not entirely free from danger, it seems to me, because we have no idea how these substances work together and whether they may enhance each other’s effects in an unwanted way. In essence, you are playing doctor yourself. That doesn’t seem wise to me, especially if you advise others on the use of dangerous substances. Due to lack of information from formal, medical channels, many ‘have’ to rely on these kinds of sources.

You can often divide the responses to these kinds of warnings into two camps: A large group that does not understand why some consciously use these kinds of substances and a considerably smaller hardcore group that does not understand why people make such a fuss. The first group must be protected against unintended use and therefore, such warnings are necessary. The second group is hardly reached. They mainly see tragic stories of deaths as a user’s mistake where they themselves handle DNP ‘more responsibly.’

References:

1. nvwa.nl/nieuws-en-media/nieuws/2017/11/22/nvwa-waarschuwt-voor-schadelijke-stof-dnp
2. interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2015/N2015-050
3. standard.co.uk/news/uk/student-told-her-university-lecturer-she-was-going-to-die-in-tragic-text-message-after-taking-toxic-10410826.html
4. Petróczi A, Ocampo JAV, Shah I, et al. Russian roulette with unlicensed fat-burner drug 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP): evidence from a multidisciplinary study of the internet, bodybuilding supplements and DNP users. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 2015;10:39. doi:10.1186/s13011-015-0034-1.
5. Yen M, Ewald MB. Toxicity of weight loss agents. J Med Toxicol. 2012;8:145–52
6. Grundlingh J, Dargan PI, El-Zanfaly M, Wood DM. 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP): A weight loss agent with significant acute toxicity and risk of death. J Med Toxicol. 2011;7:205–12. 13.
7. Kamour A, George N, Gwynnette D, Cooper G, Lupton D, Eddleston M, et al. Increasing frequency of severe clinical toxicity after use of 2, 4-dinitrophenol in the UK: a report from the National Poisons Information Service. Emerg Med J. 2014;doi:10.1136/emermed-2013-203335. 14.
8. Lee HCH, Law CY, Chen ML, Lam YH, Chan AYW, Mak TWL. 2, 4-Dinitrophenol: A threat to Chinese body-conscious groups. J Chin Med Assoc. 2014;77:443–6.
9. Lemon TI. 2, 4 Dinitrophenol – a danger for patients with drug use issues and eating disorders alike. J Sports Med Doping Stud. 2013;3:121. 19.
10. Petróczi A, Naughton DP. Potentially fatal new trend in performance enhancement: a cautionary note on nitrite. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010;7:25. 20.
11. Pomeranz JL, Barbosa G, Killian C, Austin SB. The dangerous mix of adolescents and dietary supplements for weight loss and muscle building: legal strategies for state action. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2014; doi:10.1097/PHH.0000000000000142.
12. Miranda EJ, McIntyre IM, Parker DR, Gary RD, Logan BK. Two deaths attributed to the use of 2,4 dinitrophenol. J Anal Toxicol. 2006;30:219–22
13. Harper JA, Dickinson K, Brand MD. Mitochondrial uncoupling as a target for drug development for the treatment of obesity. Obes Rev. 2001;2:255–65.
14. Le P, Wood B, Kumarasinghe SP. Cutaneous drug toxicity from 2, 4‐dinitrophenol (DNP): Case report and histological description. Australas J Dermatol. 2014; doi:10.1111/ajd.12237. 23.
15. Reid SL, Salmond J, Datta S, Underwood MA, Akhtar MN. Dietary supplement 2, 4-dinitrophenol resulting in Fournier’s gangrene. JCU. 2014; doi: 10.1177/2051415814551379
16. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Public health statement. dinitrophenols. CAS ID: 51-28-5 (2,4-DNP). 1995. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ ToxProfiles/tp64-c1-b.pdf.
17. forum.bodybuilding.nl/topics/veel-gestelde-vragen-dnp.69801/