Get 'smart’ pill is just sugar! What science are they teaching in schools?

The 'smart pills' sold in school are nothing more than just sugar.

PETALING JAYA: The pill that can supposedly make children “smarter and more obedient” is nothing more than sugar, said the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

According to its president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharma­seelan, upon analysis, it was found that 95% of the pill marketed as Dimensi 108 consists of sugar and other carbohydrates.

Herbs constituted only 7.5mg, or 1.5%, of the 500mg pill, he said.

“Although some of the herbs have been used in traditional Chinese medicine, the amount in this pill is minuscule to be of any use.

“In conclusion, Dimensi 108 is just a sugar pill with a tinge of herbs,” he said in response to The Star’s Thursday cover story which reported that schools in several states have been pushing the pills to pupils.

Dr Tharmaseelan called for the sale of the pills to be stopped immediately until the manufacturer can substantiate its claims through proper studies.

The Dimensi 108 pills were alleged to be able to “alter” children’s behaviour to make them more obedient and resistant to illnesses, and its listed ingredients include red dates, water lily seeds, rock sugar and spirulina.

Tiga G Dimensi Satu Kosong Lapan Sdn Bhd’s managing director Omar Mohd Yusos had claimed that the pills supplied by his firm were safe, and that the product had been distributed to schools since 2010.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ting Joe Hang said the notion of popping pills to make children more obedient was preposterous, and there was no drug in the world that could do that.

- Contributed by  By YUEN MEIKENG  meikeng@thestar.com.my/Asia News Network

What science are they teaching in schools?

I REFER to “Schools push ‘magic’ pills” and “Get smart pills are safe to be consumed, says firm” (The Star, Aug 29 - Malaysian schools push 'magic' pills!)

I’m sure in the coming days the reports will elicit many and varied responses from all the concerned stakeholders.

I am disturbed in particular by the “explanation” by the firm on how the pills are supposed to work.

In loading some scientific terms in its “explanation”, I opine that it is making not sense but rather nonsense out of its defence.

Let’s abstract from the reports: “When consumed, the hydrogen and nitrogen in the tablets will go into the bloodstream and form a molecule chain that acts like a ‘bullet’ to destroy negative molecules and generate positive energy ... This energy also works as a defense against bacteria or viruses that cause illnesses.”

What “defense molecule chain” is formed from “hydrogen and nitrogen” that can fight off “bacteria and viruses”?

And, what “negative molecules” and “positive energy”? What are these? I don’t remember coming across these in my studies of the sciences?

What is more alarming is we have school teachers and administrators who are buying into such arguments.

What sciences are we really teaching in schools nowadays?

It looks like not only the language of instruction and the pedagogy that need re-examining but also the contents of our science curriculum and syllabi. I cry for our innocent charges!

Indeed, our soon to be revealed Education Blueprint 2013-2025 and its implementation has a taunting and heavy task ahead, especially in the field of science education.

-  LIONG KAM CHONG Seremban

Related news:
 Stop distributing ‘magic pills’
From A CONCERNED MOTHER of Kuala Lumpur.

Related post:
Malaysian schools push 'magic' smart pills!

Malaysian schools push 'magic' smart pills!

So called food supplement supposedly makes pupuls cleverer

PETALING JAYA: Schools in several states have been “pushing” pills that supposedly make pupils cleverer.

The promoters also claim that the “get smart” pills, named Dimensi 108, which are marketed as food supplements, can alter children’s behaviour to make them more obedient and hard-working as well as resistant to illnesses.

Concerned parents from a school in Kuala Lumpur contacted The Star when the tablets were distributed to Year Six pupils earlier this week, saying their children were being forced to buy the pills.

One parent said she had asked her daughter to return the pills to the class teacher and refused to pay for them.

“When my daughter and a few of her friends returned the pills, the teacher told them not to blame her if they are tak pandai (not clever) in their UPSR (which starts on Sept 9).

“Can you believe that? The teacher is supposed to encourage the kids to work hard for their exams and not rely on some pills with so-called magical properties,’’ the outraged parent told The Star.

Another complainant, whose brother is studying at the school, has lodged a written complaint with the Health Ministry.

“A ministry official told me that they will look into the matter, and I have also sent pictures of the packaging of the pills with the ministry’s logo on it.

“I hope they will get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible because we need to know whether the product is legitimate or not,” said the complainant.

The school’s headmistress said parents had “misunderstood” the nature of the pills and it was not compulsory for pupils to buy them.

“We would not promote anything that is bad for the pupils ... these are just like herbal supplements to help pupils concentrate and build energy for the upcoming examination.

“They have ingredients such as spirulina and red dates, which are known for their health-giving properties. I myself give them to my child near the examination period.

“The product also has the endorsement of the Malaysian Federation of the Council of Headmasters, meaning that it has been approved by the Health and Education ministries,” she said.

The headmistress claimed that the pills were supplied to the school by the council.

“One parent shared her concerns with me personally, and when I explained the situation, she was very supportive,” she added.

Some parents remained sceptical.

“Only RM5 for a behaviour altering drug? This is way too affordable for the best thing since the discovery of DNA,” quipped a parent on Facebook.

“Spend a few hundred bucks, behavioural issues solved ... Where can I mass order? Or how to sign up to be an agent?” added another.

- Contributed by PRIYA KULASAGARAN  educate@thestar.com.my/The Star/Asia News Network

 Related news:  
Get smart pills are safe to be consumed says firm
Health Ministry to probe pillpopping schools

Selenium Supplements

Most in US Don't Need Selenium Supplements, Study Says

MyHealthNewsDaily Staff  CREDIT: Selenium photo via Shutterstock

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Selenium supplements may be harmful for people who already get enough of the mineral in their diets — which is most people in the U.S. — and could increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a new review.

Use of selenium supplements has become widespread over the past 10 years, largely due to the belief that selenium can reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases. But "excessive zeal for increasing selenium intake has at times had adverse consequences," study author Margaret Rayman, a professor of nutritional medicine at the University of Surrey in England, wrote in her findings.

Those who get enough selenium in their diets should not take selenium supplements, Rayman concluded. People already get that mineral from grains, seafood and other common elements of the American diet.
The review will be published online Wednesday (Feb. 29) in the Lancet.

"Excessive zeal"

Though selenium supplements have been marketed for a multitude of conditions, this largely has been based on the results of observational studies, according to the paper. However, findings from clinical trials looking to confirm the supplements' effectiveness have been mixed.

Rayman reviewed selenium studies conducted since 1990. She said the mixed findings probably stem from the fact that supplements offer benefits only when the amount of selenium in a person's diet is inadequate.

Research has linked low selenium intake or levels in the blood with an increased risk of dying over a given period, poor immune function and cognitive decline. And higher selenium intake or blood levels have been linked to enhanced male fertility, antiviral effects, and protection against some cancers.

But the new review shows that levels that are too high can bring harmful effects.

Specifically, Rayman found people with high levels had an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The link might be explained by the fact that selenium is incorporated into a protein, called GpX1, that affects the way insulin works in cells, she wrote.

Selenium in the diet

Selenium is a naturally occurring trace mineral found in soil and water and taken up by plants. The foods with the highest concentrations of selenium are organ meats and seafood, but the mineral is also found in cereals and grains, muscle meats and, to a lesser extent, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, according to the paper.

Recommendations for selenium intake average 60 micrograms per day for men, and 53 micrograms per day for women, according to the paper.

"The implications are clear: People whose serum or plasma selenium concentration is already 122 µg/L or higher — a large proportion of the U.S. population — should not supplement with selenium," Rayman wrote, pointing to data from blood samples taken as part of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a large, ongoing study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pass it on: Most Americans already get enough selenium from their diet, and supplements could raise their risk of diabetes.

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