Update 12/6/22. At one time, Anatabloc was a SUPER popular anti-inflammation supplement. It was sold online and at GNC and elsewhere. It was touted to help reduce pain, help joints and arthritis pain, and reduce chronic inflammation. Anatabloc was unique. It contained an ingredient not found in any other supplement I've EVER seen in over 20 years of investigation. This unique ingredient also contributed to its own downfall. In this unbiased, updated review, I reveal everything you need to know about Anatabloc, from its rise – and fall – to the research and proof and the company which made it. I'll also shed light on other anatabloc supplements too.
What Is Anatabloc
Before we talk about Anatabloc (sometimes misspelled Anatablock), I need to tell you about Anatabine (also called anatabine citrate). Anatabine is the active ingredient in Anatabloc. Anatabine is a chemical found in
- eggplants
- potatoes
- green tomatoes
as well as tobacco and tobacco smoke (remember this).
Chemically, anatabine “looks” like nicotine. Because of this, it was also used some anti-smoking supplements. Anatabine has a longer half life than nicotine, so it stays in the body longer. That's why it was thought it might help people quit smoking.
How Does Anatabloc Work?
Here is the way Anatabloc was supposed to reduce chronic inflammation:
1. Anatabine enters the cells of the body where it…
2. Deactivates a protein called NFkB.
3. When NFkB is deactivated, it can't enter the nucleus of the cell (the brain center of the cell) to cause excessive cellular inflammation.
Inflammation is thought to play a role in MANY diseases, such as:
and many others.
So, if Anabloc worked, it might have disease-modifying benefits. If you read the comments below, you will see some people have said some pretty amazing things too.
Anatabloc Ingredients
Anatabloc contains these ingredients
| Anatabine | 1 mg |
| Vitamin A | 500 IU |
| Vitamin D3 | 40 IU |
This review will focus only on Anatabine because this is “secret sauce” in Anatabloc.
Other Ingredients
These other ingredients are also found in this supplement: Mannitol, natural and artificial mint flavors, sucralose, silicon dioxide, stearic acid, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide (color), natural glaze, methylparaben, propylparaben, triethyl citrate, citric acid, BHT, mono and diglycerides, and polysorbate 80
These ingredients played no role in the results or benefits of Anatabloc.
Anatabloc Research
When this review was originally created, the proof for Anatabloc was mostly on lab animals. There is now human proof. This review will focus only on human research. Much of the research is on Anatabine, which is an active ingredient in Anatabloc. Still, proof for anatabine is proof for Antabloc.
Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals (more on them below) supports and plays a role in much of the research.
Studies On Anatabloc
In one report, researchers in the US gave Anatabloc or a placebo to 146 people with Hashimoto's disease – the most common form of hypothyroidism. People were given 9-24 mg of anatabine in the form of lozenges. Those taking Anatabloc saw a significant reduction in thyroid autoantibodies.
Some people saw over a 20% decrease in thyroid autoantibodies. This means better working thyroid glands.
One small study (10 people) noted a face cream containing anatabine improved skin appearance, reducing redness and blotchy skin appearance. This does make some sense. Niacin, which looks a little bit like anatabine has been used in skin creams for years.
Niacin is also VERY popular in the anti-aging world. See the Niagen review for more on this.
Anatabine cigarettes have been shown to reduce nicotine levels in smokers significantly. This study reflects the interest in using anatabine to help people quit smoking.
Because inflammation follows exercise, researchers were interested in seeing if anatabine would reduce inflammation after people worked out. In this study, 18 men were given either a placebo or 6-12 mg of anatabine per day for 10 days. They also performed an intense exercise program.
Unfortunately, this noted anatabine did not reduce pain, or swelling or help muscle strength. This is noteworthy, given TV commercials featuring pro golfers John Isner and Fred Couples.
In another exercise study, researchers gave Anatabloc or a placebo to 17 men. The dosage of Anatabloc used was 6-12 mg. While these researchers saw that Anatabloc did not reduce exercise-induced muscle damage, it did appear to reduce markers of inflammation such as C reactive protein (CRP). That is interesting.
Preliminary research suggests anatabine activates NFR2, a substance that raises naturally produced antioxidant defenses such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). This is at the heart of some proposed anti-aging supplements, such as Protandim and PB125.
There are also several lab animals and test-tube studies involving Anatabloc/anatabine. I won't cover them here because we are people and not mice, rats or test tubes.
Summary Of Anatabloc Research
Here is a summary of the Anatabloc human research:
- Anatabine reduced thyroid antibodies in people with hypothyroidism
- Anatabine lowers nicotine levels in smokers
- Anatibine did not reduce muscle damage, pain, or swelling but may lower CPR levels
Anatabloc Questions
Let's now answer some common questions people have asked me about this supplement.
Can Anatabloc help muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness after exercise (DOMS) is very common. Currently, the proof seems to show Anatabloc doesn't reduce muscle soreness, swelling or muscle damage. It may reduce a blood test marker of inflammation called CRP. I think we need more exercise research.
Can Anatabloc Help Concussions?
There is brain inflammation when someone gets a concussion. But there is no proof that taking Anatabloc:
- reduces the risk of getting a concussion
- improves recovery time after getting a concussion
- reduces brain damage from concussions
I cannot find any research involving anatabine and concussions.
In December 2013, the FDA sent a warning letter to Star Scientific – makers of Anatabloc – telling them to remove references on their websites which gave people the impression the supplement might help concussions and other forms of traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
For more on concussions and TBI see these reviews:
Can Anatabloc Help Multiple Sclerosis?
The proof that Anatabloc can help MS is in its infancy. There is some mouse evidence it may help, but no human studies have been conducted yet.
What About Anataboc and Weight Loss?
Websites might discuss how anatabine/Anatabloc can help people lose weight or reduce weight gain, which sometimes happens when people quit smoking. But there is no good proof for this. No study has looked at reducing gaining weight after quitting smoking.
What is CigRx?
This is the anti-smoking product Star Scientific was developing before it began researching anatabine for arthritis pain and other health problems. CigRx contains anatabine too.
Anatabloc Dosage
The general recommendation is to take 2 lozenges per day. Do not use more than 6 lozenges per day. Another dosage recommendations= take your body weight into consideration. Here the Anatabloc dosages would be:
- 100-120 lbs: 2 lozenges 3x per day
- 121-170lbs: 2 lozenges 4x per day
- 171-220lbs: 2 lozenges 5x per day
- over 220lbs: 2 lozenges 6x per day
I've never seen this dosage regimen used in human studies. So, I'm not sure how accurate this is.
Who Makes Anatabloc?
Anatabloc is a product of a company called Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals. Another name for this company is Star Scientific. Star Scientific was the original name of the company. When the research changed directions from looking at Anatabine as a cure for smoking to helping arthritis pain, the company changed its name to Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals.
The phone number for the company was 800-778-2031. The company website was Anatabloc.com (the website no longer works). When this review was originally created, the Better Business Bureau listed the company address as 4470 Cox Rd Ste 110, Glen Allen, VA 23060.
There is also a connection to another company called the RosKamp Institute, located in Florida. Some of the research on Anatabloc has been conducted by this company too.
The company has since filed for bankruptcy and is no longer making Anatabloc supplements.
Should I Invest In Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals?
Star Scientific formally changed its name to Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals in 2014. Its stock symbol is RCPI. It's a publicly traded company. Regardless of what you invest in, do your homework.
Be careful with “gurus” who talk stocks up on websites, as you don't always know who you are dealing with. Sometimes unscrupulous people say things about a company to create interest so they can pump the stock price up so they can dump it for a profit. This trick is sometimes called “pump and dump.” Unless you’re an investing pro (think Warren Buffett), I recommend you talk to a financial advisor before risking any money.
Anatabloc And The FDA
Many people think the FDA does not regulate supplements. Anatabloc is proof it does. Almost from the start, the FDA claimed anatabine contained a new dietary ingredient (NDI). A new dietary ingredient is any substance that was not sold as a supplement before 1994.
Products containing new dietary ingredients need to prove to the FDA they are safe. There is also the issue that anatabine is found in tobacco. Tobacco cannot be called a dietary supplement. I think this may also have played a role in the demise of Anatabloc.
Rock Creek pharmaceuticals state that because anatabine is found in things like peppers and eggplants, it is not new and can be sold as a supplement. In the end, the FDA won, and Rock Creek stopped making Anatabloc.
Calls To Bring Back The Sale Of Anatabloc
Problems with the FDA have not stopped people from hoping for the return of Anatabloc.
This has not stopped people who loved Anatabloc from continuing to hold out hope. Former customers have launched a petition at Change.org to petition the FDA to reverse their decision and let Anatabloc be sold again.
They created the website BringBackAnatabloc.org where you can share your testimony of how the supplement helped you, sign an FDA petition to bring Anatabloc back, and read news about the supplement.
How To Buy Anatabloc: Can You Still Purchase It?
While this supplement was once VERY popular and sold at GNC and other stores, it is no longer permitted to be sold in the US. The FDA forced Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals to stop the production of Anatabloc.
Anatabloc Supplements
While Anatabloc is no longer able to be purchased in the US, I did notice other companies selling supplements said to contain anatabine.
One such company is HydraPharm (PredatorNutrition.com). They sell a supplement literally called “Anatablok” which they say contains “pure anatabine.” Predator Nutrition is not based in the US. I am not sure if they are allowed to ship their Anatablok supplement to the US.
The supplement is marked as an anti-inflammatory nootropic (brain enhancer) used to support memory and attention.
The Va Governor Controversy
As if things could not get worse, Rock Creek Pharm found itself at the center of a very public controversy involving the former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell, and his wife. It's alleged Rock Creek gave $165,000 in gifts to the former Va governor and his wife in exchange for helping Rock Creek's development of Anatabloc.
Anatabloc Side Effects
Anatabloc is probably safe for healthy people, at least for short-term use. Human research shows no significant negative side effects. Mild to moderate side effects reported have included:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Headache
- Tingling feelings
- Insomnia
In the comments section below, one person reported feelings of depression. This has not been observed in clinical studies.
Does Anatabloc Work?
Despite the problems with the FDA, several people swore Anatabloc worked. I never experimented with it when it was being sold and the only person I knew who did try it told me it did not reduce his pain. Pain is complicated and its possible others may have had better results.
Unfortunately, Anatabolc supplements are no longer available in the US. While, in the past, I have been rather hard on this supplement and Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, I was sad it was taken off the market. I am happy to see some human research on anatabine, look forward to more and hope one day to see it sold once again.
Great website Joe. I’m definitely intrigued by this product blocking NF-kB. There are 4 trials for anatabloc listed on clinicaltrials.gov. 2 are actively recruiting patients now. Will be interesting to see the results.
Ed, for ankylosing spondylitis you should be taking a TNF inhibitor such as Enbrel, Humira or Remicade. Not prednisone. If your rheumatologist is not offering a TNF inhibitor to you then find a new rheumatologist. They are the only meds that really work for AS. Other potent immunosuppressants such as methotrexate do not work for AS so not shocked that Anatabloc wouldn’t work.
steven, thanks for those insights!!
Joe, how many testimonials would it take be considered good enough? A thousand a million. Does it work for everyone? Obviously not, but then what does?
I’m sure there are hundreds of products out there that make claims that are not backed scientific studies. In fact few of the non pharmaceuticals have solid studies backing their claims.
Ben, the only way to truly know something is to look at the research conducted on the product. Anatabloc TV commercials are saying that its proven to reduce inflammation in joints in muscles but I see none of that proof they are talking about. This stuff is expensive and and don’t you think they should be giving you proof that it is better than less expensive things like glucosamine sulfate. Fact, there is more arthritis research on glucosmine sulfate than Anatabloc (Anatabloc has zero arthritis research at this time). Im glad there is research being done on Anatabloc and in theory there may be something to it but I need better proof than test tube and mice studies. Right now they have not given me that proof. I’m told there will be more research on Anatabloc released soon. when its released, I will update my review.
My wife and I have been taking Anatabloc for 3+ months. Her back and long standing knee pain went away after 3-4 weeks. My shoulder and hip pain went away in about the same in about a month.
Damn the studies, if it works use it and if it don’t stop.
You haven’t indicated, if you did I missed it, that you have ever tried it.
In my book if you haven’t tried it don’t knock it.
Ben
Ben, I appreciate you writing and am very happy that its working for you and your wife. I did not try anatabloc. While I do test a few things out of curiosity mostly I dont. If I did, then my words would just be a testimonial and no better than all the other nameless people on the web who say it works or doesn’t. Thats why I like to look only at the research.
I still say Im intrigued but when TV commercials say it works for joints and muscles – but have no evidence to base those claims – then you need to know that. I may try it at some point and while that may give some information, either way I still have to go where the research leads me.
Hello Joe,
I am trying Omega XL as well as raspberry extract and since the predisone the MD has had me taking has my sugar elevated I am trying green coffee bean extract..I just turned 50…I am at a point where I will work hard and try just about anything to shed some weight and reduce the inflammation…not to lesson the fact I just want to be normal.
Best Regards,
Ed
Ed, thanks I do hope it all helps you.
Joe,
Exercise is absolutely necessary!!!..Ten years ago I weighed 200 Lbs…I worked out 3 days a week…lots of cardio..had no body fat…when my condition turned to severe, I was hospitalized within days…I was not able to walk…since then trying to live somewhat of a normal life has been my main focus…I have an extreme high threshold for pain tolerance…what I endure is not pain..it is suffering…
I have extreme loss of muscle..meds cause massive weight gain…effects heart, liver function, kidneys…most every bit of body tissue..today I weight 245 lbs..my eye sight is now being effected, Uvitis!..I have tried many types of therapy..including most every form of supplement and nutritional diet, typically recommended by experts!!…I have done a lot of my own research as I am not a quitter and I plan on beating this disease…Lately I am trying OmegaXL….have you reviewed this product yet?
Best Regards,
Ed
Ed, Ive heard of OmegaXL. its on my list of things to look at. if it helps let me know.
Kim H., GNC has a membership card you buy for $15 or $25 and you get 20% off during the 1st week of each month. It is definitely worth trying. It could take a little more than a bottle like it did me. You may also want to try a diet w/o sugar and grains. That’s what I’m doing and it really helps. Hard, but worth it. Lot’s of protein and veggies. Omega 3s too. Good luck.
Hello Joe,
Great information…I suffer from severe Ankylosing Spondylitis…I did try Anatabloc for 5 months…absolutely no reduction in inflammation…if you or your readers are familiar with my condition, any advice would be appreciated.
Best Regards,
Ed
Ed, thanks for your feedback. Sorry it didn’t work for you. From what little I know about your condition, the pain is supposed to feel better with physical activity and get worse with no activity. If your not active, Id encourage you to do something – walking, pool exercise etc. Hopefully that helps reduce your pain some.
I have severe arthritis in both my hips; however, I am only 46 years old and way too young for a hip replacement; not that I would ever get one anyway! But I have read all their reviews on GNC’s website about this supplement and because it is so expensive I was looking to find some outside research on whether it helps with hip arthritis?
Great blog and great information; glad i found it!
Kim, thanks I’m glad you found me also 🙂
Joe, I read your article and the reviews and decided to try anatabloc. I have had continuous joint pain for a long time, sometimes dull, sometimes sharp. I just had a blood test and tested positive for RA. Last Saturday I bought anatabloc for the first time and almost within hours my pain started subsiding. Seemed too good to be true but here I am a week later and about 90% of my pain is gone. I am still going to follow up with a rheumatologist but I am very pleased with the results so far. I hope it continues because it has changed my daily life.
Bruce, thanks for writing and for telling about how long it took. I’m happy that it is working for you. try to get your CRP levels tested by your rheumatoid doctor and see if CRP decreased. Im curious about this.
Great article Joe, thanks for posting. I have always been skeptical about products like anatabloc but recently began taking Anatabloc and really feel immediate relief within 2days. I am cautious moving forward but really think that it may be a long term good product and will continue to monitor how I feel and the reviews that are generated for Anatabloc
Jack, glad its helping you and thanks for mentioning the timeline of how long it took to kick in.
Thank you Janine and Charles for your feedback. I have found that not eating sugar, caffeine or carbs (that’s right – any grains unless completely whole) has helped as much as the Anatabloc did for muscle and tendon flexibility, aches and pains.
I notice I don’t drink a lot of milk either, I guess because I’m not having cereal. I do eat fruit though. Oh, and flavored coffee creamer. I’m not a saint! And my gut isn’t always bloated. It’s tough to do I won’t lie. But the less I eat it the less I crave it.
Good discussions. Appreciate the analysis. Looking forward to the posting of the results of the human clincal trials.
Dear Joe,
I am so glad to discover your coverage of Anatablock. I bought a bottle a week ago and now, already, am cutting back from 6 a day, and from reading various comments I plan to stick with no more than three per day. Apparently, even a three week trial may not be enough to decide whether it will help me or not.
John Mauldin is an authoritative commentator on broad economic issues and currently an important adviser to our leaders in Washington on fiscal cliff and deficit issues. He is well-read and writes well.
However, he loves a good story and can be a bit gullible about companies he has talked about in the past; that is, his specific investment advice so far has been mostly about speculative stocks that do go up after his pronouncements and then down later.
If you buy stock in Star Scientific or BioTime, remember they are speculative stocks and you may lose everything if they run out of money before proving anything.
Tom
Thomas, glad you found me also and I also appreciate your insights into the stock market too.
To Diane: It is not at all surprising that you had psycological/emotional effects from Anatabloc. My husband is a neuropharmacologist. I took only 2 tabs of Anatabloc – 1 tab for 2 days. It made me feel tense and anxious – to the degree that I had to stop taking it after 2 days.
I had shown my husband the technical documents about anatabine. When I mentioned my anxiety to my husband he said “obviously” the molecule looks just like nicotine and acts like it.
So it is a direct CNS stimulant. The relative amount of the MAO inhibitor in anatabine is extremely small and unlikely to have any effect. But the amount of nicotine-like stimulant that you get is high so that is the likely cause of your emotional effects.
Not all people who take Anatabloc get that effect but there was another person with the inflammatory disorder we are investigating who also had the anxiety effect and had to stop taking it, so I think you are just reporting what will eventually be recognized as one of the common side-effects of anatabine.
Unfortunately, I was not able to take it long enough to tell if it had an anti-inflammatory effects.
Janine, thanks for saying this and in retrospect it does make sense. I’m going to update my review with a little on this. Thanks!
I HAVE HAD THREE BACK OPERATIONS.ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES A WEEK WHEN I GET OUT OF BED I GET A SHOOTING PAIN FROM MY LOWER BACK DOWN MY LEG . SOMETIMES IT PUTS ME TO THE FLOOR. I HAD BEEN TAKING 150 MG OF ENDOMETHACIN A DAY FOR THREE YEARS, BUT IT JUST WAS NOT WORKING VERY WELL.
THREE AND A HALF MONTHS AGO I STARTED ON ANATABLOC. FIRST ON LOW DOSES THEN THE MAX OF TWO TABLETS THREE TIMES A DAY. THE ATTACKS STOPED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. I ALSO HAVE SOME DISC PROBLEMS IN MY NECK WHICH MADE IT HARD TO LOOK LEFT AND RIGHT.
THAT HAS ALSO IMPROVED BY ABOUT 75%. I HAD A VERY EXTENSIVE PHYSICAL IN JAN OF 2012, WHICH INCLUDED MAJOR BLOOD WORK. WHEN I GO BACK FOR MY 2013 PHYSICAL IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO COMPARE THE RESULTS. I WILL SEND THE RESULTS TO YOU. AS AN ASIDE I ALSO LOST 9# WITH NO CHANGE IN DIET. THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT WORK RALPH
Ralph, glad its helped you. Im guessing that you lost the weight because you were able to move more but either way, thats a good thing also 🙂
Before I forget I need to respond to certain comments regarding this product “messing with my head”. Personally, if I take D3 supplements I experience an unpleasant change(s) and so avoid the supplement. We are all different(nothing profound here) on how we respond to certain supplements, drugs or foods.
I have not tried this product, but saw Fred Couples on the golf channel saying he has never felt better. Well, I checked the Amazon site (where else?). Reviews are totally mixed. Some swear by it, others at it. I will stick with Glucosamine Sulfate that seems to work better than nothing for creaky joints.
Just an FYI. I from the Orange CT area and the Google map you are viewing is probably at least a year old. There are many new buildings in that grassy field that have been recently built and there IS a 181 Marsh Hill Road. I have recently purchased Anatabloc and in the near future I will check out and see if there indeed is a Anatabloc there. There is one very large office building currently.
Mark, thanks for that. Yes I am glad for google maps but I know they are not perfect. Not sure how often they are updated. I would greatly appreciate you checking the site out and send me a pic of it too if you could!
Hi Joe,
I started Anatabloc in July and took 4 lozenges a day. It really helped my aches and pains but I found that it really messed with my psychological health. By Nov. I was crying at the drop of a hat, couldn’t sleep, suffered self-loathing and other issues.
I know it has an effect on the MAOIs. I didn’t put 2 and 2 together until I ran out and had to wait until I could get my 20% discount at GNC. After 5 days the symptoms got better.
My bottle just arrived and I’m wondering if I should start it again to see if it comes back or just take the bottle back! Has anyone else noticed this?
I do tend to have opposite reactions than what is normal. When I was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I had been losing weight not gaining. It’s like that a lot.
Hi Joe,
Do so appreciate your input on this product. I am going to try it and may be helpful in confirming whether it works.
For eight years I have had hip pain caused by a poor manipulation of my left leg by a Chiropractor and friend eight years ago. A couple of years later I fell which resulted in a frozen shoulder. Neither of these conditions have ever been completely resolved, but certainly not for a lack of trying – chiropractic, stretching, massage.
Additionally, I have had an overgrowth of yeast, Candidiasis, caused in 1984 by a General Practitioner who prescribed a high dose for three weeks of the antibiotic Bactrim initially for bronchitis and then, secondarily, via the doubling of the dosage, for an additional three weeks by a Gynecologist for a vaginal yeast infection surely brought on by the initial high, prolonged dosage. These factors have slowly brought me to constant joint pain and several food allergies.
Currently, I have severe reactions to sugars. The Candida has mutated several times caused generally by anti-Candida drugs like Nizoral and Nyastatin. I can no longer eat any sugars whatsoever including any fruit except lemons, tomatoes and avocados. I cannot take fructose, sorbital, honey, Maltitol, etc. without strong reactions including body rashes and hives.
I am a health nut and take handfuls of vitamins, minerals, and supplements including specifically Grapeseed Extract, Boswellia, Turmeric, and Ginger in an attempt to hold inflammation down. These help along with Excedrin, Devil’s Claw and Silica. However, I still have serious joint pain most of the time.
On November 1, 2012, I had a CRP done along with the usual blood analysis. I scored excellently on everything but the CRP which came back at 5.7 mg/L which is considered High on a Flag Reference Range of 0.0-4.9. This is about the same high measurement since I started taking this test about five years ago.
My instincts tell me that Anatabloc may help and so I am going to order a bottle to start with tonight and will keep you informed. If I have favorable results, I will have a followup CRP in three months and will continue to do that every quarter so long as the product helps. If not, I will be the first to report same.
Thanks for all you are doing.
Elaine, thanks for letting me know and I do hope it works for you. I will be looking forward to your results (thanks for the heads up on those words too 😉 )