Found this article on Usnic Acid, supposedly first developed by Duchaine as an alternitive to DNP. I'm unfamiliar with it, do any of you have any experience with it, any input? Here is an outline of Usnic Acid.
Usnea (Chinese: songluo) is the green tangly mass that hangs down from the dead trunks and branches of trees-- especially pine trees. Botanically, it is a lichen (a symbiotic integration of a fungus with an algae).
As a topical antiseptic, it has been used recently in making sophisticated skin creams, vaginal inserts, and mouthwashes. It has also been developed into a medicinal herb for internal use. In Europe, it is manufactured, for example, into lozenges to treat oral inflammation. In China, it is used to make decoctions in the treatment of bronchitis with profuse sputum and as part of herbal cancer therapy, particularly for thyroid cancers.
One of the main active ingredients of usnea is the bitter, yellow, polyphenolic acid called Usnic acid (structure diagram, left) that makes up about 1% of the crude material. It is thought to protect the lichen from adverse effects of sunlight exposure and deter grazing animals with its bitter taste. Since its first isolation in 1844, Usnic acid has become the most extensively studied lichen metabolite and one of the few that is commercially available. It is well known as an antibiotic.
MECHANISM OF ACTION
Usnic acid is what is known as an uncoupling agent. When fatty acids are oxidized inside the energy-producing machinery (or mitochondrion) of the muscle cell, an invaluable high-energy compound known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is produced. Usnic acid “uncouples” or disconnects the ATP-producing machinery and releases the wasted potential energy as heat. In turn, the muscle cell must oxidize additional fatty acids to compensate for this loss of energy.
The following example is a good analogy to help explain how Usnic acid exerts its energy wasting effect in the human body. Imagine someone putting a hole in the gas tank of your automobile. The car would still perform at maximal capacity; however, it would require a significant amount of additional fuel to travel the same distance it had before the punctured tank. Likewise, Usnic acid results in a loss of “fuel” from the muscle cell thus requiring the additional oxidation of fatty acids to compensate for the loss and to keep the cell running at optimal performance levels.
Especially in light of the recent removal and outlawing of ephedrine and ephedrine-based supplements from the marketplace, Usnic acid is the most exciting new fat burner to come along for one very good reason—it “wastes” calories without elevating blood pressure, without raising heart rate, without causing physical dependence, without causing any central nervous system stimulation, without exercising, and, even, without dieting. An individual can, literally, swallow a dose of Usnic acid, fall asleep, and start burning fat while, literally, being unconscious.
Individuals who consume 10-50mg daily of Usnic acid usually notice that their bodies are significantly warmer than usual. This observable warmth is a good indicator that the Usnic acid is effectively wasting energy and thus burning fat.
HISTORY
Back in the 1990's, Dan Duchaine, a pioneer and a theorist, pushed the supplement envelope when he suggest that DNP (dinitrophenol), be utilized as a potential “miracle” fat burner. DNP had dropped out of favor decades ago because the FDA decided it was dangerous; however, several weight loss doctors have had great success with it and feel it's safe if used properly. DNP is an uncoupling inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation. It works by blocking the conversion of substrates to ATP. The substrate energy is then released as heat. Dan coined DNP use, "dieting by cooking yourself".
The problem with DNP was that it was found to have a low LD50 (lethal dose 50). This means the effective dose for weight loss is not much lower than the dose that can kill you! Secondly, the use of DNP causes huge increases in free radical production; therefore, it is important to load up on antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, N-A-C, and lipoic acid. Even Duchaine, himself, admitted that DNP was too unpredictable and too dangerous to consume.
Leading up to his premature death, Duchaine was working with a "natural" DNP-like supplement called Usnic acid. I am sure if he were alive today he would be a big proponent of this herbal uncoupling agent and safe alternative to DNP.
