Is Resveratrol Illegal In Thailand

[Jingthing]

Based on my limited knowledge, you can't buy resveratrol in Thailand.

I know that the big supplement company GNC sells the stuff so I asked at a GNC store and the clerk knew what it was and knew that GNC makes it, but that the LAWS in Thailand forbid selling it.

Naturally, I was flabbergasted!

Is this some bizarre beer/whisky industry thing because resveratrol can be had in WINE? Of course you would need to drink several gallons of wine daily to get the resveratrol in a supplement pill. Plus the stuff is generally made with Japanese Knotweed!

Resveratrol has been shown to be very beneficial to health and longevity. Is it really illegal in Thailand? If not, why can't you get it here? If so, does the government here want not want the population to live too long?

Also the weed thing is interesting. If it is legal, could the weed be grown in Thailand and the supplement produced in Thailand? If possible, sounds like a great business, grow the weed in Thailand and make it affordable to many more people.

Of course even if it was legal and for sale in Thailand the imported supplements would be very, very expensive.

If it is illegal, what about the many people that are probably shipping it in or carrying it in by airplane? Could they get in trouble?

Keep in mind, this is a HEALTH supplement showing really good clinical evidence of effectiveness. Nothing like a recreational drug.

I have to admit some things in Thailand are just MASSIVELY STUPID. Have you noticed all the very questionable supplements marketed to the local market, especially very questionable and probably dangerous dieting supplements, openly promoted, and something like resveratrol either not for sale, illegal, or both?

Edited December 13, 2011 by Jingthing

[Orgathai]

You can find much more Resveratrol in vine leaves , than in wine. Vine leaves you find in the Egyptian shop in the first soi in Sukumvit soi 3.

Do not take the ones in the glass jars, take the ones in a plastic bag, kept in the fridge.

gee

Dont take the glass jars, take the one in plastic bags in

[Sheryl]

I think this was a communication issue.

There is no law against resveratrol in Thailand (or anywhere else that I know of).

However the Thai FDA has not approved it for medicinal use and there is no brand of it licensed for sale.

So indeed, GNC can't import it into Thailand or sell it here.

But that is not at all the same as having "laws against it".

It is not a prohibited substance nor a controlled substance.

[Jingthing]

Thanks for that and let me see if I understand.

You can't buy resveratrol supplements anywhere in Thailand (legally) because the FDA hasn't licensed it.

You can legally ship in and fly in your own supplements for personal use legally.

Correct?

So what's the problem the FDA has with these supplements? Do you reckon it a matter of them rejecting them or just a low priority that might not be dealt with for twenty years?

I still don't get this. Big stores in Thailand like Boots could market this like mad and make oodles of cash. Why isn't some commercial interest pushing to get this SAFE and BENEFICIAL supplement licensed for Thailand?

There is resveratrol in grape leaves as there is in grape skins. However, I think eating enough of the leaves (and paying for them) would be the same issue as with wine, a decent dose would be likely be massive. That's why they make supplements mostly out of Japanese weeds!

Edited December 14, 2011 by Jingthing

[Kalbo]

Thanks for that and let me see if I understand.

You can't buy resveratrol supplements anywhere in Thailand (legally) because the FDA hasn't licensed it.

You can legally ship in and fly in your own supplements for personal use legally.

Correct?

Just to correct you, you CAN buy Resveratrol supplements in Thailand, but I assume that they would have been 'smuggled' into the country,

and sold for personal use.

[JSixpack]

`

I still don't get this. Big stores in Thailand like Boots could market this like mad and make oodles of cash. Why isn't some commercial interest pushing to get this SAFE and BENEFICIAL supplement licensed for Thailand?

Very simple. Few Thais or farang would buy it. Ask yourself how many Thais or farang take fish oil supplements, of proven efficacy.

[Jingthing]

`

I still don't get this. Big stores in Thailand like Boots could market this like mad and make oodles of cash. Why isn't some commercial interest pushing to get this SAFE and BENEFICIAL supplement licensed for Thailand?

Very simple. Few Thais or farang would buy it. Ask yourself how many Thais or farang take fish oil supplements, of proven efficacy.

I don't know. Do you know? Its sold most everywhere. Somebody is buying it or they wouldn't bother STOCKING it, would they?

[Sheryl]

Thanks for that and let me see if I understand.

You can't buy resveratrol supplements anywhere in Thailand (legally) because the FDA hasn't licensed it.

You can legally ship in and fly in your own supplements for personal use legally.

Correct?

Point one: correct. Most probably because it has never even come under review, which in turn would be in part because no company has applied for a license to sell it here. As is true of a large number of herbal remedies/nutritional supplements popular in the west.

Pont two: also correct as there is no law against it. Selling resveratrol would be illegal because it is not FDA approved and no brand licensed for sale. Posessing it without intention to sell does not violate any law or regulation that i can see. And as we have established that selling resveratrol is not legal, some posts have been deleted...

Whether or not customs would let a package through, who knows, but if the customs declaration labels it as "nutritional supplement for personal use" they probably will (charging or not charging a hefty tax depending on their mood).

One of the reasons why there is so little market for the various herbal/nutritional supplements popular in the West is that there is a very robust and diverse market of Thai herbal medications. Quite impressively so, but unfortunatelyy all the literature is in Thai so not very easy for a farang to know what they are for, how to use etc.

[Jerry555]

"I have to admit some things in Thailand are just MASSIVELY STUPID. Have you noticed all the very questionable supplements marketed to the local market, especially

very questionable and probably dangerous dieting supplements, openly promoted, and something like resveratrol either not for sale, illegal, or both?"

It's al about the money money money .

Probably one of the big boys controls the market and don't want other people to interfere with whatever supplement , healthy or not .

[ThaiKiwi]

From what I have heard about Resveratrol, the benefits in mammals is very questionable and hasn't actually been proven conclusively.

[GreenSnapper]

At least you can buy "weight loss coffee"

[czGLoRy]

I just order from iherb, very good service to Thailand, free shipping under $80 and solid site selection (even order some toothpastes, shower gels, etc there which are amazing and better value than in Boots etc)