Irwin Naturals nutraceutical company, Klee Irwin, by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Back in the year 2001, Klee Irwin, CEO of Irwin Naturals, asked me to formulate certain products for the company. I agreed and over a span of several months I formulated several products for Irwin Naturals. However, after I formulated these products, things started going sour between me and this company. What triggered it was that Klee Irwin, CEO of Irwin Naturals, without informing me, added ephedra to the System Six diet formula. When I had originally formulated System Six, I did not include ephedra. When I found out about the ephedra addition, I complained bitterly to Klee Irwin who did not seem to take my complaints seriously. I finally had to take legal action, and after trying to fight this case in court for a few months, Klee Irwin relented and offered me a sum of money to dismiss the case. By that time ephedra had already become illegal in the state of California, and it had to be removed from the System Six formula anyway. I accepted the offer and dismissed the case. Ephedra was removed from the System Six formula.
     Our relationship stayed strained and I continued to lose trust in Klee Irwin and Irwin Naturals. Further erosion occurred over time due to contract disputes and  other matters -- for instance I found out from a health food store owner that the sales people at Irwin Naturals were using my name to promote other products under the Irwin Naturals line that I had not formulated. In November of 2005 I finally had my lawyer contact Klee Irwin to tell him that I had had enough and had lost complete trust in him and Irwin Naturals.
   As of the year 2006 I am no longer associated with Klee Irwin and Irwin Naturals and no longer support or endorse Irwin Naturals products. I wish them well in their future and hope their products are well revised and formulated to benefit the public.

Back in the year 2001 I formulated the following products for Irwin Naturals:
Steel Libido by Irwin Naturals for Men
System Six by Irwin Naturals
ProstaStrong by Irwin Naturals
EstroPause
3-in-1 Joint Formula
Advanced Ginkgo Smart
Advanced Ginza-Plus
Immuno Shield
Prosta-Strong
System-Six with Xenedrol
Triple-Boost
Advanced Yohimbe-Plus

I did not formulate these Irwin Naturals products
Low Glycemic Sugar Metabolizer
Fast-Action Hoodia Diet
Feel Good Chocolate Diet
Maximum Strength
Phase 2 Carb-Blocker
Green Tea Fat Metabolizer
Steel Libido by Irwin Naturals for Women

I am actually quite relieved to have no further association with Klee Irwin and Irwin Naturals. The fact that Klee Irwin is promoting a product called Dual Cleanse on infomercials -- and making unsubstantiated claims -- certainly makes me feel glad I no longer have any association with him or his company.

Legal cases 2011
Irwin Naturals, of Los Angeles, CA, has agreed pay 2.65 million dollars to settle a lawsuit filed by the District Attorneys of several counties in California. The suit claimed the company:**Violated Proposition 65, which requires a warning label on products that expose the consumer to over half a microgram of lead per day.**Marketed hoodia products that did not contain the Hoodia gordonii herb. *Failed to reimburse customers in timely fashion for returned products.* *Charged some direct sales customers for products not ordered. Without admitting fault, the company also agreed to injunctive terms that would prevent any future unfair or deceptive business practices. Officials say the outcome is the largest multi-jurisdictional settlement of its kind in California by a dietary supplement manufacturer for unfair business practices. Dietary supplement distributor to pay $2.65 million to settle historic statewide unfair business practices lawsuit. News release, Orange County District Attorney, Feb 1, 2011.

2010
A man in Arizona who took Ultimate Cleanse is suing Irwin Naturals and Nature's Secret and Vitamin World, the store where he bought the product. The complaint charged that the product caused perforation of his colon that required hospitalization and two operations.  Infomercial Watch warns against the use of Dual Action Cleanse, a similar product.

2010
A class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of 200,000 individuals who have bought Dual-Action Cleanse and/or had unauthorized charges placed on their credit or debit cards by Klee Irwin, James Chappell, attorney Carl Randall Stevens, Irwin Naturals, Ultimate Nutraceuticals LLC, and two other companies that Irwin owns and/or controls. According to the complaint: Irwin has made many millions of dollars by defrauding and damaging customers by selling products that don't work as advertised and charging customers' credit or debit cards without authorization. Dual-Action Cleanse infomercials claimed falsely that millions of people are "carrying around 15 or even 20 pounds of undigested toxic waste in their bodies that's weighing them down.

Questions
Q. I have noticed that many Irwin Naturals products have Bioperine in the formula. What is the Bioperine for?
  A. Irwin Naturals adds Bioperine with the thought that it may enhance absorption of the supplements. However, there is no good proof that, practically speaking, a supplement is better for you when taken with Bioperine. I think it is more of a marketing gimmick than nutritionally sound. Even if Bioperine enhanced absorption, most supplements have such a high dosage of herbs and nutrients that sometimes it is better if the body absorbed less of these nutrients and herbs. Bottom line: I don't think it harms to have it in a supplement but I don't think it offers that much of an advantage, either.

Q. I bought Steel Libido by Irwin Naturals and found it to be effective, then I tried Passion Rx and it was more potent. Did Dr. Ray Sahelian formulate both Steel Libido by Irwin Naturals and Passion Rx?
   A. Yes. Steel Libido by Irwin Naturals was formulated in 2001 while Passion Rx was formulated in 2004 for Physician Formulas and continues to be reformulated with each batch to make it more effective with fewer side effects.

Q. Let me start by saying I used to read your site all the time when I was combating some issues with anxiety and depression. I wanted to try out some of your ideas around supplements for brain chemistry but was too skeptical to take a formula. It seemed somewhat pie in the sky. Having said all that, I started taking Steel Libido for Women by Irwin Naturals about 3 weeks ago. I missed not having the urge to have sex and thought it would be a harmless experiment. I don't know how close it is to your original Steel Libido formula, but I just wanted to say I feel very good taking it. Not just my libido, but it feels as if a cloud has lifted off me. I feel clear and bright. I intend to keep taking Steel Libido for Women. Now I know you didn't put together this formula but Irwin Naturals claims the big difference in this formula is a few specific herbs for women and the removal of a couple of herbs for men. I know you've broken ties with Irwin Naturals, but can you comment on how close Steel Libido for Women is to your original? Do you think one is better than the other? What I really like is my mood lift. The libido lift is nice, but the other makes my life immeasurably better so thanks for all the work you put into it. I would try other of your blends. I have a high stress job and go to school at nights. I'd really like to have some additional energy so I could resume my workout program.
   A. We really have not looked closely at Steel Libido for Women and we have not tried it, hence we don't have an opinion on this blend.

Q. My question is which one do i buy?  Passion Rx or Steel Libido or Advanced Yohimbe Plus? Why have so many? cant you just make one great one that really works and take all the guess work out of it?
   A. Dr. Sahelian formulated Steel Libido and Advanced Yohimbe Plus back in 2001 and is no longer involved with Irwin Naturals, the company that makes these products. He formulated Passion Rx back in 2004 and continues to improve on it each time a new batch is done.

Q. High, I just recently saw the 12 in one soft gel capsule multi on TV promoted by klee Irwin. My question is for Dr. Ray Sahelian considering he once worked with klee Irwin at Irwin Naturals. Dr. Sahelian, have you had a chance to look at the ingredients in this 12 in one soft gel capsule multi product, and do you think this is a good product to invest in. Basically, does 12 in one soft gel capsule multi work?
   A. It's really difficult to say much about a multivitamin product unless long term studies are done which is not likely since it would be too expensive to do. The ingredients in 12 in one soft gel capsule multi look fine and are found in many other multivitamin products. I do have some concerns about the marketing. On the 12 in one now website it is claimed that this product supplies the needed essential oils. Well, it is impossible to supply the body's requirement, or even come close to it, with just a few pills that are filled up with many other nutrients. There just is not enough room left for oils. Also, the website claims that this product has essential amino acids. Eating half an egg would supply much more amino acids than taking several of these pills. Overall, 12 in one soft gel capsule multi is probably similar to many other multivitamin products on the market and if you find it reasonably priced then it should be fine to take at a reasonable dosage. You are likely to find similar products for half the price. Remember, to do an infomercial, a lot of money has to be spent on TV ads and production, and you will pay for it by buying the product. Having worked with Klee Irwin at Irwin Naturals years ago, I recognize that he has good marketing skills. Not much more can be said about twelve in one multi capsule since the ingredient amounts are not listed on the website.

July 2013
Hi, I was searching re lead and Irwin naturals because of their Calif. Prop 65 warning on the bottle and I found your website. I have found Irwin Naturals women's formula to be a favorite because of the gelcaps and the delivery of vitamins in oil, and the fact that I take them regularly - as opposed to horse pills that reek of vitamin B complex that I can't stand anymore - and feel a benefit. I finally called the number on the bottle to ask what the warning was about, especially since I am adding Ginza-whatever because I have been dx'd with adrenal fatigue and am adding another one of their supplements to my routine. Needless to say I am concerned and dissappointed. I would like to avoid the lead, but I live in New Mexico and don't know that other supplements don't label differently outside of California. I see that you formulated the Ginza adaptogen supplement (not sure about the Women's 63 nutrients). Do you have alternatives/recommendations? I really think the delivery of the vitamins in a capsule with oil is so good, because I get that much more good oils (I also take another two capsules of a cheaper sea buckthorn supplement that I also can detect the benefit from) and, although the capsule is large, it is not a stinky horse pill with hard oval-cornered edges. I take:a multia baby aspirin3 grams vit ckelp (I'm hypothyroid, it may be too late for kelp, but I'm taking it anyway)(I take levothyroxine and it makes a great difference, yet I can distinguish now the adrenal fatigue pattern cropping up again after lots of stress) gingko bilobavit D3and now ginza-max or whatever it is called. (why doesn't that have licorice in it too?) When I take all of these things I feel better. I have also experimented with isolating them and with the exception of kelp and the baby aspirin I can tell that they boost me. I take vitamin fasts as you recommend often enough, mostly when I get out of routine, which is one way I can observe the difference. Is there something I can take to clean lead? We all get exposures anyway.
   A. I am no longer involved with this company. I do have an article on lead that you can review.

June 2015
Q. Irwin makes 2 products steel libido black and steel libido red, i used both for a short while, with good results, but was concerned with having children. The bottle saws it causes birth defects according to a California statute. Irwin downplays the relation, but i have to ask can these products be made without causing birth defects? I stopped using them, since i as a man want to have healthy children. But my libido is almost non-existent. I have tried individual supplement ingredients in your passion rx without success.
   A. I am not aware of individual ingredients in herbal libido products that are known to cause birth defects.