We take the cue from an article that appeared today on sport newspaper “Tuttosport" signed by Andrea Schiavon that reveals the substance of Liu Hong positivity in Rome in 2016, to clarify our readers to which is the substance in indent

^{The molecole of the positivity is “Higenamine" also known as "Norcoclaurine HCL".}

^{Very interesting the similarity with the similar case of the footballer Mamadou Sakho of Liverpool, first suspended, then reinstated and finally in eligible for UEFA European Championships ended with the victory of Portugal.}

Higenamine, also known as norcoclaurine HLC is legal to use within food supplements in the UK USA and Canada but banned use in the NCAA. 

Its main use is within food supplements developed for weight management, also known as “fat burners’”. 

However, products containing (or claiming to contain) pharmacological relevant quantities still require registration as a medicine. 

The regulatory boundaries for higenamine are unclear as modern formulations have not been clinically evaluated. 

Traditional formulations with higenamine have been used for thousands of years within Chinese medicine and come from a variety of sources including fruit and orchids. There are no studies comparing the safety of modern formulations (based on synthetic higenamine) with traditional formulations. 

Nevertheless, it will not be added to the EU “novel foods” catalogue, which details all food supplements that require a safety assessment certificate before use. 

Where is Higenamine/Norcoclaurine from?

DMAA was originally derived from geranium flower stems, which sometimes caused controversy because not many forms had it. But the most potent higenamine plant sources include various Aconitum flowers (Carmichaeli, Japonicum, Napellus), Asarumheterotropoide, Gnetumparvifolium, Anonasquamosa and, among others, Nelumbonucifera. Many different incredible places where you can get it!

The History of Norcoclaurine HCl

As for its history, it was first used in traditional Japanese cooking. Traditional chefs have found some of these plants as ideal ingredients in the making of confectionery creations such as cakes.

Also, in certain traditional Chinese cultures, a number of these plants have been used in the prevention and treatment of a number of medical conditions. 

It was the practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine that have first discovered the incredible effects of the higenamine plant source Nelumbonucifera.

Higemanime was also traditionally used to treat a number of breathing complications such coughing and other more complex medical conditions you can imagine.

In april 2016, French footballer Mamadou Sakho was temporarily banned by UEFA after testing positive for Higenamine causing the player to miss the 2016 Europa League final. 

The ban was lifted after (half of May 2016) the player successfully made the mitigating defence that there was an absence of significant negligence as the substance was not on the list of banned substances.

The news on today sport paper "Tuttosport" signed by Andrea Schiavon: click here

The cancellation of suspension Sakho on "Gazzetta dello Sport " of May 28, 2016: click here