<ul class="summary-list"><li>We made a <keyword id="281888" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Big-Mac">Big Mac</keyword> Using all 54 <keyword id="6378093" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mcdonalds">Mcdonald's</keyword> Ingredients.</li><li>The resulting Big Mac cost over $100 but wasn't as far off as you might expect.</li><li>The Big Mac Sauce was hard to replicate, as was the pillowiness of the bun.</li></ul>Following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>.Harry: This is a Big Mac. And this is everything that's in a Big Mac. Welcome to <keyword id="41941" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fast-food">Fast Food</keyword> Chemistry.Now, I've been desperate to try an authentic American Big Mac, but unfortunately there's no way I can get my hands on one in the UK. The simple solution was to get ahold of every ingredient which goes into one -- there are over 50 -- and then to build one myself.Joe: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're not making a US Big Mac without me. I'm going to oversee this whole operation to see how close you actually get. What I love about this show is that it combines all the things I love about making <keyword id="6181" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Food">Food</keyword> Wars, and also I do literally nothing. So I am a fan of this format.Harry: I've always wanted to say this, but please do not try this one at home.This one right here is alum. This is potassium aluminium sulfate, and it's primarily used in things like leather tanning and dyeing and in fireproofing textiles. It's pretty strong stuff. For example, if you boil some of this, it can actually dissolve steel in just a few hours.Joe: OK, we're one chemical in and already we're talking about dissolving steel, did he say? Um, no. Harry, please be careful. Put on some gloves for God's sakes.Harry: This one right here is soy lecithin. You've probably heard my Food Wars cohost, Joe, mispronounce this one a million times.Joe: Lechithin. Leckithin. Lecithin. Leckithin. Lechithin. Leechithin. Soy lecithin.Harry: It's a lubricant and an emulsifier. It's considered safe for consumption, but there have been some preliminary studies to suggest that overconsumption may promote depression, which is kind of the last thing I need. But what exactly do we mean by emulsifier?Well, as we all know, oil and water don't usually mix. An emulsifier is something which helps you get around that problem. In the Big Mac it's used in the cheese and the sauce, just to kind of help everything stay together. And finally we have polysorbate 80, otherwise known as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, or the more catchy "tween."Now this might come in a handy applesauce-style pouch, but it's probably our most controversial chemical here. Studies have shown that it can lead to an increase in colon cancer and infertility in mice. It's not a guarantee to say that it will do the same to humans, but it's probably not the best sign.Joe: OK, oh Jesus. Slice, ugh. Pasteurized American cheese. Ingredients are milk, cream, water, sodium citrate, salt, cheese cultures, citric acid, enzymes, soy lecithin, and colors added. Get a load of this guy right here.Harry: This one's a little tricky. We don't have an exact recipe for the pasteurized processed American cheese which McDonald's uses in the States. What we did find are the FDA requirements for processed cheese. Now to meet the legal definition of American cheese, it must be made of cheddar, colby, granular, or washed curd cheese. We're choosing to go with a mild cheddar because it already kind of tastes similar to the Big Mac cheeses that I've had in the past.From the ingredients list, we can see the ones that belong to the cheese and the ones which are added at a later stage. The cheese itself is basically just made of milk, salt, cultures, and enzymes. Whereas later on, you will add the sodium citrate as an emulsifying agent, the citric acid as an acidifying agent, and the soy lecithin as an anti-sticking agent.The FDA requirements also specify how much of each of these you're allowed to have in the finished cheese. For example, we know that the soy lecithin can only be 0.03% of the finished weight. I think it's chemical time. The chemicals have changed the consistency of the cheese almost immediately. It's gone from what was a very liquidy melted cheddar with some cream in it to like, a very shiny-looking, almost like a squeezy cheese. And last but not least, the color. That's good. So in a relatively short space of time we've turned this cheddar, which is quite a firm, inflexible, very pale cheese, into this classic American cheese.It's amazing how little sodium citrate it took and how quickly the change took effect. Honestly, it was a tiny amount, and as soon as it was sprinkled in, made a whole world of difference.Joe: Obviously it looks like American cheese, but this is how we test if this is real, authentic American cheese. Ready? Let's check it out. Damn it, I was hoping it would stick.The pickle slices at an American McDonald's contain cucumbers, water, distilled vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, alum, potassium sorbate as a preservative, natural flavors, polysorbate 80, extractives of turmeric for color. Ugh.Harry: Now some of these chemicals can actually be quite dangerous. Calcium chloride can lead to burns in the mouth and throat, excess thirst, vomiting, stomach pain, and low blood pressure. So I'm going to put some gloves on. Now, despite its potential dangers, calcium chloride is actually a great way to improve the saltiness in food without increasing the sodium content.Alum is one that we've mentioned before. And apparently this improves the crunchiness of pickles. Potassium sorbate, as it says on the label, is a mold inhibitor, which will get the pickles a longer shelf life. And finally, we have polysorbate 80. Now this is an emulsifier which will thicken liquids. However, it is also the one that gives mice cancer.It's forming like, can you see this? It's forming crystals, like stalactites.Joe: Oh, it's like, solidifying or something right now. What is happening? Get away from it. I feel like I'm watching someone making an explosive. I just, the way he's shaking it, it's like, gah, it's going to explode. Looks like this is the first time Harry's ever cut a cucumber.The Big Mac bun in the US contains the following ingredients: enriched flour, which is ... and diglycerides, enzymes, and vinegar.Harry: We'll start with the flour. This is British white bread flour, which contains wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, and thiamin. So we're missing the malted barley flour, the riboflavin, and the folic acid. None of these are too suspect. Malted barley flour contains enzymes that break down starch to sugar, and riboflavin and folic acid are actually just vitamins B2 and B9. So let's fortify our flour.The only way to actually get the extra ingredients that we needed was in vitamin form. So we've got some folic acid and some riboflavin tablets here. It's like a pregnancy supplement. You're supposed to take them when you're trying to get pregnant. Now that we have our fortified flour, the next few ingredients are fairly simple: water, sugar, yeast, and soybean oil.Now these might seem fairly normal, but we actually had some difficulty finding soybean oil here in the UK. In the US, apparently it's one of the most common cooking oils. But in the UK, it's used for two things, massage oil and as a horse supplement.Joe: So I'm going to need clarity on this. When you say a horse supplement, you're giving it as a supplement to a horse? Or you take it as a supplement instead of eating horse? Which is it? Both are really weird.Harry: Nailed it. We looked up soybean oil in the USA, and it was a much lighter color than this. So this might not be as refined as the soybean oil that you get in the US, but fingers crossed, it should still be edible. And finally, the extra ingredients. Now the ingredients list has these as less than 2%, so we have some idea of how much of each of these we should be adding.Joe: Oh, is that how chemistry works? Just eyeballing it? What are you doing? We have just a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Again, there's nothing too surprising until we get to this one, which is DATEM. Now, DATEM is diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides.Harry: Now, if you ever wondered how McDonald's gets their buns so kind of soft, but also quite springy, this might be the difference maker. It improves the strength of the gluten network.Joe: It's like, really soft, right? I know it's not supposed to be that way, but it's kind of like, it's got a bounce to it, right?Harry: So our buns have risen. We're going to put them into some ring molds, top them with sesame seeds, and then bake.Joe: It appears that Harry has raided someone's dorm room and stolen their microwave-hot plate combo. I don't know how this is going to turn out.Harry: OK, here we go. So here is the bun we made today, and here is a bun we made earlier. Now the differences between these two are that this one has all the chemicals McDonald's uses, whereas this one is literally just water, flour, and yeast.Visually, the one we've made today looks like a much better color. It's a nice, even golden brown all around. As you see with the one on the left, without the chemicals, it's actually got this big tear around the side as well. Now it's unclear exactly why this happened, but it could be because this one has some chemicals which help the gluten stay strong and withstand the expansion in the oven.Joe: But that looks, actually looks pretty good. I'm very surprised by that.The Big Mac big sauce is made -- Our American Big Mac sauce contains soybean oil, from before, remember that? Sweet relish, which is diced pickles, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, spices, onion powder, salt, extractives of paprika, and soy lecithin.Harry: Now, kind of like the soybean oil, we had some real difficulties getting hold of high-fructose corn syrup in the UK. It's just really not used at all. We were able to track down some regular corn syrup, but only as a kind of specialty imported product. But the only difference is that high-fructose corn syrup goes through a process which converts some of its glucose into fructose, which makes it even sweeter.Joe: Yup, corn syrup is very common in the United States. You can get it in the baking aisle. I've gotten it before. It's good for when you're making barbecue sauces, like pulled pork. I could not get high-fructose corn syrup. I looked it up, and sure enough, you can only get it at industrial-level, five-gallon drums. It's pretty cheap.Harry: Now we've already talked about what some of these chemicals do, but we haven't talked about xanthan gum yet. Xanthan gum is a thickener. And I can understand why you might want to put it into a sauce to thicken it up. But just before we do that, we're going to test it out on some water to see how effective it is.Joe: Harry, my friend, you just invented thick water, which we've got here in the States. So this is for people with swallowing issues. It actually makes it easier. I mean, is it really like -- It doesn't -- Hmm. Ooh, that's weird. It's like a gel. Where have you been all my life, thick water? Silky, smooth. Props to the people over at Thick-It. They're not a sponsor. You make a hell of a thick water.Harry: Just about a half a teaspoon of it turned about 100 milliliters of water into this. So now we've made our sweet relish, but that's just one of the ingredients in the Big Mac sauce. Now we have to make the rest. Now it's worth pointing out, a couple of the chemicals in there are noting what they do. So we'll start with the propylene glycol alginate. Now this is usually used in the beer-making process, and it will also give our sauce a nice glossy finish. As for the hydrolyzed vegetable protein, we have this small bottle of it here.Now what this is is primarily a flavor enhancer. But it's also a not-too-distant cousin of MSG. The main component of this is glutamate, which is the same as the G in MSG. And last but not least, we have this, which is caramel color. Now caramel color is worth pointing out because one of the by-products it can contain is on the state of California's list of chemicals known to cause cancer. What we don't know is if McDonald's uses the specific type of caramel color that contains that by-product.Joe: That chemical that is on California's list of cancer-causing chemicals, just pick a different color. I don't, I mean -- I know you eat with your eyes, but it's OK if the color is a little different.Harry: Aren't you supposed to like stream in the oil very gently? Oh, God. More than that? Loads more, just like, oh, gosh, that's a bit aggressive. Oh, God. Feel free to get involved. I'm hearing lots of criticism from you guys. Not many solutions.Joe: It's like when you first started living on your own, and you had a roommate. And you like, tried cooking something, and you're both like, I don't, you hold it, I'll mix it, having no idea, having no skill on how to do this. Just watching you guys do this is just like, oh, my God.Harry: Wow. Look at that. Nailed it, guys. And with that, we have our Big Mac sauce. The color looks pretty good. The consistency is pretty good. It was very hard work trying to emulsify that by hand, but honestly, not too disappointed with the result.Joe: Wow. That looks like Big Mac sauce, I have to say. I'm very surprised by that. That actually looks just like the sauce. In the US, our Big Mac beef patty is made up of 100% beef patty. It is prepared with grill seasoning, which is salt and black pepper.Harry, get a spatula, man. You knew you were going to do this. Why are you using a spoon? I've got to say, this is a very sad sight to watch you try and make this burger, on this hot plate, with a spoon, in an office.Harry: So after all that, we've made all of the components of a Big Mac. The only things we've added are some freshly diced onion and some shredded lettuce. These, thankfully, are just made of onion and lettuce. There's no additional chemicals.Joe: OK, he hasn't even put it together yet, and I, honestly, am pleasantly surprised. At this point before assembly, my hat's off to you, Harry. That actually looks pretty good.Harry: So there you have it. Can you tell which one is ours?Joe: Visually, Harry, I'll give you a 6. If I got a Big Mac at McDonald's and that's what was in the box, I'd be like, what the hell's going on back there? But it looks a lot closer than I thought it was going to be. The fact that that bread, and that sauce, and that cheese looks the way it did is very impressive.Harry: The last thing to do is taste our burger to see how it stacks up against an actual Big Mac. I think the bun is good. It's a great homemade bread. I just don't think I've ever made bread this good at home without those chemicals. However, it doesn't quite have that real soft pillowiness that the McDonald's one does.There's not a huge amount to say about the beef. The lettuce and the pickles are also pretty good, honestly. No real difference noted. And I think I actually almost prefer the cheese that we've made. I don't know if that's because we used better cheddar, but I actually like our cheese.We've got a nice thick slice, kind of holds up. It also has a good flavor. I think the sauce on ours is not quite as good as the original Big Mac sauce. While we followed the ingredients list as exactly as we could, there are still some herbs and spices which they keep as a closely guarded secret.

Making a US Big Mac using all 54 McDonald's ingredients

18. Resting Botox Face

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/563268e6bd86efa15c8bab19-3000-1500/gettyimages-185128368.jpg" alt="NFL pink breast cancer awareness" data-mce-source="Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images" />Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images</div></div></div>It is October, which means the NFL is in the midst of its annual pink campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer.This is also the month when we see another growing NFL tradition. Players come up with their own personal ways to raise awareness for something or to honor somebody, they wear that tribute on the field, and the NFL fines them for it.We saw it earlier this month when <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cameron-heyward-puts-fathers-name-on-eye-black-2015-10">Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward was fined $5,787</a> for writing his father's nickname on his eye black. Heyward's father, Craig "Iron Head" Heyward, died of brain cancer.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5623df27bd86ef175c8b7a6a-1200-675/cameron heyward 2.jpg" alt="cameron heyward 2" data-mce-source="Via Fox" />Via Fox</div></div></div>We also saw it when Steelers cornerback <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13991743/nfl-fines-pittsburgh-steelers-deangelo-williams-william-gay-uniform-violations">William Gay was fined the same amount for wearing purple cleats</a> to raise awareness for domestic violence and to honor his mother who was killed in a domestic dispute.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/563260afbd86ef18008c5c9b-1200-653/gettyimages-493256996.jpg" alt="William Gay" data-mce-source="Jared Wickerham/Getty Images" />Jared Wickerham/Getty Images</div></div></div>Technically, the players are being fined for violating the NFL's strict uniform code, and not for the tribute. But that is a distinction most NFL fans don't care about.Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams wanted to wear pink cleats and accessories all season to honor his mother who died of breast cancer, but was told by the NFL there are "<a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13879055/deangelo-williams-pittsburgh-steelers-says-nfl-nixed-pink-plans-due-uniform-policy">no exceptions to the uniform policy</a>."It's this strict enforcement that drives fans nuts. To most, a handful of players expressing themselves for a good cause is something that should be embraced, not punished. But in the classic counter-argument, where does it stop?Normally the "where does it stop?" argument is flawed, in that the counter to that counter-argument is easy: it stops when it goes too far. These examples are not too far. When it starts to get silly, then we can talk about it again. But in this case, the argument works because the grey area is actually much worse for the NFL.Right now, the headlines are "NFL FINES PLAYER FOR TRIBUTE TO DEAD MOTHER" or "NFL WON'T LET PLAYER PAY TRIBUTE TO DEAD FATHER."Those are bad for public relations (and again, technically inaccurate). But consider the alternative.What if the NFL set up a committee to review each player's on-field tribute on a case-by-case basis? Let a player wear purple shoes as a tribute to his mother and to raise awareness for domestic violence? That's a no-brainer. Let him do it. Let a player wear tie-dye socks for his high school buddy who sprained an ankle? Again, that's easy. No.But somewhere in between the extremes there is a murky area where the NFL would be forced to decide what is worthy of on-field tributes and what is not and that is when the headlines change.That first time the NFL says "no" to something that is in the grey area, the headlines suddenly become "NFL DOESN'T THINK [insert disease here] IS BAD ENOUGH TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS" or "NFL DOESN'T THINK [insert relative here] IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR TRIBUTE."When that happens, the NFL is no longer perceived as a bully with no heart, but as a huge corporation actually passing judgment on specific people and certain diseases.Nobody wants that, especially those being judged and those doing the judging, the NFL.On top of that, the NFL would then be in a situation where they risk angering players, not because they were told the couldn't, but because they were told they couldn't at the same time another player was told he could.So while it stinks that the players are being fined for doing something positive in a sport where there is often way too much negative, the NFL is in a position where they really have little choice in the matter because the alternative might actually be uglier for both the league and the players. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/everyone-addicted-crossfit-exercise-gym-2015-10">Here's why everyone is addicted to CrossFit</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BmbTQwbDqlZnpltS5btqogXFZOtoD0ml" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'BmbTQwbDqlZnpltS5btqogXFZOtoD0ml',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

Fines for NFL players who wear tributes to dead relatives is unfortunate, but necessary

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Rick Rosner" title_caption="Rick Rosner is obsessive about his health." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dd-960/rick-rosner-13.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dd-1200-899/rick-rosner-13.jpg" border="0" alt="Rick Rosner" /></a>Rick RosnerRick Rosner is obsessive about his health.</div></div></div>Rick Rosner, the <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/interview-with-rick-rosner-2014-11">world's second-smartest man</a>, starts his day by swallowing around 50 pills.Omega 3 fish oil capsules (to control the bad fat), a baby aspirin (for longevity), Metformin (for the metabolism).Pop, pop, pop.Then breakfast. The regimen, he says, "makes my brain work better." If you prevent age-related cognitive decline, then "that's sort of like being smarter."Rosner has an IQ of 192, compared with the average IQ of 100, as ranked by intelligence tests on <a href="http://psiq.org/">this list kept by the World Genius Directory</a>.Rosner swears by his supplements even though research supporting his use is scant to nonexistent. Supplements are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/john-oliver-take-down-dr-oz-last-week-tonight-2014-6">almost completely unregulated</a> and <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/21/dangerous-dietary-supplements-return-to-store-shelves/">may contain substances</a> beyond or instead of what's advertised on the bottle. In some cases, <a href="http://acsh.org/2014/06/problems-unregulated-dietary-supplements-industry/">they can be harmful</a>.The health nut (on a typical day he also visits five different gyms) provided us with a full list of his mostly self-prescribed meds, along with with his own commentary about their benefits.But first, a disclaimer. Rosner has been many things - a comedy writer, a bouncer, a stripper - but he does not claim to be a doctor."In college, the only chemistry class I passed was Chem 099 for football players and idiots," he tells Business Insider <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>. "Scepticism is advised. At the very least, Wikipedia this stuff."Better yet, talk to your doctor.Here is his list:Omega 3 fish oil capsules. This is supposed to be the good fat, more liquid at normal temperatures, to take the place of not-so-good, more solid fats.Half an aspirin daily. Along with flossing your teeth, taking half an aspirin or a baby aspirin each day might be the cheapest, easiest way to extend your life. Aspirin knocks down inflammation and keeps your blood thin. You can get a year's worth of aspirin for a buck at the 99-Cent Store.Metformin. A drug for Type 2 diabetics that decreases glucose production in the liver and helps your body use insulin more efficiently, reducing spikes in blood sugar (and possibly reducing the likelihood of cancer). Metformin is one of two drugs that may fool your body into <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/science/10aging.html%20">reacting as if you're ingesting fewer calories</a>, possibly flipping your metabolism into extended-life mode.Metoprolol. A blood pressure drug that I take that knocks down adrenalin and the fight-or-flight response. It lets me drive in LA without my blood pressure going up.Glisodin. One of the many things I take which is supposed to clean up cellular gunk, stuff that builds up over a lifetime. This may help slow down graying of hair, might cause slight euphoria. Hard to tell.Avodart (generic name dutasteride). It knocks out DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a form of testosterone that makes your prostate blow up and your hair fall out. Whenever you see a TV ad where old men are always rushing off to pee, you're seeing an ad for a DHT blocker. An added benefit of DHT blockers is they cause your body to pump out some extra testosterone to compensate, so it's a little like being on steroids. Don't let women come in contact with this drug - it could lead to the birth of a hermaphrodite.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Rick Rosner" title_caption="Rosner as a kid. " class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45db-960/rick-rosner-8.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45db-939-704/rick-rosner-8.jpg" border="0" alt="Rick Rosner" /></a>Rick RosnerRosner as a kid. </div></div></div>Glucosamine and chondroitin. For less-creaky joints. Our dog gets this, too.Fancy multivitamins from Life Extension and Vitacost. The kind with about 45 obscure ingredients. SAM-e (S-Adenosyl methionine). This is supposed to keep your liver all nice. Also, milk thistle, which is also supposed to help your liver.Astragalus. May help fight the shortening of telomeres.Fiber gummies. I like food and don't have perfect food habits, so I use fiber gummies and carb blockers to compensate for my lack of eating discipline. Fiber gummies are fiber in the form of gumdrops - candy that makes you poop. The faster food moves through you, the less you absorb. Carb blockers suppress a digestive enzyme so you only absorb 75% of the carbs you eat when you take them with a meal. You poop a little more, but it's worth it. Fat blockers. These are pure punishment and should be avoided for all but the fattiest meals. It's better just to eat less fat. For instance, peel most of the cheese off of a piece of pizza - it will still taste just like pizza.Prescription and non-prescription drugs to lower cholesterol.Curcumin. Reduces inflammation and is a very pretty orange colour.ToCoQ10L-carnosineALA and acetyl L-carnitineVitamin D3Vitamin CVitamin E with selenium and also Gamma ELycopeneTMG (trimethylglycene)Calcium <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Rick Rosner" title_caption="Rosner with his wife, Carole. " class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dc-960/rick-rosner-9.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dc-683-512/rick-rosner-9.jpg" border="0" alt="Rick Rosner" /></a>Rick RosnerRosner with his wife, Carole. </div></div></div>BenfotamineN-acetyl cysteineMangosteen pomegranate noni complexVitamin KHorse chestnut (for varicose veins) Quercetin &amp; bromelain Coffee. This is the only brain drug I know for sure works. It doesn't make me smarter, but it keeps me alert. Started drinking it about two and a half years ago. Used to nod off every afternoon at work. No more, thanks to coffee.PhosphatidylserineDMAE AminoguanidineCentrophenoxinePiracetamCognitex from Life ExtensionVinpocetine (occasionally)Methylene blue. A dye that is in Phase III clinical trials to see whether it clears out junk amyloid protein in the brain. MB may act as a detergent, helping to break up amyloid, which can clog the brain, killing neurons. Might be good if you've taken some shots to the head. I worked in bars and got punched in the face a few times - but not anything like the shots taken by football players. (Plus, methylene blue makes your urine a rich emerald green.) <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/more-attractive-man-science-image-2015-9">Scientifically proven things men can do to be more attractive</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="FrMW11bDpOHYdYbuWMGNvmFNMW6eWufV" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'FrMW11bDpOHYdYbuWMGNvmFNMW6eWufV',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

The world's 2nd-smartest man reveals the 'brain drugs' that he thinks makes him smarter

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Rick Rosner" title_caption="Rick Rosner is obsessive about his health." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dd-960/rick-rosner-13.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dd-1200-899/rick-rosner-13.jpg" border="0" alt="Rick Rosner" /></a>Rick RosnerRick Rosner is obsessive about his health.</div></div></div>Rick Rosner, the <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/interview-with-rick-rosner-2014-11">world's second-smartest man</a>, starts his day by downing around 50 pills. Omega 3 fish oil capsules (to control the bad fat), a baby Aspirin (for longevity), Metformin (for the metabolism). Pop, pop, pop.
The regimen, he says, "makes my brain work better." If you prevent age-related cognitive decline, then "that's sort of like being smarter." Rosner has an IQ of 192, compared to the average IQ of 100, as ranked by intelligence tests on <a href="http://psiq.org/">this list kept by the World Genius Directory</a>.
Rosner provided us with a full list of his mostly self-prescribed meds, along with some commentary. But first, a disclaimer. Rosner has been many things - a comedy writer, a bouncer, a stripper - but he does not claim to be a doctor.
"In college, the only chemistry class I passed was Chem 099 for football players and idiots," he tells Business Insider <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>. "Scepticism is advised. At the very least, Wikipedia this stuff."
Here is his list:
Omega 3 fish oil capsules. This is supposed to be the good fat, more liquid at normal temperatures, to take the place of not-so-good, more solid fats.
Half an Aspirin daily. Along with flossing your teeth, taking half an aspirin or a baby aspirin each day might be the cheapest, easiest way to extend your life. Aspirin knocks down inflammation and keeps your blood thin. You can get a year's worth of Aspirin for a buck at the 99-Cent Store.
Metformin. A drug for Type 2 diabetics that decreases glucose production in the liver and helps your body use insulin more efficiently, reducing blood sugar spikes (and possibly reducing the likelihood of cancer). Metformin is one of two drugs that may fool your body into <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/science/10aging.html%20">reacting as if you're ingesting fewer calories</a>, possibly flipping your metabolism into extended-life mode.
Metoprolol. A blood pressure drug that I take that knocks down adrenalin and the fight-or-flight response. It lets me drive in LA without my blood pressure going up.
Glisodin. One of the many things I take which is supposed to clean up cellular gunk, stuff that builds up over a lifetime. This may help slow down graying of hair, might cause slight euphoria. Hard to tell.
Avodart (generic name dutasteride). It knocks out DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a form of testosterone that makes your prostate blow up and your hair fall out. Whenever you see a TV ad where old men are always rushing off to pee, you're seeing an ad for a DHT blocker. An added benefit of DHT blockers is they cause your body to pump out some extra testosterone to compensate, so it's a little like being on steroids. Don't let women come in contact with this drug - it could lead to the birth of a hermaphrodite.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Rick Rosner" title_caption="Rosner as a kid. " class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45db-960/rick-rosner-8.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45db-939-704/rick-rosner-8.jpg" border="0" alt="Rick Rosner" /></a>Rick RosnerRosner as a kid. </div></div></div>
Glucosamine and chondroitin. For less-creaky joints. Our dog gets this, too.
Fancy multi-vitamins from Life Extension and Vitacost. The kind with about 45 obscure ingredients. SAM-e (S-Adenosyl methionine). This is supposed to keep your liver all nice. Also, milk thistle, which is also supposed to help your liver.
Astragalus. May help fight the shortening of telomeres
Fiber gummies. I like food and don't have perfect food habits, so I use fiber gummies and carb blockers to compensate for my lack of eating discipline. Fiber gummies are fiber in the form of gumdrops - candy that makes you poop. The faster food moves through you, the less you absorb. Carb blockers suppress a digestive enzyme so you only absorb 75% of the carbs you eat when you take them with a meal. You poop a little more, but it's worth it. Fat blockers. These are pure punishment and should be avoided for all but the fattiest meals. It's better just to eat less fat. For instance, peel most of the cheese off of a piece of pizza - it will still taste just like pizza.
Prescription and non-prescription drugs to lower cholesterol.
Curcumin. Reduces inflammation and is a very pretty orange color.
ToCoQ10
L-carnosine
ALA and acetyl L-carnitine
Vitamin D3
Vitamin C
Vitamin E with selenium and also Gamma E
Lycopene
TMG (trimethylglycene)
Calcium 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Rick Rosner" title_caption="Rosner with his wife Carole. " class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dc-960/rick-rosner-9.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/547dfee8dd089510088b45dc-683-512/rick-rosner-9.jpg" border="0" alt="Rick Rosner" /></a>Rick RosnerRosner with his wife Carole. </div></div></div>
Benfotamine
N-acetyl cysteine
Mangosteen pomegranate noni complex
Vitamin K
Horse chestnut (for varicose veins)
 Quercetin &amp; bromelain 
Coffee. This is the only brain drug I know for sure works. It doesn't make me smarter, but it keeps me alert. Started drinking it about two-and-a-half years ago. Used to nod off every afternoon at work. No more, thanks to coffee.
Phosphatidylserine
DMAE 
Aminoguanidine
Centrophenoxine
Piracetam
Cognitex from Life Extension
Vinpocetine (occasionally)
Methylene blue. A dye that is in Phase III clinical trials to see if it clears out junk amyloid protein in the brain. MB may act as a detergent, helping to break up amyloid, which can clog the brain, killing neurons. Might be good if you've taken some shots to the head. I worked in bars and got punched in the face a few times - but not anything like the shots taken by football players. (Plus, methylene blue makes your urine a rich emerald green.)

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