How to choose Supplements wisely
In humans, scientists believe that excess oxidative stress plays an important role in the initiation and promotion of atherosclerosis, cancer, cataract, arthritis and other degenerative diseases. Exposure to environmental perils, such as smoking, pollution or irradiation, eventually increases the oxidative stress beyond the ability of the organism's defence system to cope with it.
To maintain health, we need a diversity of vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, and other nutrients. National health organizations have determined that we need 13 organic compounds and 19 inorganic elements for proper cell function. Because these cells are constantly under siege from free radical damage, there needs to be something extra to counteract that damage. Although we receive many of these nutrients from our diets, it is impractical and virtually impossible to obtain an optimal dose through diet alone.
The medical establishment, and the public at large, is at last awakening to the knowledge that Vitamin Supplements play a huge role in preventing disease and ensuring a long and healthy life. As knowledge about Nutrition and the need for increased potency of Vitamins and Minerals becomes better researched it has become clearer that a high percentage of people believe in taking supplements, and that this proactive approach to their own health, and the prevention of degenerative diseases, will save billions of dollars in health care costs.
There is still much we don't know about the ways nutrients work together. A healthy body is an extremely complex system, and each functional area requires a diverse mix of nutrients. For many reasons, nutritional supplementation should provide nutrients that are both balanced and in adequate doses. For example, certain vitamins supplied in isolation can result in other nutritional deficiencies, and many micronutrients can be toxic at excessive or imbalanced levels. All components need to work together both safely and effectively."
Please know that all vitamin and mineral supplements are NOT alike! You may be tempted to buy the biggest bottle of Vitamin C from the "big box" store pharmacy. But the perceived value may not be reflected in your desired outcome or result.
What follows are some questions and answers on HOW TO CHOOSE A NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT. There will be a brief mention as to why you need to start taking supplements, to understand the importance of providing the right ingredients - in the correct amounts, in the right balance, and in the correct forms - for all age groups. To be useful, all nutrients must be of high quality and be bio-available; in other words, in a form the body can absorb and use.
The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) lists essential vitamins and minerals in amounts necessary to ensure a continuation of life and to address nutritional deficits that may cause acute deficiency diseases. They should be formulated to do more than defend against deficiency diseases; they are designed to promote optimal health. The proper vitamin/mineral needs to contain greater amounts of almost all the necessary vitamins and minerals than are prescribed by the RDA.
There is need to expand the meaning of "essential" to include several nutrients that recent research has shown help to maintain optimal health. We need a combination of antioxidant compounds to counteract free-radical damage in the cells.
But mainly this will be how to buy something that will help you support your immune system. And this immune system is the very framework for your health and ultimately your life. It should be treated like gold!
While vitamin and herbal products are inherently safe, it is in their manufacturing where the real issues of consumer safety lie. It is fact that nutritional supplement companies are basically an uncontrolled industry. Contamination and adulteration of a nutritional or herbal product, intentional or otherwise, can have serious consequences for the unsuspecting consumer.
While government regulations provide for a measure of public oversight and an assurance of public safety, they do not necessarily act as an effective deterrent for the ‘unscrupulous '. There are enough gimmickry and quackery companies and products around, that, with regard to quality and safe manufacturing practices, the consumer must do their own “due diligence”.
HOW TO CHOOSE A NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT:
Why Do We Need To Supplement If We Eat Carefully?
Your body needs macronutrients as well as micronutrients. That means the broccoli (macro) and carrots (macro) you eat must have adequate amounts of both vitamins (micro) and minerals (micro). But our food value isn't nearly as abundant as it was 20 years ago. Many studies are available. These studies also include why your foods are so depleted in the appropriate nutrients.
What Are "Free Radicals" And "Anti-Oxidants"? Why should you know about them?
The most important medical discovery of the last half-century concerns "free radicals" and "anti-oxidants". Free radicals have been linked to (at last count) to at least 60 diseases. And we now have evidence that anti-oxidants can stop and (in some cases) can even reverse the damage done by free radicals" Dr. Robert D. Willix Jr.
Here is a definition of the term: "chronic": A chronic condition is continuous or persistent over an extended period of time. A chronic condition is one that is long-standing, not easily or quickly resolved. "Chronic" is the opposite of acute. Do you go to the doctor for fatigue, diabetes, heart problems, elevated cholesterol levels? Those are chronic illnesses.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has already reversed its position on the use of supplements. 'Policy-Reversal' of the American Medical Association - who now consider supplements to be a very important aspect in preventing disease.
JAMA Recommends Taking Supplements! Please draw your own conclusions.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/287/23/3127
The variety of nutritional supplement products out in the market place is staggering. It leaves the consumer with a very confused mind as to what are the correct supplements to take for their particular health concern. You are at the mercy of the Retailer who probably has no more knowledge than the consumer about the quality, and effectiveness, of one particular brand against another brand. The Retailer often has only the Sales Representative to rely on for information. That is where Ethics come into play. Many times Ethics are only important when the mighty Dollar is not. Nutritional companies are really not required to put in their tablets what they say is on their label. The quality of products that is placed in most supplements is of inferior quality and their manufacturing processes are generally suspect.
Of course not every Retailer or Distributor is totally concerned with just moving their products out the door but there are many who have not taken the time, or have the interest, to do their research.
Your challenge is to find the supplement best suited to your needs. To make this a little easier, included here is information from Lyle MacWilliam's highly respected 'Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements' (3rd edition) Lyle MacWilliam, BSc, MSc, FP. www.comparativeguide.com. It is suggested that you get a copy if you are serious about your health. He shares a lot of essential background knowledge, which allows you to make better-informed decisions.
Some people are willing to settle for "piecemeal" (individual products) and then create their own formulation. However, you may not know how to do this. You need a firm foundation of a balanced, complete supplement to complement your regular daily meals. Maybe then you can adjust the "add on' to fill in the "deficits".
A recent study of all common brands of vitamins bought off the shelf at Health Food Stores, Pharmacies, and Super Markets, were found to be made with the wrong ratio of nutrients or too little of the more expensive ingredients, or were missing some altogether. Also there are many companies who “fudge” the truth on their labelling. For instance the word “natural” is a big selling point but most pill ingredients are synthetic. It often pays to read the small print but then of course most consumers are not sufficiently educated to know what amounts of any nutrient has any benefits in the prevention of disease. But the consumer surely must be aware that you get what you pay for.
No matter which way you choose the fact remains that you are "buying" the expertise of the manufacturing company! (And don't kid yourself to think that because it's called a manufacturing company, the products are "unnatural" ...all products are manufactured somehow.)
This field of supplements, vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc. is largely unregulated. In Canada supplements are required to carry a DIN Drug Identification Number. So regulation is implied, but the important question is "does the manufacturer meet those standards. And if there are no regulations, how will you know what is safe to eat...
In order to see how to understand what you are trying to do, it would be a good idea to pretend that you are standing in the health food store or drugstore, ready to buy. (Please remember that there are many other providers of such supplements, and the same standards will apply. Your health is at stake.) Now you are faced with this row upon row of bottles, all labelled with words you aren't sure you understand. Some names jump out at you: Vitamin D, folic acid, Glucosamine sulfate. And then you see all these boxes of "multivitamins". You recognize names from TV ads. Surely they are safe and helpful?. Please continue your research by reading on.
Your basic concern should include three things:
1. the company's ability to provide the expert scientific knowledge,
2. the required quality of the manufacturing process, and
3. the ingredients of the highest quality that allows the cells require to grow and to remain healthy and vibrant.
It is guaranteed that unless you are an expert, you will be very confused and frustrated.
Pick up a bottle of what might be classified as a nutritional supplement. (We are not speaking about individual vitamins or minerals, although the same process could be applied to them.)
What Wording Are You Looking For?
The label should say something like: "LABORATORY TESTED, QUALITY GUARANTEED, MEETS USP SPECIFICATIONS FOR POTENCY, UNIFORMITY, DISINTEGRATION WHERE APPLICABLE."
These are your safeguards. This is the industry standard to follow. (Right away, you will have some difficulty finding supplements to choose from.) You also want to find an expiration date on the bottle and the company’s full address.
So what does "LABORATORY TESTED" mean?
It means testing all raw materials and the finished product for potency, contamination, dosage, stability, and dissolution. (To do that all raw materials are quarantined until samples have been taken and tested for Salmonella, E. coli, total plate count, moulds, yeast, fungi and Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph A).) Only after passing all these tests are these raw materials approved.
What does QUALITY GUARANTEED mean?
That should be obvious. You want a guarantee that you are buying a quality item. You need assurance that what you think you are buying and is labelled as such is in fact what is in the bottle. High-quality manufacturers will put the actual amounts of the nutrients found in their products on the label and give full disclosure of all the ingredients.
Vitamin manufacturing may not be regulated, but responsible manufacturers choose to meet the FDA standards. They also choose to follow "Good Manufacturing Practices" (GMP) established for drug manufacturers, in order to provide the highest quality of products in the industry. ) They will produce pharmaceutical-grade products designed to much higher standards than what the law requires.
What does MEETS USP SPECIFICATIONS FOR POTENCY, UNIFORMITY, DISINTEGRATION WHERE APPLICABLE mean?
USP stands for United States Pharmacopeia and this is another set of standards dealing with such things as Bioavailability. This is the degree and rate at which a substance (a drug or any other product) is absorbed into a living system (you) or is made available to the body. Through scientific research, it had been determined what your body needs and how all this fits together. It is not a guessing game. And it is a scientific fact that some ingredients won't work well with others in one form, but will be fine in another. The disintegration times of tablets are also tested to ensure that they will break down while in the gastrointestinal tract enabling your body to absorb them.
Poor manufacturing can destroy great science, and you really want these supplements to be scientifically "designed". The Quality Assurance teams keep detailed records of all activities including all testing and evaluation of raw materials, shipping, and storage procedures.
Is There An Expiration Date On The Container?
The potency has to remain past the expiration date.
Does The Label Say "Natural"? (Did you know that it is legal to say 100% natural, even though they just have 4% of the natural product in the container? Are mushrooms natural? Beware of the term.)
Are the supplements complete and balanced? "A supplement must supply in the correct balance and at potential shown to promote lifelong health. Avoid nutritional fads - insist on balance, completeness, and quality. Your health depends on it." Lyle MacWilliam. They should provide all of the essential nutrients to the cell at optimal levels, not RDA levels. Incidentally you will not find a manufacturer going to all the trouble of meeting strict regulations and standards voluntarily, and not apply these parameters or guidelines to all their other products. That would be foolish and a waste of money. After you have chosen the foundational products, stay with the same company for all your other needs. You have already done your research.
Why Shouldn't You Buy On Price?
A good question but recognize that price doesn't dictate quality and safety. Be aware that the cost of the scientific manufacturing does increase a cost of the product. And as the famous ad says "aren't you worth it"? So don't give your body's nutritional needs to the lowest-priced bottle or the latest gadget.
Does The Company Do Its Own "In-House" Manufacturing? It may be fine for your mushrooms to come from a generic manufacturing location, but it's important that your supplements can be checked and validated at every point. Trust the process. Your health is at stake. Another aspect to consider when you are researching a particular company is where it markets its products. A company that markets internationally usually has to follow higher standards than those who market only in the United States. Canada, Australia, and Western European countries have the highest standards for the manufacturing of nutritional supplements. Canada and Australia presently have some of the most restrictive requirements for nutritional supplements.
Does The Company Encourage Independent Testing? The more objective and professional processes the company participates in, the better the end product.
Does the company provide technical support?
Is there a 1800 number on the container? If you had a reaction to the product, you may need to contact them about the ingredients. So the number is very important. They will not be able to give you any medical advice, but they can give you all the answers to these questions.
Most importantly, you want a company that follows pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). This means that they purchase pharmaceutical-grade raw materials and then follow pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices in producing their supplements. These companies produce what is called pharmaceutical-grade supplements, meaning similar guidelines are followed for manufacturing their products as companies making over-the-counter or prescription medications.
Lifestyle & Nutrition: Key Factors In Health
How do you know what to take unless you are an expert? Chances are you won't know how to combine all the required items, including all the co-factors. The more antioxidants you take and the more variation your supplement provides the better. Also be sure that you are getting all the recommended levels of the minerals and the B-cofactors.
Trust someone who knows...it will most likely be the manufacturer who has already done the initial research and has participated in the scientific process for the basic supplement.
Get advice from someone who knows the company and its products if you are going to add any other products. These products will work synergistically.
Your goal is to choose an appropriate, value packed product. But in light of all the products you are faced with and that you are NOT going to choose, knowing a little of the science behind the manufacturing process will help you stand firm in your decision. You will learn a little about free radicals, these highly reactive forms of oxygen that damage cells throughout the body, anti-oxidants and the oxidative process, http://www.bionutrition.org/oxidative-stress.asp ,the wearing out or rusting out, of your body.
Then your decisions will be based on facts and wisdom.
It is important to remember that you are totally responsible for what goes on in your body. So you have to know what you need and what it will do to or for you. It doesn't matter if it's a vegetable or a supplement. The responsibility is yours alone. You may ask for advice, but the end decision is yours. What you put in should help your entire body stay healthy: be it food at the dinner table or a supplement to complement the food just eaten. Be aware that just like there are drug-interactions, there are also nutrient interactions that can create poor absorption and poor interactions.
In choosing a nutritional supplement, please consider that you don't know what your body actually needs or how you could find the required ingredients. Also, you wouldn't know how to formulate the necessary product. They should provide all of the essential nutrients to the cell at optimal levels, not RDA levels. There are Government guidelines that assure consumers that their medications and supplement tablets are of the highest quality and will dissolve properly and be readily absorbed into the body. Pharmaceutical-grade GMP’s would be rendered worthless if the company does not also follow USP standards for the dissolution of their tablets. If the tablet does not dissolve properly, it does not matter what they put in them.
Incidentally you will not find a manufacturer going to all the trouble of meeting strict regulations and standards voluntarily, and not apply these parameters or guidelines to all their other products. That would be foolish and a waste of money. After you have chosen the foundational products, stay with the same company for all your other needs. You have already done your research.
We must do all we can to rebuild our antioxidant systems with a healthy diet, but too you need to learn how complete and balanced nutritional supplementation with high quality supplements is our best hope in winning this war within and protecting our health.
If you are already taking supplements, compare them, using these guidelines. You need to spend a little time investigating the nutritional company you choose. And if you are already taking supplements, but not getting the desired results, maybe you should consider switching. According to the AMA, health is yours for the taking...of nutritional supplements.
