Safe supplements on the market are not as common as one would hope; What Supplements You Should Avoid Because They Are Unsafe, Don’t Get Absorbed, Don’t Have Any Health Benefits & Are Guaranteed To WASTE Your Money; And Which Ones You Should Select!
The three most important criteria when selecting a nutritional supplement…
Is The Supplement Safe To Take?
Supplements are simply an encapsulated group of ingredients taken from plants, or created in a laboratory. Inside the capsule can be many harmful substances – both immediate hazards and accumulative ones.
Check the source of the ingredients since many herbs from China and other regions in the world may be contaminated. In commercial cultivation, organo-chlorine pesticides are often used.
Make sure the supplements or products you take are tested for contamination. The best way to assure a safe product is to verify that the product is manufactured at a facility that is FDA-approved. Yes, I know what you are thinking…I sure don’t like the FDA, but in this case it’s safe to assume that an FDA-approved manufacturing facility operates under the strict requirements that the FDA enforces, including the fact that every single ingredient coming into the facility is tested.
Another great tip when researching the safety of a product or supplement is to ask for a copy of the ‘Certificate of Analysis’. This certificate indicates that a third party takes a sample of the product on a regular basis and compares it to the original. This is important because recent reports show that with 5 out of 8 supplements, the label does not match its content. This is scary! If the stuff listed on the label is not in the supplement, what is? If the manufacturer or company cannot produce this certificate or is unwilling to forward you a copy, don’t waste your time and money!
The ingredients in your supplement need to be organic whole foods. Any synthetically derived nutrients have a very poor absorption and usually contain preservatives and fillers, often times even sugar. It’s obvious that these synthetically derived nutrients almost defeat the point of taking a supplement!
Is The Supplement Absorbed?
Supplements (as well as food) travel through the digestive tract, from the stomach, to the intestines, to the blood stream and to their final destination (the cells) – if everything goes right. There is a lot that can go wrong! Evaluate your supplements, their delivery ‘vehicle’ or technology, and make sure you’re not wasting your money on supplements that have a poor absorption!
The ingredients in your supplement need to be organic whole foods. Synthetically derived vitamins, minerals or other nutrients have a very poor absorption rate because our body does NOT recognize them! For example, most manufacturers use metallic minerals in their supplements because they are much cheaper (mass production). These metallic minerals have an absorption rate of ONLY 8%, what a waste! Minerals derived from plants on the other hand are absorbed by our body for almost a 100%!
The ‘Vehicle’ of a supplement or product refers to the medium in which the ingredients or nutrients are carried. Good ‘vehicles’ have health benefits themselves, optimize and synergize the nutrients, and facilitate the absorption of these nutrients. A good ‘vehicle’ is crucial since it is responsible for bringing the nutrients to their final destination, the cells!
Aloe vera for example is commonly used as a ‘vehicle’ in natural supplements. Aloe vera contains over 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds, including 20 minerals, 18 amino acids, and 12 vitamins. Aloe itself has multiple health benefits, and optimizes the absorption of other natural nutrients.
Are There Proven Health Benefits?
Companies will promote superior ingredients, liquid vitamins being better than capsules, capsules being better than tablets, etc. Don’t be distracted by the hype! Bottom line – Are there proven health benefits from taking the supplements? Be aware that there is a difference between proven ingredients and a proven product and isolate a good nutrition company as a consumer!
Many companies will brag about the ingredients of their product and use reports, research and claims made regarding these ingredients. BE AWARE! Often, their PRODUCT contains a cheap rip-off of that original, beneficial ingredient; or their ingredients are not plant-derived or not authenticated. In other words, THEY WON’T WORK! Make sure the ingredients are all natural and organic, and come from parts all over the world (where they are originally grown), and are tested for safety!
The organic foods or ingredients have to come from pristine areas where these foods ORIGINALLY grow. Many natural foods, plants and herbs are cultivated in other areas than the original one. The soil and climate are usually different and this alters the properties of the food, plant or herb.
Furthermore it’s important to know that certain constituents of foods and plants, which carry the beneficial health properties, are ONLY found in certain parts of that food or plant. For example, the beneficial properties of Aloe vera are found in the nutritious inner gel of this cactus-like species and not in the outer rind of the leaf.
And there is more to know! The maturation stage of each food, plant or herb also dictates its properties.
A great example is the South African Hoodia which is known to be the most potent all natural appetite suppresser. This plant grows in the South African desert, and matures in 5 to 7 years at which age it contains the P57 molecule that carries the appetite curbing properties. In short, for the Hoodia to be effective, origin and maturity need to be authenticated. Unfortunately, most Hoodia sold on the market today is not from the South African desert and is prematurely picked.
In short, we will have to supplement with products that REALLY work. Unfortunately, they are a rare find. Later in this book we will compare the most popular meal replacements on the market and find out which one is the World’s finest! We will also discuss and compare some other supplements that will assist in healthy weight loss, such as metabolic boosts, cleansers and appetite suppressants.
Yours in Optimal Health,
Dr. Mike
Join the Wellness Revolution
Visit Dr. Mike’s Store for Health & Wellness Products
Related Articles
Tags: natural supplements, nutritional supplements, supplements
Smart video!
Comment by Steven — January 4, 2010 @ 4:35 pm
Are there any liquid supplements I can add to protein shakes?
Comment by Henry — January 4, 2010 @ 4:44 pm
[...] Criteria To Select The Right Supplements Swine flu vaccinations cause serious reactions but authorities keep quiet…of course! Blood Chemistry – LRA-Test [...]
Pingback by Blood Chemistry – LRA-Test | Dr Mike's Wellness Revolution | Join The Wellness Program! — January 4, 2010 @ 5:00 pm