Part I: How To Choose Quality Nutritional
Products
It is estimated that
80% of American adults take nutritional supplements. With
that being said, nutrition is big business and there are many
brands available to choose from. How do you know which brand
will offer the best ingredients, the right dosages, or if
the line of supplements you have chosen is formulated for
proper absorption by the body? Consumers often assume that
the most expensive product will meet all of these quality
measures. It is the, "you get what you pay for" mentality.
Is a price tag the only measuring stick? No, price point is
not always an indicator of quality. Let us examine some other
important quality assurance measures.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA) be sure that the multivitamin you choose contains:
Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, folic acid and several of
the carotenoids (alpha- and beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin,
zeaxanthin, lycopene and lutein) for preventative measures
against chronic disease. Use caution when purchasing single
ingredient products. Ingestion of too much vitamin A can be
toxic, particularly if there are defects in the liver function.
Ignore nutritional fads that tell you to load up on one particular
vitamin. Just like a balanced diet, it is important to strive
for balance with vitamin supplementation. "Purchase a professionally
designed broad-spectrum nutritional supplement in which the
questions of completeness, potency, balance and synergy have
been factored into the formulation." Comparative
Guide to Nutritional Supplements
According to ConsumerLab.com's Guide To Buying Vitamins and
Supplements, the 9 most common concerns when choosing a supplement
are:
- Too little or no active ingredient
(cutting cost and putting less in the bottle)
- Too much active ingredient (too much
of some vitamins can cause toxicity)
- Wrong ingredient (can result in toxicity)
- Dangerous or illegal ingredients (can
result in toxicity)
- Contamination (can be toxic and carcinogenic)
- Unexpected ingredients ("spiked products"
to increase its immediate effects)
- Poor disintegration (interfering with
absorption)
- Misleading or insufficient product
information (product may have far less of the active ingredient
expected)
- Misleading or unsupported health claims
(making promises that they can't keep)
Purity is imperative. It is very difficult
for the average consumer to know what nutrients are in their
most bioavailable (absorbable) forms, what is the exact name
of the nutrient (most ingredients have more than one name),
or if it is in the recommended balanced amounts. Simply, be
sure that the brand of product that you choose is compliant
with U.S. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). If it doesn't
state it on the label, then write down the company information
and look them up on the Internet or call the company and ask.
Delaying your purchase for a day or two to ensure that you
invest in a quality product that can be assimilated and used
by your body affectively is worth it. It can be the difference
between taking something that is beneficial to your health
and taking something that is detrimental to your health.
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