Browsed by
Tag: Supplements

What to Look For When Buying Nutritional Supplements

What to Look For When Buying Nutritional Supplements

pillsThere are quite literally hundreds of different brands of nutritional supplements (also called dietary supplements) on the market today, and it’s difficult for the average consumer to tell the difference between one and another. Each manufacturer claims that its products are supportive of your health, but how can you really determine if a nutritional supplement is safe and effective? Then there’s the price tag. Brands vary considerably in cost—one multivitamin may cost 20 cents per day, whereas another can cost a whopping $7.50! How can you decide whether it’s worth it? Our goal is to provide you with some practical advice—basic facts combined with a few do’s and don’ts—that you can use to be a more educated consumer if you decide to buy nutritional supplements.

Just because a nutritional supplement is “natural” does NOT necessarily mean it is safe. There are plenty of products that can be dangerous if you suffer from certain health conditions, use them along with certain other foods, medicines or supplements, or take them incorrectly. Even if you avoid interactions and take a supplement correctly, it is still possible for your body to have a negative reaction to a supplement. If this happens, stop taking the supplement immediately and see your doctor.

The FDA regulates dietary supplements very lightly. A supplement manufacturer does not need FDA approval to put its products on the market, but the FDA is responsible for monitoring the products’ safety, removing them only if they have caused problems. However, the FDA does require that manufacturers follow “good manufacturing practices” for processing and that they meet quality standards. This includes ensuring that the supplement contains the stated amount of ingredients and that it is free from contamination from things such as pesticides and heavy metals.

One thing to look for in a nutritional supplement is the “USP Verified” seal of approval. This is given to products that meet the stringent requirements for quality, purity and potency as established by the non-profit group U.S. Pharmacopeia.

The form in which you take your dietary supplements may also make a difference. Tablets tend to contain more fillers and binders than capsules because the powder they are made from must stick together in a regular mass. They may also be coated to keep it from falling apart and to make swallowing easier. They may also have added coloring and flavoring to make them more palatable. All else equal, it usually makes sense to avoid these. Capsules or gel caps are more likely to be free from excess fillers and binders. But if you are vegetarian or vegan, be sure to read the label to ensure the capsules are not derived from animal sources (cellulose is the most common vegan-friendly form of capsule).

Always read the product’s label thoroughly to see exactly what each supplement contains. While buying the most expensive supplement obviously won’t guarantee its quality or effectiveness, it is often true that you get what you pay for. Cheap supplements are frequently made from inferior ingredients or those that cost less to manufacture, and are often less readily absorbed by the body. Who wants to pay for supplements only to have them flushed down the toilet? A high-quality supplement will be more bioavailable, which is what you’re taking it for in the first place!

As with most other products, it usually pays to do a little homework before choosing a manufacturer and buying a supplement. Above all, you’ll want a manufacturer who has a good reputation and stands behind its products. Good companies will stress their excellent quality control and will be happy to provide you with independent evaluations of their products. Many chiropractors have specialized training and experience related to nutrition, and can help you decide which dietary supplements might be right for you.

When It Comes to Nutritional Supplements, Quality Counts!

When It Comes to Nutritional Supplements, Quality Counts!

nutritional-supplements-multi-colo
nutritional-supplements-multi-colo

Nutritional supplements are one way that many of us try to improve our health and to support our efforts to lose weight, stop smoking, and more. Although using good quality supplements can be beneficial to your health, it can be difficult to determine which ones really fit the bill. Supplement makers are lightly regulated relative to the pharmaceutical industry, and there have been specific ingredients and some products pulled from the store shelves only after they have proved harmful to a number of people. When the New York Attorney General recently revealed the results of a probe into supplement sales at four top national retailers and found that many products didn’t actually contain the correct ingredients, it came as no surprise to some experts who have worried about poor quality control and manufacturer fraud for years.

A Matter of Omission

While many of us might be more concerned about what’s in a supplement that shouldn’t be, it can also be a big problem if the product doesn’t actually contain the key ingredients listed on the label. If an individual is depending on a particular supplement to remain healthy, the lack of key ingredients could have serious consequences that the user may not be aware of. In a number of cases, key ingredients had apparently been replaced with cheap fillers or other alternatives that not only failed to meet the specific nutritional need but that also had the potential to cause harm to some consumers.

Herbal Ingredients: What You May Not Know

Many supplements use herbs in their products as their main ingredients. Because these herbs are “all natural”, many people mistakenly believe that they cannot harm you or have side effects similar to those of prescription drugs. In reality, herbs can and do interact with each other, with other foods and with medications to produce unexpected results. And this is true even when nutritional supplements are properly labelled. When supplements are manufactured poorly and/or deliberately misrepresented through their labeling, this can make matters even worse.

Need an example? Consider the consumer who believes that she is purchasing an herbal supplement that is wheat-free when. Now suppose that the supplement contains NONE of the herb listed as the primary ingredient but that it DOES contain wheat. If the consumer has a wheat allergy or is on a gluten-free diet, taking these supplements could cause health problems that would be both serious and completely unexpected. In the New York Attorney General’s investigation, some of the products that were found to be improperly labeled were:

  • Ginkgo Biloba
  • John’s Wart
  • Valerian Root
  • Probiotics
  • Ginseng
  • Garlic
  • Saw Palmetto
  • Echinacea

Protecting Yourself from Low Quality Supplements

By now it should be clear that choosing a nutritional supplement isn’t only a matter of selecting the right type to get the health benefits you’re looking for. It’s also a matter of purchasing a high-quality product that contains ONLY what it should. However, the current regulatory approach—essentially self-regulation–doesn’t inspire confidence and leaves consumers more vulnerable to shortcuts in manufacturing and quality control as well as deliberate misrepresentation or fraud.

What can be done? Several very well-regarded companies manufacture high-quality nutritional supplements to the same standard as heavily regulated pharmaceutical firms. Many of these companies distribute their products exclusively through the offices of healthcare professionals, including chiropractic physicians and nutritionists. If you’re interested in learning more about nutritional supplements and what you can do to be sure that the ones you take are safe and effective, we encourage you to call or visit our office today!

The Benefits of Calcium

The Benefits of Calcium

milk-bottles-200-300Just about everyone has heard about the importance of calcium in maintaining strong bones and teeth. In fact, 99 percent of the calcium in our body is stored in our bones. However, the remaining one percent that is located in our blood and cells is just as important. It is necessary to maintain many of the body’s vital functions, and if you do not get adequate calcium from your diet to keep the required amount in your blood, the mineral will be taken from your bones to meet the need.

Heart rhythm, muscle contraction, wound healing, blood clotting and transmission of messages between nerves and between cells are some of the important things that calcium facilitates. In addition to helping prevent osteoporosis, calcium may also reduce the risk of colon cancer, lower high blood pressure, reduce symptoms of PMS (bloating, food cravings, pain and mood swings) by 50 percent, and protect against breast cancer.

The recommended daily intake of calcium for different groups is as follows:

Infants 0-6 months: 210 mg/day

Infants 7-12 months: 270 mg/day

Children 1-3 years: 700 mg/day

Children 4-8 years: 1,000 mg/day

Adolescents 9-18 years: 1,300 mg/day

Adults 19-50 years: 1,000 mg/day

Adults 51+ years: 1,200 mg/day

Most signs of calcium deficiency do not appear until it has become a serious problem. Increased bone fractures are the most common sign. Severe calcium deficiency can cause tingling or numbness of the fingers, an abnormal heart rhythm and convulsions. However, these cases are rare. Most people are able to meet their daily calcium requirement through their diet, but supplementation may be recommended for some people. Those who drink large amounts of caffeinated beverages, soda or alcohol, and postmenopausal women may benefit from calcium supplements.

Taking too much calcium can also cause problems, so don’t take any more than is appropriate for your age group. Excess calcium intake (most often by taking too many supplements) has been implicated in a higher risk of kidney stones, heart attack, stroke and hardening of the arteries.

Calcium is best absorbed when taken with a meal, along with vitamin D. Magnesium is also necessary for the proper integration of calcium into the bones, but it should be taken separately from when you take your calcium, as it (and iron) can interfere with calcium absorption. So take any magnesium and iron supplements at the opposite end of the day from when you take your calcium.

Foods highest in calcium include dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt, and dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, Swiss chard, mustard greens and bok choy. Other good sources of calcium are sardines, oysters, broccoli, almonds, Brussels sprouts and seaweed.