A lot of people are supplementing their diet these days, either because they know why we need to supplement or they are blindly taking the latest fad pill. Either way, you need to know that what you are taking is actually giving you the nutrients that you seek, and that comes down to one word: quality. Quality ingredients and quality manufacturing processes.
For some products, you can save and skimp on quality. For example, you could buy a cheap mp3 player. It won't have all the cool features, will have less storage space, run slower and probably fall apart or stop working sooner than the more expensive versions. But initially, the function will be the same. You will be able to listen to your music files.
With nutrition, it is a whole other story. If your products are made from low quality ingredients or produced through less than the best quality procedures, they will not work at all. Then you will literally be pissing your money down the drain.
The supplements industry is not regulated like the food and drug industry. If you buy an over the counter pain killer, like paracetamol or ibuprofen, in the name brand and the generic brand, the active ingredients are going to be the same.
An interesting example, given in a recent blog, is Black Cohosh, an excellent supplement for menopausal women. The article highlighted that though the label might say black cohosh, it might not be the right genus nor extracted from the root instead of the leaves nor standardised for triterpene glycosides (the key active constituent). Studies have only been done on the former of all these conditions. Natures Sunshine Black Cohosh products (both with Licorice Combination and with Dong Quai) fulfill all these standards.
Another consideration when it comes to quality must be what is in the bottle, as well as the active ingredient that it states on the label. This means that there should not be a heap of garbage and filler in the product. A lot of supplements on the market are synthetic and filled with sugar and other starchy fillers.
The product should also only contain what it is suppose to and no other active ingredients- some 'herbal' formulas were recently found in North America to contain pharmaceutical drugs!
Also, is there the correct ingredients in the product to facilitate the active ingredient working. For example, some calcium supplements may contain just pure calcium carbonate, but the body needs both calcium and magnesium along with Vitamin D and other minerals to build bones. Pure calcium carbonate will only succeed in neutralising your stomach acid, leading to reduced absorption of other nutrients and digestive problems.
For some products, you can save and skimp on quality. For example, you could buy a cheap mp3 player. It won't have all the cool features, will have less storage space, run slower and probably fall apart or stop working sooner than the more expensive versions. But initially, the function will be the same. You will be able to listen to your music files.
With nutrition, it is a whole other story. If your products are made from low quality ingredients or produced through less than the best quality procedures, they will not work at all. Then you will literally be pissing your money down the drain.
The supplements industry is not regulated like the food and drug industry. If you buy an over the counter pain killer, like paracetamol or ibuprofen, in the name brand and the generic brand, the active ingredients are going to be the same.
An interesting example, given in a recent blog, is Black Cohosh, an excellent supplement for menopausal women. The article highlighted that though the label might say black cohosh, it might not be the right genus nor extracted from the root instead of the leaves nor standardised for triterpene glycosides (the key active constituent). Studies have only been done on the former of all these conditions. Natures Sunshine Black Cohosh products (both with Licorice Combination and with Dong Quai) fulfill all these standards.
Another consideration when it comes to quality must be what is in the bottle, as well as the active ingredient that it states on the label. This means that there should not be a heap of garbage and filler in the product. A lot of supplements on the market are synthetic and filled with sugar and other starchy fillers.
The product should also only contain what it is suppose to and no other active ingredients- some 'herbal' formulas were recently found in North America to contain pharmaceutical drugs!
Also, is there the correct ingredients in the product to facilitate the active ingredient working. For example, some calcium supplements may contain just pure calcium carbonate, but the body needs both calcium and magnesium along with Vitamin D and other minerals to build bones. Pure calcium carbonate will only succeed in neutralising your stomach acid, leading to reduced absorption of other nutrients and digestive problems.
So, unlike people, not all supplements were created equal. That is why I recommend Natures Sunshine products. They use over 300 tests and procedures to ensure the premium quality of their products and are backed by a 100 percent premium quality guarantee. They test for purity and potency of ingredients and finished products are also tested to assure that all label claims are met. Raw materials, including herbs, are tested for unwanted contamination such as arsenic, lead, aluminum and cadmium, as well as bacterial infestation.
