One of the cornerstone principles of choosing the very best product is finding a company that does a lot of testing.
Discover the truth about natural supplements
Have you ever been down the aisle in a store and been totally overwhelmed at the massive amount of vitamins, dietary supplements, mineral supplements, and on and on?
- Dietary supplements are intended to “supplement” our diet.
- There are many different types of supplements depending on the ingredients.
- Supplements must not be represented for use as conventional food, and be labeled as such.
- Supplements may contain vitamins. There is plenty to say on this subject which is why we have devoted a separate page on vitamins.
- Conventional foods must have “Nutrition Facts” panel on their label and dietary supplements must have “Supplement Facts” panel.
- Supplements may contain other ingredients such as enzymes, herbs or other botanicals, minerals, or amino acids.
Caution – Dangerous additive!
Read the ingredient list! – Color additives, (Ti02-NPs), titanium dioxide nanoparticles are minerals synthetically prepared and typically used for its whitening effects and is used in some supplements.
It is used internally and externally.
It is dangerous and increasingly on the rise in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Titanium dioxide has been linked to cancer, inflammation, pulmonary damage, fibrosis, and lung tumors.[1]
Titanium dioxide is used in many foods also.
Here are just a few items where you may find Titanium Dioxide
- Medications (especially those that come in a white tablet)
- Sunscreens
- White powders on foods and donuts
- Prepared foods
- Processed deli meats
- Dairy drinks
- Processed snacks
So what is a natural supplement ?
Natural comes from herbal or sometimes called botanicals
Vitamins / supplements originate mainly in plants. There are recorded instances that plants have been used for medicinal purposes as far back as 1500 B.C.[2] God created these plants in the beginning to help nourish our bodies. See Genesis 1:29
Over time, chemists learned how to synthesize compounds, some which are derived from plants. These were, for the most part, more potent and toxic than the natural. Most of the pharmaceuticals today are isolate, synthetic compounds and are chemically different from the actual vitamin complexes that you find in real foods. Stay away from anything synthetic. Most of these are derived from petroleum products and the body will not recognize them or absorb them as a nutrient. They will pass through the body without being absorbed and will ultimately cause toxicity in the body. Be sure to look for the “food based” natural with no synthetics added.
Look at who developed the product
Look at who the developers and manufacturers are for the supplement. Find a product that has been developed by someone you can trust. I look for a holistic minded company that has a passion for teaching and helping people like us.
What is their goal and purpose behind developing the product? Where are they manufactured?
None are perfect but use the product that has the backing of research, research scientists and doctors that are in it for the purpose of helping others.
What you should know
Take mineral supplements that are bio-available
- It’s important that the minerals are in a form that allows them to be absorbed easily into your body like citrate or aspartate.
- A low quality supplement will contain carbonate or sulfate. These are hard for the body to break down.
- Take supplements in their naturally occurring form, when possible.
Absolutely stay away from fillers, artificial ingredients and preservatives
- Use hypoallergenic supplements.
- Do not use supplements that contain dyes and artificial sugars.[3]
- Some claims by manufacturers are false! Find a company that can substantiate their claim and does regular testing on their products!
First, keep in mind that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration do not determine whether dietary supplements are effective before they are marketed, however, they do have quality standards in place.
The National Office of Dietary Supplements indicates that a supplement’s safety depends on things such as its chemical makeup, how it works in the body, how it is prepared, and the dose used.
The point here is, don’t assume that the government has approved a product just because it is on the market. The manufacturer is responsible to provide supporting research for their health claims along with a disclaimer that the FDA hasn’t evaluated the claim. Once on the market the FDA will do some random testing to validate that it is a safe product.
In a study by Consumer Reports, 30% of probiotic supplements fall short on listed amounts of helpful organisms.
Heat kills enzymes that are found in living plants!
At 122 degrees enzymes are completely destroyed. Many juice and superfood powders are heated during the processing stages.
Heat also impacts the essential oils, minerals and other phyto-nutrients. These elements will be better utilized if live enzymes are present when consumed.
Several products were tested and the closest one had 35% of the enzymes of BarleyMax product. See all the results at the Raw Food Lab.
Do I really need suppplements and vitamins ?
I am on a vegan or vegetarian diet – do I still need supplements
The short answer is most likely. Here’s why –
I get all I need from the nutrient rich vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits! Most likely this is false.
This is a question that many people ask about especially if they are not feeling very well.
In a test results where 54 people had been on a Healthy Diet for at least two years showed that 47% of those tested were deficient in B12. Plant foods contain no B12. And – 39% of those who consumed animal sourced foods were deficient in B12 also.[4]
Another factor that we tend to overlook is the environment that we live in. Our bodies were created to deal with and eliminate many of the toxins that come into our bodies but we need to take a step back and take a look at why we are getting sicker as a nation.
Packaged and processed foods that are loaded with chemicals, additives, preservatives, and contain no fiber, are void of the important vitamins and minerals we need. Soils that have been treated with petroleum based fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides have depleted the rich soils necessary for vitamin rich vegetables and grains.
NEVER forget this one important concept – Supplements, or for that matter, anything that we take into our bodies will not keep us from getting sick – it is our immune system that will protect us. Two things need to occur. One is to take into our bodies the things that will empower our immune system. Two, stop putting things into our bodies that weaken our immune system!
Supplements do just that – help support and build our immune system
It is our weakened immune system, due to insufficient nutrition that allows us to get sick. Man will never come up with a better defense system to fight disease than what God created in us – our immune system!
Overcome toxicity and deficiency and in most cases our immune systems will take care of the rest!
Have you ever wondered why, after all these years, the drug companies haven’t been able to come up with a cure for cancer, the common cold or flu. The pharmaceutical companies have many drugs and shots they give out but the only “cure” will come when we have created the proper environment for our own immune system to function as designed.
Studies show that it is not the cold or flu virus itself that makes us sick – it’s our immune system’s response to these viruses. Science daily[5]
[i] FDA, Scientific publications, Abstract, J Food Drug Anal 2014 March 22, Genotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles.
[2] University of Minnesota, Taking charge of your health & wellbeing, botanical medicine, how long have humans used botanicals
[3] Myhdiet.com, health news, search, how to choose the best quality nutritional supplements
[4] Hallelujah Acres – Health News, last word on supplements
[5] Science Daily
