I C A N G E T I T C H E A P E R A T . . .
How often have you heard, "I can get it
cheaper at GNC ( Walgreens or other
retailer)? Let your patients know that
there can be problems with shopping
for the lowest price. One big problem
is that the product may not contain
any of the ingredients you think you
are buying.
In 2015 the New York
State attorney general's
office accused four
major retailers of
selling fraudulent
herbal supplements.
Products from GNC,
Target, Walgreens and
Wal-Mart were tested.
They discovered that
most (80%) of the
products did not
contain ANY of the
herbs listed on their labels. The tests
revealed that most of the herbal
products often contained little more
than cheap fillers like powdered rice,
asparagus and houseplants, and in
some cases substances that could be
dangerous to those with allergies.
Ginseng pill that were purchased at Wal
-Mart contained garlic powder and rice,
but no ginseng. The Wal-Mart brand of
Ginkgo biloba contained powdered
radish, houseplants and wheat, but no
Ginkgo biloba. At Target, Ginkgo biloba,
St John's wort and valerian were all
found to be lacking in
the label denoted
claims. At GNC Ginkgo
biloba, St John's wort,
genseng, Echinacea
and Saw Palmetto
were also being sold
without containing the
herbs promised on the
label. At Walgreens
Ginkgo biloba, St
John's wort, ginseng,
garlic, and Echinacea
did not contain the
herbs listed on the label.
Since regulation of supplements is
spotty at best, it is a good idea to buy
your nutritional products from a trusted
source. Biotics Research is licensed as
a producer of pharmaceutical grade
nutritional products.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD SUPPLEMENT?
Does the company actually make the
vitamin? Many companies do not do vitamin?
their own manufacturing, making it very
difficult to do any kind of quality control.
Quality of components: Oyster shell has Quality of components:
calcium, but the body can’t use it (just
like your car can’t use the gasoline in
coal). Calcium carbonate is cheap, but is
not well absorbed, and it may contain
lead. Calcium citrate is much more
expensive than the oyster shell or the
carbonate. A high quality supplement
will use the citrate, a poor one will use
oyster shell or carbonate. There are
similar quality issues for just about
every vitamin and herb.
The quality of herbal constituents in a
lot of products is often questionable.
Herbs contain various active ingredients
and if the quality or the preparation of
the herb is not good, the product can be
completely useless.
Label claims: Are the ingredients listed Label claims:
on label actually contained in the
product? You would be shocked at how
often they are not (see page 1). Many
companies don’t actually produce their
own vitamins, and they don’t test what
they buy. Without testing, you can be
misled about the content of the product.
Second, by the time the product
changes hands several times, anywhere
along the line someone can substitute
cheaper or even phony ingredients and
not be held accountable. The product
can be contaminated when it
changes hands. Sometimes the
label claims are fraudulent. Health
care practitioners that deal with
nutrition should take the time to
find reputable manufacturers—like
Biotics Research.
Are the products tested for quality
or for contaminants? There is not a or for contaminants?
lot of government regulation in this
industry. The best way to protect
yourself is to find a company that
you trust, that makes its own
products and tests the quality and
purity of its products.
Where did the materials come
from? Most of the botanicals from?
purchased in the US come from the
Far East. There are manufacturing
practices in some Third World
countries that would surprise many
Americans. You want to buy from a
manufacturer that checks on their
suppliers—like Biotics Research.
How is the tablet or capsule made?
Something as simple as how a
tablet is produced can affect
bioavailability. Many manufacturers
use inert ingredients that interfere
with the absorption of the nutrients.
Capsules generally have less inert
material than tablets. Biotics
Research makes tablets that are
extremely bioavailable, they are
made of food. In general, supplements in capsules are better absorbed
than supplements in tablets (with the exception,
of course, of the vegetable-based tableting
mentioned in the last paragraph). But even
capsules can contain inert ingredients that
interfere with absorption. Sometimes it is
necessary to use a little cellulose in capsules that
contain very little active ingredient or with
nutrients or herbal extracts that will not flow
properly in the capsuling machine. When high
volume is a concern of the manufacturer, inert
ingredients are added to enable the machines to
work faster. It speeds up production, but makes
the vitamin less absorbable.
How long will the product keep its potency on the
shelf? This is another “label claims” issue. shelf?
Vitamins break down over time. Will the label be
accurate after six months? A year? Is there a
clear expiration date on the vitamins? If the vitamins
(minerals, herbs whatever) are produced in exactly
the amounts that are listed on the label, in a short
period of time the label will be inaccurate because
the nutrients will break down. A good company will
put more of each ingredient into a capsule or tablet
so that the label claims will be true in one or even
two years.
Are the formulations good? Is there research and Are the formulations good?
clinical evidence to support the use of a given
supplement? Is it a reasonable formulation for the
desired outcome? Is there support information that
is reasonable and credible? Has the company
designed a product that will get results? Many times
companies jump on bandwagons and aggressively
market substances that really don’t work the way
consumers think they will. We can help you know the
difference between marketing and science.
QUALITY MATTERS
While everyone loves a bargain, there are
some problems with shopping for
supplements using only price as a guideline.
The difference in quality between different
brands of supplements is often considerable.
Also, treating yourself or relying on untrained
individuals for health advice is not a good
idea.
Vitamins are cofactors that help the
thousands of biochemical reactions that occur
in the body. If they are not absorbed well or
are in a form that is not well utilized by the
body, they will not produce the desired result.
Does Quality Matter in Ice Cream or Wine? Does Quality Matter in Ice Cream or Wine?
Herbs, vitamins and minerals are meant to be
utilized by the body, to help with physiology
and biochemistry. Think of wine or ice cream.
The only physiologic concern with these
products is taste, but what a difference
between the quality of a cheap product and a
good one. Compare the taste of a premium
ice cream to the cheap store brand; the
difference is considerable. Compare
inexpensive wine to Laffite Rothschild. It
should be obvious that the difference
between the quality of vitamins and herbs
should be at least as great.
What is Bioavailability?
You need to realize that supplements are
molecules that promote physiologic
activity in the body. Just as a good ice
cream gets a favorable response from
your taste buds, a good supplement
creates chemical reactions that are
favorable to the body. Quality and
bioavailability are important.
Bioavailability is a difficult concept for
some patients to grasp. It has to do
with how well the supplement is
utilized by the body. There is gasoline
in coal, however you just can’t run
your car on coal. Similarly, there are
ingredients listed on a supplement’s
label that are as useless to your body
as coal is to your automobile.
Let's talk about something a basic as
calcium, for example. Some
companies use calcium carbonate as
their calcium source because it is
cheap. Calcium carbonate is
limestone, and it is not absorbed by
the body very well. Also, some studies
have shown that calcium carbonate
can be a source of lead, which is very
toxic.
If you decide to save money and buy
a product with calcium carbonate, not
only will you not absorb the calcium,
but you may be damaging your
nervous system with highly toxic lead.
Since there is not a lot of federal
control over the quality of
supplements, it is vital that you
become a smart consumer and not
make your supplement decisions
based on price alone.Basically you have to trust your manufacturer, or
at least have checked them out. Many of the best
manufacturers sell only to health care
practitioners. There’s a lot to know when buying
supplements and herbs. Health care is complex
and you may realize that the quality of the
products you use may make the difference
between getting a good result and not having your
patient improve. Quality is so important when
talking about health.
By Dr. Paul G. Varnas & WholeHealthAmerica.com
