The Facts You Need To Know About Supplements To Enhance Your Health

Nearly 75% of the world population takes some type of supplement each day. There are literally thousands of brands and millions of products to choose from. Is there really a difference between them?

Fact #1: The FDA manufacturing standards are not rigid enough for Healing*Edge Science but are improving every year as research delivers warnings about the dangers of many different chemical such as FD&C dyes, sodium benzoate, dextrose, ethycellulose, and propylene glycol

Is there a difference between vitamins?

The FDA allows questionable fillers and binders such as; cork by products, chemical FD&C dyes, sodium benzoate, dextrose, ethycellulose, and propylene glycol to name only a few. Although these ingredients may be legal, what are the nutritional benefits? Reports have indicate that some of these ingredients can be toxic at certain levels with prolong use.

The FDA does not monitor the contents or purity of a supplement nor the source of a nutritional ingredient. The practitioners of Healing*Edge Sciences do. We have for over a decade.

Purity: What does it really mean? —Defined: The quality or state of being pure or unmixed with any other element.

In most cases, Impure ingredients are used by many companies. The FDA does not require manufacturers to list these ingredients (on the nutritional labels) if they are not added when making the final dosage form. Many times the raw materials may contain only 90% or less of the listed ingredients along with 10% or more corn starch and lactose. Lactose and corn are known allergens for some people. These items have been known to cause digestive disturbances and weaken the immune system. A conscientious company will not compromise the integrity of a product with such raw materials.

Hypoallergenic: What does it really mean? — Defined: non-allergy producing. A term applied to a preparation in which every possible care has been taken in formulation and production to ensure minimum instance of allergic reactions. (Blakiston’s Medical Dictionary)

Facts #2: Not all products are created equal

Pharmaceutical Grade: What does it mean?

There are basically three different grades of raw materials used in products they are:

• Pharmaceutical Grade – meets pharmaceutical standards
• Food Grade – meets standards set for human consumption
• Feed Grade – meets standards set for animal consumption

The difference between each grade type is one of quality and purity. In technical terms, no substance is 100% pure, for there are always other substances added to various products. The difference between the grades is one of how much of these other substances are present in the product.

There are several criteria by which pharmaceutical grade are judged. The product must be in excess of 99% purity with no binders, fillers, excipients, dyes, or unknown substances.

United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

The USP provides assurance to the consumer, as well as those involved in manufacturing and processing, that the quality and purity of the raw materials utilized are of pharmaceutical grade. Consequently, the USP guarantees a certain standard of excellence sold only through physicians and selected pharmacies. The bottom line is, if the product is not manufactured properly it may not work or could cause side effects. If you’re not sure what you are buying, ask for the facts.

Fact #3: Quality Control begins with the raw materials

There are numerous raw material suppliers. What makes one superior over the other begins with how the material is grown. Raw materials and quality control is the key to an excellent nutritional supplement.

Questions to ask about your supplements

• Is the product natural or synthesized?
• How were they cultured?
• Did the seeds come from organic sources?
• Were pesticides used at any point?
• Where were they grown?
• How were they harvested?
• Were fields depleted in the process?
• How often are the fields rotated?

Quality control begins by selecting the freshest active raw materials. Immediately after harvesting is completed the product starts to age. Transporting and storing the materials in a temperature controlled environment is pertinent to insure the longevity of the items. Once the finished products reach the warehouse, rotation and inventory control is the key to maintaining fresh supplements.

Just like food and drugs, vitamins age until they have lost their entire potency. Many people take vitamins all their life and wonder why they have medical problems. Medical problems can be magnified by improperly made, irresponsible stored or poor quality raw materials. Vitamins are a science just like drugs and all other product producing industries. Unfortunately, there will always be companies who prefer the bottom line in place of your health and quality products.

Fact #4: Transportation of a supplement is vital for proper absorption

As we age our enzyme bank depletes. The conversion of food and vitamins are more difficult and the breakdown can be challenging. Absorption into our cells is minimized often resulting in malnutrition. The proper cofactors must be included in a formulation in order to get nutritional benefits. Ratio balancing of the individual ingredients is another fact not to be ignored. Nutritional supplements are available in several forms. Consumers can buy them in tablets, liquids, or capsules. Let’s review each one separately.

Various Forms of Nutritional Supplements

Tablets are usually very hard consisting of binders and heavy coatings in order to maintain their shape. As you have already learned, binders can be invasive to the body if not carefully selected. Manufacturers produce tablets because they are economical. They tend to force many ingredients into one tablet trying to convince the consumer that their needs are met in one magic pill. Very few companies have mastered the proper technique of tablet making.

Liquids supplements are easy to absorb but require heavy dosing in order to achieve desired RDA allowances. They are cumbersome when traveling and tend to taste unpleasant. Often the taste must be disguised by some type of sweetener. Some sweeteners are harmful while others are perfectly acceptable. Know which sweetener is in the products your considering.

Capsules tend to be the industry’s favorite. The capsule is usually made of gelatin allowing easy breakdown of the nutrients inside. For the vegetarian there are capsules made from vegetable sources although they tend to cost more. Like tablets capsules can have fillers. This is done primarily to make the capsule look full and act as a non-caking agent.

Absorption of nutrients can only be attained by the proper catalyst accompanying it. Take iron for example. People can take all the iron they want but without folic acid and B-12 it can not reach the cells. A clear understanding of vitamins and nutrition is crucial prior to taking a nutrient. Trust the professionals at Healing*Edge Sciences they have years of experience behind them.

Fact #5: You can’t always judge a supplement by its cover

“Supplemental Facts” on the label do not always tell the facts. In most cases they don’t even come close. News journalists have recently discovered vitamin and nutritional products do not contain the milligrams listed on the label. Obviously, it is an impossible task for any agency to monitor every supplement that is on the market. This is a serious concern for Healing*Edge which is why specific procedures must be met and verified to insure consumer safety.

Globally, there are various units of measurements displayed on nutritional labels. Interpreting these labels requires the expertise of a professional who understands the difference between them along with the latest laws and regulations placed on the industry.

The DSHEA act of 1994, approved by our congress, mandated labels changes within our industry. Over the years policies and standards have been redefined. The rules and regulations have changed creating confusion to the consumers and unnecessary expenses to manufactures. Because our country trades on a global level It will take decades before a worldwide standard is set and acceptable to all governing bodies in this comprehensive industry.

Fact #6: Advertisement is not always in our best interest

Many companies spend billions of dollars in advertising hoping to convince the consumers to buy their brand. Catchy phrases and fancy buzz words are used to entice, stimulate and often mislead the general public. These are ploys used when the quality or the efficacy of a product is in question.

Healing*Edge Science likes to deal with facts. Our goal is to educate the public about health issues, offer serious alternatives and provide quality products backed by facts not advertising gimmicks.

Fact #7: Expiration dates: What do they really mean

Expiration dates have been used for years to increase sales in all industries. Example: If a drug has an expiration date of December 31, 2002 will it still be good January 1st. 2003. What is happening to that drug weeks and months before expiration date.

All drugs and vitamins start to age or break down the day after they are manufactured. Most all products are safe to take up to 1 year after expiration date. The concern is that the product may be less effective, the dosage may vary. Not all substances deteriorate at the same speed. For example: Vitamin A deteriorates one third faster then other vitamins. Quality vitamin manufacturers will beef up their vitamin A slightly to cover the time period that this vitamin may be on their shelf, distributors shelf, retailers shelf or in your home. A quality manufacturer will be sure their vitamins are approximately at the listed strength on the label at time of expiration.

Fact #8: How do you find quality vitamins

This is difficult for the average person. The following information is guidelines you may be able to follow.

• The store must be a high volume store. This means vitamin sales, not food sales.
• The store must maintain a temperature controlled environment.
• The store should not have a warehouse on or off the premises.
• The store should maintain a quality rotation policy.
• The store should have board certified staff operating the floor.
• The store needs to understand how vitamins are made, must know the manufacturers and have toured many of the vitamin labs they are carrying.
• The store must carry pharmaceutical grade vitamins.

Does your supplement brand measure up to standards?

This entry was posted in Healthcare, Supplements and tagged good manufacturing practices, fish oil, food grade supplements, pharmaceutical grade supplements,supplements, multi vitamins, probiotics on April 9, 2015 by David Block.

Potency of Supplements &

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

(The Following is an excerpt from ‘Healthcare Freedom Revolution: Exposing the Lies, Deceit and Greed of the Medical Profession‘ Revised Edition by Dr. Michelle Kmiec)

Does your supplement brand measure up to standards?

One of the strongest arguments that medical doctors, and pharmaceuticals companies have against supplements is that they aren’t regulated. So, we cannot be certain of the potency of the supplement. The next argument is (of course) that there isn’t enough valid research to prove this or that supplement is indeed effective (valid research is only accepted from pharmaceutical companies…oops).

I will address both of these claims:

The extreme irony of these claims is proven by the “so-called” research done by conventional medicine and pharmaceutical companies, which is less than credible. They all pour money into “pharmaceutical research” that is later recalled, because the research on the drug was not proven to be safe, but in fact was harmful! People are told that they do not need vitamins or supplements, unless of course it is sold as a pharmaceutical drug. For example, NIASPAN®, which is far more expensive than niacin sold as a supplement. Irony a top of irony!

So, how can a pharmaceutical company take a natural and cheap substance such as niacin, and turn it into an expensive drug? The claim, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), is since vitamin companies are not regulated, supplements, or in this case niacin, may “contain widely variable amounts of niacin, from none to much more than the label states”. While the drug NIASPAN® is of pharmaceutical grade. Meaning, the amount of niacin on the label is consistent with the amount in the pill, and from bottle to bottle.

It is true that supplement companies are not regulated. However, it is sad that it is not common knowledge that there are indeed many supplement companies that carry pharmaceutical grade supplements, and have eliminated the inconsistency of potency, inflated cost, and do not require a prescription.

In order to determine which supplement companies adhere to pharmaceutical grade standards, visit GMP Certified Companies, or call the vitamin company and ask for a “third-party assay” with respect to the supplement; being able to supply you with a third-party assay means, that the supplement company has obtained a lab analysis from a non-affiliated party, who tests the quality and quantity of the substance. In other the words, you are buying exactly what the label claims the substance to be.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the FDA required a third party assay with respect to pharmaceutical research? So then the FDA and pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t be sole “judge and jury” on their own products! Where are the checks and balances?

There are other means to be assured the quality of your supplement. One such way is purchasing supplements from companies that comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which has strict standards, and are certified as science backed quality. This ensures that each supplement is held to a level of quality that the consumer can rely on.

GMP certification is an outstanding marker of quality, and should be looked for in a company when you consider buying their product. These high quality nutritional supplements are manufactured in facilities that are inspected and certified by the following organizations:

National Products Association (NPA, formerly known as the National Nutritional Foods Association or NNFA)

National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International)

Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia (TGA)

You need to be aware of the difference between GMP compliance and GMP certification. GMP compliance refers to a company that in actuality is monitoring itself with respect to adhering to GMP standards, while GMP certification means that outside auditors ensure adherence to GMP standards; in other words, a third party assay that we have already talked about.

Unfortunately, GMP certification is not free, and is a required investment to ensure quality and implementation, which is an ongoing process. It is for this reason that many nutritional manufacturers do not have GMP certifications. However, without the GMP certification, you cannot be sure if they are adhering to GMP requirements; thus, the quality of your supplement.

It is important to note here, that just because there is an added cost to ensure the quality of a supplement, that it does not always mean that the supplement needs to be outrageously expensive. It’s true that many are. I know, being a chiropractor who often purchases supplements not available to the general public, but are sold only to health care professionals; the cost can be quite high. However, after a great deal of research in my search for quality supplements that are also affordable, I have found that there are indeed many such companies!

It is in your benefit to refer to Natural Products Association website and search for the vitamin company that you use, and see if they are in fact a company of quality standards. As you will see, many of the vitamin companies listed, are those which commonly sell their products at local vitamin stores, or can be easily found on online…and without breaking your checking account!

So, with respect to niacin, the pharmaceutical company’s claim that over-the-counter (OTC) supplements are unsafe, while NIASPAN® is safe due to the “lack of regulation” of supplements has just been proven to be false!

Source:

Healthcare Freedom Revolution: Exposing the Lies, Deceit and Greed of the Medical Profession‘ Revised Edition by Dr. Michelle Kmiec

Related Articles: 

• GMP Certified Companies
• Vitamins are Vital for Life
• How Nutritious is our Food?

Dr. Michelle Kmiec

is a chiropractic physician who also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology, and a minor in Medical Research. She is a life-long athlete who after curing herself 100% naturally from MS and anxiety, became an avid nutrition health researcher/promoter. She has been featured in many Health magazines, and has been a guest on radio talk shows in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. She is the author of Healthcare Freedom Revolution: Exposing the Lies, Deceit and Greed of the Medical Profession, Founder of Online Holistic Health Website/Blog, and a contributing writer for other popular informative health website/blogs.

– See more at: http://www.onlineholistichealth.com/supplement-brand-measure-standards/#sthash.rtqABRtt.dpuf

How Nutrition Helps Reduce The Negative Impact of Stress on Your Body

April is National Stress Awareness Month, a time for health professionals and really everyone to focus on the impact stress has on our lives and openly discuss solutions for reducing stress, and the impact stress has on our health.

According to The American Institute of Stress, 44% of Americans feel more stressed than they did 5 years ago. 1 in 5 Americans experience “Extreme Stress” (shaking, heart palpitations, depression). Stress increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, and 40% of stressed people overeat or eat unhealthy foods.

It’s a fact, stress and nutrition have always been linked. In stressful situations, food can give us a sense of control and satisfaction, but what if we are choosing unhealthy foods? How does that impact our stress levels and health?
Your body produces adrenaline during times of intense stress. Adrenaline will cause your heart to beat faster and give you brief energy. However, that burst of energy will also cause a drop in your blood-sugar levels. This is what causes those hunger cravings and also lead to tiredness, mood swings, and decreased concentration.
Most individuals who are extremely stressed, don’t have time to incorporate a healthy diet into their busy lifestyles. At the same time, stress has been found to increase our cravings of foods that are high in fat and sugars.
Nutrition Can Aid In Minimizing Stress

While your body craves food during times of stress, it’s important to fuel it with healthy foods. Providing your body with the correct amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help protect your body from some of the physiological damage that stress causes.

Does Stress Really Kill?

Recent research has shown that when your body is under extreme amounts of stress, it uses up valuable resources until they are depleted. It’s your job to replenish nutrients through the foods that you consume and supplementation. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are essential and necessary for a healthy body, especially when your body is stressed. Antioxidants act as your first line of defense, protecting the cells in every part of your body from some of the damage that chronic stress can cause. Minerals also fuel your body and play many roles, from regulating body chemistry to building strong bones.

From a physiological perspective, chronic stress leads to free radical production and oxidation, amongst other things. Antioxidants are literally ANTI-oxidation, so making sure you have enough vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in your body on a daily basis can protect your cells from the damage that chronic stress can cause at a cellular level.

Medical literature now links over 70 degenerative diseases to chronic oxidation, so if you’re chronically stressed and producing chronic free radical and oxidative damage, your risk factors for various diseases increases.

However, if you have enough breadth of antioxidants in your system, they can help neutralize free radicals and oxidation, which can greatly influence and protect your health.

Summing It Up

At the end of the day, stress is a part of life. That said, by taking preventive measures daily, you can reduce the impact and physiological damage from stress through proper diet, exercise, and vitamin/mineral/antioxidant supplementation.

To Changing Healthcare Through Prevention!®

This entry was posted in Healthcare, Lifestyle, Supplements and tagged stress, National Stress Awareness Month, pharmaceutical grade supplements, minerals, supplements, vitamins, antioxidants on April 23, 2015 by David Block.