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Review the facts then decide!
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 2002 does this mean that there is a mechanism built
in that drug that will expire it 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.
Supplements do
not only work because of the ingredients. They work because
of the way they are manufactured. Be brand specific when taking supplements.
You will be surprised at the difference.
A
statement to the manufacturers
Healing*Edge Science along with other manufacturers and
distributors will be making a stand on leveraging manufacturers
to make their products correctly. It is time for a change and we can make
it happen.
If the product is made
correctly by the manufacturer and selected accurately
by the consumer the products will work for all. This is a win win situation
for everyone. If the manufacturer does not have the technology or knowledge
to make the products correctly, then simply do not make them. We will be
naming manufacturers and products that do not fit all criteria's. Once
you have been named it will be difficult to get your name removed.
The following will be expected from all
manufacturers.
- Clear and accurate
labeling (ingredients, amounts, source, fillers, process, easy to understand,
etc.)
- Truth about the raw
material in the making of their products (organic when available, age, parts
used etc.)
- Product functions (truth
of uses, interactions with medications)
Healing*Edge Sciences has
practitioners all over the United States. In the past 11 years Healing*Edge
Practitioners have only found a handful of stores that fit this
criteria.
Healing*Edge
Sciences takes pride in offering
- Purest, Most Effective Raw
Ingredients Available
- Pharmaceutical grade
whenever possible
- State of the Art Research
and Manufacturing
- In-process and Finished
Product QC Testing
- Innovative Patented
Products
- Highest Quality Control
Standards in the Industry
- Peer-reviewed, Published
Scientific Research
- Scientific Fingerprinting
of Product Ingredients
- Fresh and properly stored
in a temperature controlled environment
- Shipping within 48 hours
after order is received.
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