Are my supplements helping or hurting my health? This is the big question with the latest crack-down on several major supplement companies. Choosing the most cost effective supplements doesn’t necessarily mean quality. In my recent article about food ingredients I discussed the hidden culprits that can affect our focus, anxiety, mood, and overall well-being, but what if you discovered this not only applies to food? Yes, our supplements can also be adulterated leading to ill effects to many people.
Recently in the news, several major supplement companies were exposed for the quality of their product as well as the quantity. There are two issues; one is the actual quantity of the nutrients it claims to contain on the label. The second is the added ingredients that the average person wouldn’t expect to find in their supplements with some not even listed on the label.
First let’s look at quality. If it’s ever been recommended to you by your health care provider to start taking certain supplements (ie; a specific amount of calcium or vitamin D3), you look at the label on the supplement to determine which one contains the amount of that particular supplement you need. However, since supplements are not regulated by the government the actual quantities may not be as stated on the label. This can lead not only to wasted money spent on low quality products, but even more importantly the impact on our health when we are not getting the amount we truly need!
Another issue is the additives. We wouldn’t expect to find chemicals and artificial ingredients in something that is supposed to give us health benefits, but unfortunately it happens all too often. Many times we don’t look at the actual ingredients as we assume they are all healthy for us. Companies have also been exposed for this recently, producing supplements that contain additives from artificial food coloring and dies, to known allergens that were not listed on the label! These ingredients are no different than when added to our foods with the possible effects of lack of focus, behavior issues, and digestive upset among others. With the case of allergens, not knowing can have serious effects.
Here is a guideline of some ingredients to avoid:
- Artificial Colors
- Preservatives
- Fillers and Binders
- Allergens such as dairy, gluten, and soy.
So what can we do about it? Choose wisely… The majority of our nutrients should come from our food; however, there are times when we do need supplementation. This can be from a decreased amount of nutrient absorption or lack of certain foods/nutrients in our diet. When we do need supplementation, choosing companies that make pure products and are tested by several third party sources is important in ensuring that quality.
Source Option…I have been fortunate to find a company that only carries products from supplement manufacturers that have already committed to and undergo 3rd party testing. In addition to this, they have now incorporated their own 3rd party testing on each company of whose products they carry on their website, which gives the added assurance of quality supplements. There is no monthly commitment to purchase or minimum order requirments, just a quality source that has helped me take the worry out of finding quality sources that I’d like to share. You can “CLICK HERE” for direct access, then type in the word “reboot” for the access ID and to receive a 10% discount on any products purchased.
