Understanding Supplement Labels
Two Basic Types of Nutritional Supplements
Brand A (whole food supplement)
Whey (milk) protein powder, flax meal powder, brown rice protein powder, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, buckwheat juice powder, Brussels sprouts (whole plant), kale, choline bitartrate, inositol, barley grass, alfalfa juice powder, soybean lecithin powder, grape (seed) extract (includes Masquelier's® OPC-85; 98% total phenolic compounds; 65% proanthocyanidins), carrot powder, and red wine extract (95% total phenols).
Brand B (isolate-based supplement)
Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Potassium Chloride, Cellulose, Ascorbic Acid, dl-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Acacia, Croscarmellose Sodium, Zinc Oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Stearic Acid, Dextrin, Titanium Dioxide, Niacinamide, Silicon Dioxide, Hypromellose, Gelatin, Soy Extract, Magnesium Stearate, Calcium Silicate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Polyethylene Glycol, Corn Starch, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Mannitol, Cupric Oxide, Resin, Lecithin, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Chromium Chloride, Folic Acid, Dextrose, Beta Carotene, FD&C Red #40 Lake, FD&C Blue #2 Lake, Sodium Selenate, Biotin, Phytonadione, Cyanocobalamin, Ergocalciferol.
In Brand A, vitamins and nutrients are derived mainly from recognizable food sources. In Brand B, the vitamins and nutrients are man-made, chemical isolates not recognized as food sources.
Just like any recipe, the quality of the ingredients you use affects the quality of the final product. Therefore, it's important to answer all these questions when evaluating a supplement and its effectiveness.
Where Do The Ingredients Come From?
Quality of Ingredients: Manufacturers who grow many of their ingredients have the unique ability to control the quality of the ingredient from seed to supplement. Some manufacturers own certified organic farms to further enhance the quality of their ingredients.
When Are The Ingredients Processed?
When you buy a tomato, you inspect it for quality. You wouldn't knowingly buy one that was mushy and bruised. This same principle holds true for when ingredients are prime for harvest. Different foods reach their peak nutrient value during different times within the growing season. Pea vine, for example, is at its peak during the flowering stage.
Once harvested, food begins to lose its value. It is perishable like the tomato. If there is a delay of hours, days, or months from when an ingredient is harvested to when it's processed, many of its very delicate phytonutrients are lost.
Are The Ingredient's Vital Factors Retained?
Each ingredient has its own set of rules in relation to how to best extract and package its vital life. The manufacturing process needs to retain the vital nutrients within the ingredients. Too much heat will destroy enzymes and phytonutrients. The manufacturer should use a low-temperature, high-vacuum process to make sure that the ingredient's nutrients are preserved.
The supplements we encourage you to consider for your health come from the oldest supplement company in the world and is called Standard Process. You may access their website by clicking on www.standardprocess.com to do some research into this great company. I assure you the company, its products and their practices to manufacture the highest quality supplement is second to none.
My Recommendation For You
Come to the Office and have Dr. Huntoon evaluate you using Nutritional Response Testing to determine where you have holes in your diet. Then we can assess the supplements you are taking, if you bring them with you. And if they are working, GREAT! If they are not, we can offer you a higher quality Whole Food supplement that You Will Know Will Help You.
That would be our gift to you.