| In modern times, there is a growing and | | | | that currently exist. Walk into any grocery store |
| important need to incorporate nutritional | | | | or pharmacy, or do an online search, and you'll |
| supplements in one's diet for many reasons. While | | | | find thousands of nutritional supplements. How do |
| the average person may believe that he or she is | | | | you choose a product or a brand? |
| eating a balanced diet, in fact he or she may be | | | | Generally speaking, you should start by making |
| missing out on vital nutrients that cannot be easy | | | | sure that any supplement you buy is from a |
| gained on a daily basis. There are several factors | | | | manufacturer and/or supplier working under Good |
| that need to be taken into consideration when | | | | Manufacturing Practices (GMP). These practices |
| one is weighing the reasons for taking | | | | include documentation of the manufacturing |
| supplements. | | | | process to eliminate the risks of i) contamination |
| Why Take Nutritional Supplements? | | | | or adulteration of the vital nutrients the |
| Modern farming methods utilize frequent crop | | | | supplements contain, or ii) product mislabeling. |
| rotations in order to maximize productivity. As a | | | | Most well-known brands use GMP, so you may |
| result, however, vital nutrients and especially | | | | want to stick with a better-known product to |
| minerals in the soil are rapidly depleted. This is so | | | | ensure quality. |
| extreme that you may notice that a tomato | | | | You can also investigate the manufacturer of a |
| from the store today just doesn't taste like the | | | | supplement to ensure that it has good quality |
| tomato of your childhood - and it probably has | | | | control processes in place. The manufacturer |
| nowhere near the nutrient level either. As a result, | | | | should make this information available for |
| those eating mass-produced vegetables and fruits | | | | consumers on its website or in product literature, |
| are missing out on key phytonutrients, including | | | | including whether it has in-house testing of its |
| bioflavanoids and minerals, which are generally no | | | | products and whether it works with independent |
| longer present in the amounts they were in the | | | | labs to confirm the potency and purity of its |
| past. | | | | nutritional supplements and the vital nutrients that |
| In addition, today we are constantly exposed to | | | | are included. In addition, you should be able to see |
| overly processed food products. If you walk into | | | | up front if the manufacturer is promoting clinical |
| any standard supermarket, you would likely | | | | research or simply featuring pseudo-science with |
| eliminate 90 percent of the store if you were to | | | | little back up of its claims. |
| ignore the processed foods that are offered. It's | | | | Take a look at the entire product line offered by |
| certainly hard to avoid, since these are the | | | | the company as well. Many producers of |
| products advertised on television, available at | | | | nutritional supplements simply provide stand alone |
| grocery stores, and served in the multitudes of | | | | vitamins or single-ingredient herbs, such as a |
| fast-food restaurants. Even if you are | | | | vitamin D supplement or an Echinacea pill. These |
| conscientious and try to eat well, you still likely are | | | | companies are often simply of the "me too" |
| filling your stomach much of the time with | | | | variety - offering basic products just to make |
| processed grains (stripped of bran and fiber), | | | | money. Other companies may offer blends or |
| fatty foods (loaded with saturated and trans-fats) | | | | balanced formulations with the right combinations |
| and overly sweetened foods with few vital | | | | of vital nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, or |
| nutrients. | | | | herbs that work together to produce optimal |
| Plus, it can be almost impossible to achieve the | | | | results. Such companies are likely to provide |
| diverse and vital nutrients that your body requires | | | | balanced nutritional supplements that more closely |
| just in what you eat day to day. For example, | | | | mimic those found in nature and that are better |
| different fruits contain different nutrients - but | | | | for maintaining your health. Companies that |
| you are not likely to eat every type of fruit | | | | provide such products are more likely to be |
| every single day, or even once a month. How | | | | interested in the overall well-being of their |
| often have you eaten blueberries, bananas, pears, | | | | customers rather than in just selling a single type |
| cherries and raspberries in a single day? Because | | | | of ingredient. |
| there is such a variety out there, and because | | | | Finally, look carefully at the delivery method of |
| these nutrients are all important, it can be simply | | | | the vital nutrients in any supplement you are |
| impossible to consistently get them all from diet | | | | investigating. While many nutritional supplements |
| alone. | | | | are offered in a compressed tablet format, this is |
| Another challenge is that Americans are eating | | | | not necessarily the best way to get the nutrients |
| the wrong types of fats - we eat too many | | | | into your system. If this type of tablet isn't |
| products containing high levels of trans fats, | | | | formulated properly, or if it is compressed with |
| saturated fats, and vegetable poly unsaturated | | | | too much pressure when it is created, it will not |
| fats, instead of healthy monounsaturated fats and | | | | dissolve readily in the stomach. If you decide to |
| fish oils. Fish oils, in particular, are a valuable source | | | | try tablets, make sure the label notes that they |
| of essential fatty acids, which are critical for | | | | meet USP dissolution requirements, which means |
| maintaining normal mental and cardiovascular | | | | that the product has been tested and will properly |
| function. But unless one is eating wild Alaskan | | | | dissolve in the stomach. |
| salmon three to four times a week, every week, | | | | A better choice for delivery is to find nutritional |
| one is not likely achieving the optimal level of | | | | supplements that are isotonic - provided in |
| these essential fatty acids and vital nutrients from | | | | powder form that can be mixed with water to |
| diet alone. | | | | create an isotonic solution. This enables vital |
| For all of these reasons and more, high-quality | | | | nutrients to be absorbed more readily in the small |
| nutritional supplements can help fill in the gaps and | | | | bowel without need for digestion in the stomach, |
| provide the vital nutrients missing from foods. | | | | thus a very efficient delivery method. |
| They can give you the variety that you need on | | | | Conclusion |
| a day-to-day basis. Nutritional supplements are | | | | Nutritional supplements can be extremely |
| also important as it becomes evident that many | | | | beneficial to your overall health and well being and |
| vitamins and minerals can optimize your genetic | | | | can compensate for the lack of vital nutrients in |
| potential - and taking nutritional supplements with | | | | modern processed foods and inadequate diets. |
| the right blend of vital nutrients can also achieve | | | | However, it is important to choose very carefully |
| this. | | | | the nutritional supplements that you purchase. |
| How Can You Choose the Right Nutritional | | | | Look into the background of the manufacturer or |
| Supplements? | | | | supplier of the supplements and make sure they |
| Therefore, if taking nutritional supplements is so | | | | are meeting quality control standards as well as |
| important to your health, your next step is to | | | | providing these vital nutrients in a delivery form |
| figure out how to navigate the sea of options | | | | that has the greatest benefit. |