Don't Look for Bargains in Fire Extinguishers, Parachutes or Vitamins
There are multitude of nutritional products on the market. How does one determine their preferences for one or another? One yardstick is price. Dr John Douglas once said, "Don't look for bargains in Fire Extinguishers, Parachutes or Vitamins"
One large manufacturer of supplements told a customer that they are geared to manufacture for quantity and ship all over the world. The quality is no different than typical name brand product.
I am convinced that quality of supplements one puts inside the human body matters a good deal more than the quality of the oil one puts in one's car. It is much easier to buy a new car, than to obtain a new body once it has been destroyed by a life time of bad nutrition. Yet, why do we look for name brand jeans, larger TVs, and are fussy about the oil in our
car, but we buy low quality, low price, vitamins for our health? You find a certified mechanic for your car, a licensed electrician, a reputable roofer... but you trust marketing hype without looking into it if it's truth or not?
Food Sourced
It is rare that a cheap price and quality go together. Producing quality products is expensive for a number of reasons.
Simply choosing foods rather than chemicals greatly increases costs. The synthetic chemicals used to fortify a box of cereal cost only a coupe of pennies.
A quality product will also select sources of nutrients from foods a human being would normally eat -- foods that have a long history of safety. Why do we trust and purchase products without realizing that word on the ingredients label is a toxic chemical, or a petroleum (oil) base ingredient? Would you put it on your plate to eat? Then why accept it in your supplements?
Blue Green Algae or Spirulina
Consider the example of blue green algae, or Spirulina, available in many products. Wayne Carmichael is a professor of aquatic biology and toxicology at Wright State University. He earned a doctorate in aquatic toxicology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 1974.
Carmichael notes the very real possibility of spirulina being contaminated with 2 types of neurotoxins or nerve poisons. The second category of toxins found in blue-green algae are liver poisons. Carmichael notes, "The neurotoxins and hepatotoxins are certainly the most dangerous cyanobacterial compounds, but they are by no means the only bioactive chemicals made by these bacteria."
Carmichael writes, "I am becoming increasingly worried by a modern fad: the eating of cyanobacteria from the genus Spirulina as health food...Spirulina itself is not harmful. The danger arises because there are no guidelines requiring those marketing Spirulina to monitor their products for contamination by potentially toxic cyanobacteria or by cyanobacterial toxins. Moreover, the general public is ill equipped to distinguish Spirulina and other benign cyanobacterial products from poisonous forms of cyanobacteria." (Note here: My mom was taking a Spirulina product, our son's oncology team told us that one was dangerous, would make people very sick. She had been continuously sick, and when she stopped taking this Spirulina product, she eventually regained health).
Carmichael continues, "Because cyanobacteria are often collected simply from the surface of an open body of water and because neither sellers nor buyers can distinguish toxic from nontoxic strains without applying sophisticated biochemical tests, the safety of these items is questionable."
Carmichael warns that even non-lethal doeses of these toxins may be a problem. "The relation that cyanobacterial hepatotoxins can inhibit protein phosphatases has raised the disturbing possibility that human exposure to nonlethal doses might contribut to the development of cancer."
Carmichael, Wayne, "The Toxins of Cyanobacteria," Scientific American, January 1994, pp 78-86
Colloidal Minerals
Colloidal minerals are not really a natural product. One would not naturally walk up to mud deposits and swallow them -- even if they were diluted with water first. Analysis of the colloidal clays reveals that most are extremely high in aluminum. Schauss found that many products contained 1,800 to 4,400 parts per million aluminum. Serious questions have been raised about the safety of this.
Other products have very high levels of salt. Schauss found levels between 1,300 and 22,000 parts per million. The safest and most desirable forms of mineral supplementation are properly chelated minerals and sea vegetation.
Schauss, Alexander, Minerals, "Trace Elements and Human Health," Tacoma WA, Life Sciences Press, 1996 pp 5-9
Schauss, Alexander, "Colloidal minerals: Clinical implications of clay suspension products sold as dietary supplements: American Journal of Natural Medicine, Jan/Feb 1997 p5
tampering. NeoLife does not accept genetically modified materials for use in the products. For example, soy is a commonly engineered food. The modification of the food is detectable due to the presence of a gene for antibiotic resistance. This could be a potential problem if the gene were passed on to bacteria in the digestive tract. NeoLife routinely tests woy for this marker and rejects soy products which have been genetically modified.
Neglect of this area of nutrition can mean that supplements simply will not work. A poorly functioning digestive tract can also result in serious problems handling foods.
There are multitude of nutritional products on the market. How does one determine their preferences for one or another? One yardstick is price. Dr John Douglas once said, "Don't look for bargains in Fire Extinguishers, Parachutes or Vitamins"
I am convinced that quality of supplements one puts inside the human body matters a good deal more than the quality of the oil one puts in one's car. It is much easier to buy a new car, than to obtain a new body once it has been destroyed by a life time of bad nutrition. Yet, why do we look for name brand jeans, larger TVs, and are fussy about the oil in our
Food Sourced
It is rare that a cheap price and quality go together. Producing quality products is expensive for a number of reasons.
Simply choosing foods rather than chemicals greatly increases costs. The synthetic chemicals used to fortify a box of cereal cost only a coupe of pennies.
A quality product will also select sources of nutrients from foods a human being would normally eat -- foods that have a long history of safety. Why do we trust and purchase products without realizing that word on the ingredients label is a toxic chemical, or a petroleum (oil) base ingredient? Would you put it on your plate to eat? Then why accept it in your supplements?
Blue Green Algae or Spirulina
Consider the example of blue green algae, or Spirulina, available in many products. Wayne Carmichael is a professor of aquatic biology and toxicology at Wright State University. He earned a doctorate in aquatic toxicology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 1974.
Carmichael notes the very real possibility of spirulina being contaminated with 2 types of neurotoxins or nerve poisons. The second category of toxins found in blue-green algae are liver poisons. Carmichael notes, "The neurotoxins and hepatotoxins are certainly the most dangerous cyanobacterial compounds, but they are by no means the only bioactive chemicals made by these bacteria."
Carmichael writes, "I am becoming increasingly worried by a modern fad: the eating of cyanobacteria from the genus Spirulina as health food...Spirulina itself is not harmful. The danger arises because there are no guidelines requiring those marketing Spirulina to monitor their products for contamination by potentially toxic cyanobacteria or by cyanobacterial toxins. Moreover, the general public is ill equipped to distinguish Spirulina and other benign cyanobacterial products from poisonous forms of cyanobacteria." (Note here: My mom was taking a Spirulina product, our son's oncology team told us that one was dangerous, would make people very sick. She had been continuously sick, and when she stopped taking this Spirulina product, she eventually regained health).
Carmichael continues, "Because cyanobacteria are often collected simply from the surface of an open body of water and because neither sellers nor buyers can distinguish toxic from nontoxic strains without applying sophisticated biochemical tests, the safety of these items is questionable."
Carmichael warns that even non-lethal doeses of these toxins may be a problem. "The relation that cyanobacterial hepatotoxins can inhibit protein phosphatases has raised the disturbing possibility that human exposure to nonlethal doses might contribut to the development of cancer."
Carmichael, Wayne, "The Toxins of Cyanobacteria," Scientific American, January 1994, pp 78-86
Colloidal Minerals
Colloidal minerals are not really a natural product. One would not naturally walk up to mud deposits and swallow them -- even if they were diluted with water first. Analysis of the colloidal clays reveals that most are extremely high in aluminum. Schauss found that many products contained 1,800 to 4,400 parts per million aluminum. Serious questions have been raised about the safety of this.
Other products have very high levels of salt. Schauss found levels between 1,300 and 22,000 parts per million. The safest and most desirable forms of mineral supplementation are properly chelated minerals and sea vegetation.
Schauss, Alexander, Minerals, "Trace Elements and Human Health," Tacoma WA, Life Sciences Press, 1996 pp 5-9
Schauss, Alexander, "Colloidal minerals: Clinical implications of clay suspension products sold as dietary supplements: American Journal of Natural Medicine, Jan/Feb 1997 p5
Carotenoids
Carotenoids provide another illustration of the value of food sourced natural nutrients. Researcher Melvyn Werbach, MD, points out that synthetic beta-carotene is only one of 272 stereoisomers or forms of beta-carotene. A stereoisomer is a 3-dimensional arrangement of a molecule. The synthetic product does not exist in nature.
Another matter of concern is the blockage or removal of nutrients when large amounts of synthetics are used. For example, large amounts of beta-carotene may decrease absorption of lutein (essential for the eyes), lycopene (important for the prostate), or astaxanthin (important for protecting the mitochondria).
Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Feb/Mar 2000, p 172
Vitamin E
This problem has also been observed with Vitamin E. Stephan Christen found that large amounts of isolated alpha-tocopherol can actually decrease availability of gamma tocopherol. This is an important nutrient for dealing with nitrogen based carcinogens.
Christen, Stephan, et al, "g-Tocopherol traps mutagenic electrophiles such as NO and complements a-tocoherol: Physiological implications," Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., USA April 1997, Vol 94 pp 3217-3222.
Genetic Engineering
One aspect of natural sourcing which is usually neglected is the alteration of nutrients by man's
Just how dangerous can genetic tampering be? No one knows! The worst incident indicating risk of even slight changes in foods or supplements was the introduction of altered trypophan into the American market. The product caused a disease called eosinophilia myalgia syndrome. 38 people were killed and hundreds became seriously ill.
Jaffe, Russel, "Tryptophan update: Helpful Adjunct and Innocent Bystander," Journal of Nutritional Medicine 1994;4: 133-139
Toxicological Testing
For years NeoLife has worked with the founder of the American College of Toxicology, Dr Arthur Furst. He has established protocols for testing products for both potency and also for possible contamination. Products can be contaminated with pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals.
Calcium
Numerous calcium products have been contaminated with lead for years. These products shojuld not be used by children. NeoLife has tested calcium products for lead contamination for many years. Many other products on the market have never been tested.
One 1993 study in the American Journal of Public Health reported that 25% of 70 calcium supplements investigated exceeded the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) provisional total tolerable daily intake of lead for children under 6 years of age. Federal regulations were supposed to go into effect in 1999 to restrict the lead content of calcium products.
Bourgoin, Bernard P, PhD, et al, "Lead Content in 70 Brands of Dietary Calcium Supplements", American Journal of Public Health, August 1993;83(8):1155-1160.
"Lead in Calcium Supplements," Nutrition Week, June 20, 1997;27(24):7/Council for REsponsible Nutrition News, May, 1997;14.
(Note: NeoLife Cal-Mag, and Calcium products have NO lead, and were not found to be among the 70 supplements that did have lead)
Alfalfa and Herbals
A major supplement manufacturer had a problem of contamination of an alfalfa product with toxic fumigants a number of years ago.
Herbal products in particular are subject to contamination with bacteria. NeoLife uses a complex process to safely kill bacteria in herbal products without leaving residues of toxic chemicals and without irradiation.
Oakland Tribune, Jan 22, 1982, p D-9; Wall Street Journal, Jan 21, 1982.
Salmon Oil
Fish oils are a particular subject of concern for toxicological testing. The fats in fish are often contaminated with a number of toxic compounds. Evaluation of NeoLife Salmon Oil products has revealed NO detectable contamination of any kind. This means that the supplement may be a better source of nutrients than eating many fish which can carry significant toxic residues.
Contaminants such as PCB's can be passed from mother to infant through breast feeding. This creates a dilemma because fish oils are important for the development of eye tissue and brain tissue of the infant.
Assays for Potency
Salmon Oil is also an illustration of the importance of testing for the potency of a particular ingredient in products. Tufts University conducted a study of 10 major fish oil products on the market several years ago. They found that the products averaged only 38% of the EPA (one of the most important and active components of the product) listed on the label. DHA was also substantially reduced from label claims. DHA is an important nutrient for brain, eyes and nerves.
"PCBs in Breast Milk", Pediatrics, Committee on Environmental Health, July 1994;94(1):122-123
Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter, Vol 5, Nu 11, Jan 1988.
Digestibility
All nutrition is mediated through the functioning of the digestive tract.
NeoLife has supplements targeted to support digestive function. NeoLife also maintains an artificial digestive tract to evaluate whether supplements will dissolve in the environment of the human digestive tract.
Some competitive products have sat in the artificial digestive tract for a week without ever breaking down. A number of NeoLife supplements are specially designed for digestibility and testing has proven their superiority. Why flush your money and your nutritional supplements as they pass through you, benefiting nothing for your body and health?
http://neolife.com/en-us/home/
Sponsor #32-260985
Sponsor #32-260985
No comments:
Post a Comment