After reading supplement safety part 1, you may think twice before taking a supplement and you should.
Frivolously using pills, powders, elixirs or liquids do not guarantee any benefit. So it is a imperative you or your health practitioner understand the mechanisms of how they can actually work in the body to improve health or athletic performance, the signs of aging, or just maximize your quality of life.
Educate yourself, work with a trusted healthcare professional to understand your goals and which supplements are specifically going to help you. Everyone is different and supplementation is geared to specific individual needs.
Supplement safety (part1) https://valeriegoldstein.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/supplement-safety-part-1-of-2/, describes the potential dangers and drawbacks to Omega-3 supplementation. A popular “mainstream” supplement most people think of as safe and effective.
In addition to the dangers, consumers have complained of unpleasant side effects like stomach upset including belching, indigestion, or diarrhea and more critically can increase bleeding especially for those who take certain medications such as anticoagulants (“blood thinners”) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or prepping for surgery, https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/omega-3-polyunsaturated-fatty-acids,fish-oil.html. This is an individual reaction possibly due to contaminants or your own gut health.
However scientific evidence shows a multitude of health benefits for those who use omega-3.
Omega-3 has shown to help improve diabetes, heart disease, ADHD, fertility issues, skin/hair, anxiety, the immune system, inflammation and much more. Potential concerns for contaminants, tolerability and rancidity (oxidation) can be minimized, http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2015/10/advances-in-fish-oil-purity-and-potency/page-01.
Keep in mind all supplements have unique positive characteristics and concerns that should be considered.
EDUCATED CONSUMERS KNOW THIS:
If you have gut issues effecting digestion and absorption, there may be no supplement that will work. However you can try using enzymes or liquid supplements. They are more easily digested it just may take more to reach therapeutic levels.
Check the expiration date. Although the FDA does not require expiration dates to be listed on supplement labels, most reputable companies use an expiration date to target the last date of the supplement’s highest level of potency if properly stored. Exposure to heat, light, and air can cause vitamins to degrade faster. Store the vitamins in their original containers in a cool, dry place.
After that date, the supplement will become less potent. So, if fish oil has a 2 year expiration date it is not rancid on the date stamped on the bottle but you do not want to hold on to it for another year because as it turns rancid the health benefits become less and the risk is greater.
Buy brand specific pharmaceutical grade supplements or companies that follow USP or GMP standards. These brands ensure continuity between what is stated on the label and what is contained within the supplement. This is like buying health insurance, it adds value and peace of mind to your supplement regimen. Here is a short list of reputable supplement companies but there are plenty others:
- Biotics Research, http://www.bioticsresearch.com/
- Bulletproof, http://www.bulletproof.com/
- Carlson Laboratories, http://www.carlsonlabs.com/
- Douglas Laboratories, http://www.douglaslabs.com/
- Dr. Venessa’s Formulas, www.drvenessa.com/
- Garden of Life, www.gardenoflife.com/
- Herb Pharm http://www.herb-pharm.com/
- Klaire, http://www.klaire.com/
- Nordic Naturals, https://www.nordicnaturals.com/
- Purity Products, https://www.purityproducts.com/
- American Biotech labs, www.ablsilver.com
- Standard Process, https://www.standardprocess.com/
- The Gut Institute, https://thegutinstitute.com/
- Thorne, https://www.thorne.com/
- Xymogen, https://www.xymogen.com/
Don’t fall prey to a booming supplement industry. Be an educated consumer, work with an expert who understands the intricacies of how supplements work. Buy reputable supplement brands to get the best return on your supplement investment. Use supplements wisely to help boost your mind, health, athletic performance, weight, or any personal goal.
