When it comes to supplements to help you lead a healthier life, you have to watch out because there is a minefield of supplements with hyped up claims. Don’t be taken in by the newest flavor of the month and you really need to do your research.
The supplement business is a $50 billion a year business and with money like that out there you know there a lots of companies that want a piece of the pie and are not concerned about the product they are selling.
Just because a new product has tons of testimonials, that doesn’t mean the product is safe or will work for what it claims. You can find testimonials for almost anything and a good percentage of them are fake and are used to make the product more appealing.
There are supplements for weight loss, longevity, depression, sexual prowress, energy, arthritis, pain, health, and countless other conditions. If there is a need by the public, there will be a supplement that will supposedly fill that need.
There are many factors that can affect how a certain supplement will work for you. Some supplements are not made to be taken together while others need other supplements to create a synergistic effect. There are also supplements that shouldn’t be taken with certain kinds of medication. You need to know this.
Caution is advised before trying new supplements to make sure they are safe. Do your homework and see if the research is out there for that specific supplement. Where is it made – any supplements from China raise a red flag because their safety standards are not the highest. You don’t want to end up with a contaminated product or possibly getting a product that is not what the label says it is.
Know what companies are reliable and do third party independent testing. Just because a company says it is what the label says it is, unless there is independent testing, you don’t have any real proof.
If you are thinking you are protected by the Food and Drug Administration, thing again. The supplement industry is poorly regulated and that won’t change anytime soon. The only real legislation designed to protect the consumer was the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Even this act gives the FDA little power to control the supplement industry.
Before I start taking any new supplements, I research the product to see if there is real data behind any claims made for the product. I then check the major companies that are producing the supplement to see which brand would be the most reliable. If the product is only made by a company I know nothing about, I hold off until a respected company makes the supplement. My next step is to find out what is the correct dosage, if it should be taken with food, and how often it should be taken.
Take your time and do your homework before you add any new supplements to your regimen. It could save you from wasting your money and hurting your health.
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