|
Top Rated VitaminsQuality Does Matter - Cheap is...uhm ...Cheap!
General Problems in the Nutritional Supplement Industry • The nutritional supplement industry is essentially unregulated – there are no serious government approved vitamins ratings • This produces standards varying from unacceptable to outstanding - and everything in between • A safe rule to follow is Caveat Emptor - Let the Buyer Beware • Many companies do not have qualified PhD health researchers • Many formulations are not based on good medical and scientific research – this results in incorrect ingredients and/or incorrect ratios of ingredients • Independent test has shown that 7 out of 10 prenatal vitamins did not even dissolve properly – if they don’t your body can’t absorb them properly • A study at University of Maryland showed that 2/3rd of prenatal multivitamins tested didn’t release their folic acid to USP standards J Pharm Assoc (Wash) 1997 • Un-dissolved vitamins and minerals pass through the body and have been found plugging drains, some with the brand name still legible – these are not top rated vitamins • Independent test have shown that the majority of Gingko Biloba and Saw Palmetto products tested do not meet industry standards for the active ingredient and several contained no trace of the active ingredient – clearly these are not top rated vitamins because they are not pharmaceutical grade vitamins • Most multivitamins and minerals don’t contain the essential ingredients for optimal health • Most don’t have the most beneficial ratio of ingredients • Most products are not tested for potency and purity – why is that? • Because most are not manufactured to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards for pharmaceuticals • Most companies have minimal or very low quality control processes and standards • Many products sold in Canada do not have a Drug Information Number (DIN) – while no guarantee it shows that the government has at least looked at the list of ingredients • Many manufacturers produce products only to the RDA (far too low for optimal health) • Most manufacturers use less expensive and less bioavailable forms of specific ingredients • Many manufacturers do not provide an expiry date • 99% of the manufacturers producing nutritional supplements are NOT listed in the Physicians’ Desk Reference (PDR) Quality ControlQuality control consists of a series of labs, detailed written instructions of all practices to be followed at every stage of production, control measures, testing measures for raw materials and for product at various stages of production, immediately after production and near the expiry date for each batch of each product. If there is not good, serious quality control, you don’t get top rated vitamins. Products that lead in vitamin ratings need serious care and attention to each of these stages of formulation and manufacture. Quality Control Lab 1 • Quality control scientists examine Certificate of Analysis provided by suppliers of raw materials • They then assay (test) all materials to ensure that each ingredient is at the specified level of purity and potency • Samples are taken from throughout the supplied raw materials Quality Control Lab 2 • Tests the chemistry and physical aspects of products at various stages of production • Tests, for example, - that ingredients of products have been properly mixed in the proper ratio - that the ingredients when pressed into tablet form, have not been too tightly packed - that ingredients after coating will dissolve at the specified rate in accordance with USP standards Quality Control Lab 3 • Biological testing of all completed products for pathogens, bacteria, mold, yeast and any impurities • Testing of all completed products for potency • Holding back a random sample of completed products for testing when they are close to their expiry date to ensure that they continue to meet all of the above standards New Product Quality Control • Strict procedures developed and tested at least 3 times to ensure that each tablet of the new product line will be identical in potency and purity to each other tablet of that line • Then the procedures are run 3 more times to verify the results will be consistent from batch to batch of the product line • The same 6 steps are taken to verify the cleaning of all equipment used for the product line • This ensures that at the end of a batch run and following the validated cleaning process, the only thing coming from the equipment will be pure water - thus the next batch will not be contaminated in any way • Once all of these steps have been taken with consistently good results, the manufacturing and cleaning processes are codified for all employees to follow These are the main points of a superior quality control process for top rated vitamins that would allow a company to say that they manufacture pharmaceutical grade vitamins. Vitamin ratings will be high for such products, provided of course that they do contain all the needed ingredients (in their most bioavailable form) in the correct ratios. You will find much more on this topic in
Its About Health
(opens new window).
So What Can you Do?• In Canada make sure that there is a D.I.N. (Drug Information Number) on the bottle – while it is not a guarantee of purity, potency and no toxins, it is at least a beginning • Buy only pharmaceutical grade vitamins and minerals made in an FDA registered facility following the Good Manufacturing Practices for pharmaceuticals • Buy only those top rated vitamins and minerals that have optimal levels of all the essential nutrients. RDA levels don’t cut it, but those are the levels which at least 95% of manufacturers use. The RDA levels were developed to prevent diseases like scurvy and rickets. Guess what, they worked. But they are far too low levels to prevent today’s degenerative diseases; heart, cancer, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer’s and many others. • If the bottle does not say “This product is laboratory tested and its potency is guaranteed”, do NOT buy it. • Check out the company’s web-site. It should clearly describe their quality control processes. If they don’t meet the following standards do NOT buy their products: Incoming raw materials must be quarantined until they have been tested for purity, potency and non-toxicity The facility must be FDA registered for good manufacturing practices to drug levels – i.e. pharmaceutical standards There must be a thorough orientation and on-going training for all employees in the quality control processes Employees must be appropriately dressed in the proper clothing Products must be randomly tested on the manufacturing line Products must be randomly tested after manufacture The expiry date must be on the bottle REMEMBER CAVEAT EMPTOR BUYER BEWARE Make sure that you and your children eat well.
See Healthy Eating Guidelines
(opens new window) and take only top rated vitamins – high quality pharmaceutical grade vitamins – nutritional supplements with a full cascade of antioxidants – a symphony of antioxidants.
If you’re interested you can see a product line of top rated vitamins and minerals that meets these standards by Clicking Here (opens new window).
The certifying agency, NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is the world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. For 60 years, NSF has been committed to public health, safety, and protection of the environment. While focusing on food, water, indoor air, and the environment, NSF develops national standards, provides learning opportunities through its Center for Public Health Education, and provides third-party conformity assessment services while representing the interests of all stakeholders. The primary stakeholder groups include industry, the regulatory community, and the public at large. NSF is widely recognized for its scientific and technical expertise in the health and environmental sciences. Its professional staff includes engineers, chemists, toxicologists, and environmental health professionals with broad experience both in public and private organizations. NSF has earned the Collaborating Center designations by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Now that you know all this, shouldn't you choose top rated vitamins and minerals
like these?
(Opens new window.)
|
It is important to consume only top rated vitamins for optimal health. Find out why some products don’t measure up and why they cannot be referred to as pharmaceutical grade vitamins. If you want to pick the best multi vitamin this information will help you as much as vitamin reviews.