Most people take some form of vitamins or supplements, either regularly or sporadically. In fact, Americans spend over $26 billion dollars a year in health supplements.
And while I generally agree that adding good nutrients to your diet in supplement form can be a good thing, there are certain supplements that you want to avoid, or at least make sure you are taking a high quality version of the supplement.
Before I give you the list, here’s a few things you might now know about supplements:
- Supplement manufacturers routinely and LEGALLY sell their products without having to demonstrate that they are safe and effective.
- Because of inadequate quality control and inspection, supplements contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, or prescription drugs get sold to consumers. FDA rules covering manufacturing quality don’t apply to the companies that sell herbs and vitamins. (That’s why it’s so important you buy vitamins and supplements from professional sources)
- China is a major supplier of raw supplement ingredients and has repeatedly been caught exporting contaminated products.
Here are the supplements to look out for:
- Aconite
- Bitter orange
- Chaparral
- Colloidal Silver
- Coltsfoot
- Comfrey
- Country mallow
- Germanium
- Greater celandine
- Kava
- Lobelia
- Yohimbe
Why are these still for sale? Because the FDA has not banned them. So either avoid them or make sure you are getting professional grade quality if buy them. In fact, make sure all of your vitamin and supplement purchases are made from a health professional and are professional grade. You will pay a little bit more in price, but the difference is worth it because you will be spending your money on a quality product instead of throwing your money down the drain.
Our office carries a full line of professional grade nutrition and supplements so check them out the next time you’re in for an appointment.
Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Dr. Justin Trosclair
Source: Consumer Reports
