|
|
Dr Russ Blog - Need help when choosing vitamins and supplements?
Need help when choosing vitamins and supplements?
Created on 8/3/2009
G asks where she can find information about specific products when it comes to vitamins and minerals. This is a great question.
While things have gotten much better with respect to finding high quality supplements on the shelves, and are getting better still with recent legislation, it can be a challenge to identify a pill that might be both good for you and safely manufactured.
Let's say you've decided to begin taking vitamin D - turns out, that may have been the easy part! Why? Well, now you start browsing the vitamin aisles and find there are many vitamin D products available - one contains vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), another contains vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), another combines vitamin D with calcium, still another contains 5,000 IU as compared to the next one that has only 1,000 - which one is best for you?
Another example - what if you decide to take an herbal product for a short period of time to help you get over a cold. You head to the store and find lots of bottles, but one contains root extracts, one has parts from the leaves and berries, another combines the herb with other plant extracts, one is organic while another is not, and so on. Just how are you supposed to make a good decision?
The first way is to partner with your doctor - ask them for their advice. If they don't know, yet they're willing to investigate with you, you've got a good medical partner in your corner. If they make fun of you for even considering vitamins and supplements, ask your friends about their doctors - it might be time to switch physicians.
Another way is to consider joining consumerlab.com, a web service that provides information on the vitamins and supplements that they themselves have tested. They are an independent entity, and so are likely less biased or influenced by companies than other groups.
For about $30 a year you get a regular e-letter with updates and access to their reference library with all the reviews they have completed. There you'll find information not only on specific vitamins and supplements, but also regarding which company's products meet their standards for purity, among other things.
The web site is http://www.consumerlab.com/
Please know that I have no financial relationship with this organization. In this day and age, it's simply good to know some of the places we can go for information that might support us in being well.
I hope this helps, G! Be well.
Dr. Russ
** Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. **
Back to blog home >
|
View Blog By:
Most Recent:
Archives:
|
|