iNutritional Supplements » Nutritional Science http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:57:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Criteria for Evaluating Nutritional Supplements and the Need to Evaluate http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com/criteria-for-evaluating-nutritional-supplements-and-the-need-to-evaluate/ http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com/criteria-for-evaluating-nutritional-supplements-and-the-need-to-evaluate/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:07:28 +0000 admin http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com/criteria-for-evaluating-nutritional-supplements-and-the-need-to-evaluate/
Brett Seagrott asked:


A Paradox of Choice Highlights The Need To Evaluate

If you already take nutritional supplements or are considering starting then you’re no doubt well aware of the seemingly endless array of products and choices in the market.

Supplement consumers face a paradox of choice and they know only too well that the quality, safety and efficacy of the thousands of various brands out there are far from equal!

Physicians Management Journal backs this up by reporting that one in three dollars spent on nutritional supplements is WASTED!

Because nutritional supplements in the US are currently regulated under ‘food GMP’ (and these do not address the unique aspects of supplement manufacturing) the market has become flooded with supplements lacking product integrity and making fanciful performance claims.

Supermarket shelves and on-line stores are filled with supplements put together by marketers or other unqualified people trying to cash in on the popularity of the latest ‘in-vogue’ nutrients and on consumers lack of nutritional science knowledge.

The majority of people putting together supplements for sale have little idea of the complex bio-chemistry involved when ingredients are combined or which metabolic pathways they follow when assimilated into the body.

So the need to evaluate supplements is clear. Consumers need a reliable way to evaluate and compare supplements in order to find products that are safe, effective and which offer the best value for money. More on this below.

Different Categories of Supplements – Evaluate Them All

Cheap and ‘middle of the road’ multi vitamin supplements are currently the most popular category choice for the majority of supplement users.

Consumers however need to consider the limited health benefits offered by these types of supplements and that most do not offer good value for money. They contain large amounts of cheap vitamins and minerals and excessive amounts of non-active ingredients (excipients).

While these types of supplements help to ‘top-up’ deficient levels of essential micro-nutrients, they are in reality missing, or deficient in, expensive, key ingredients such as high potency phytonutrients, standardized herbal extracts and male and female ‘support’ nutrients, which are needed to optimize wellness throughout the body.

At the top end of the market is a small category of the best vitamin supplements based on synergistic and nutritionally complete formulas. They have been formulated by highly qualified bio-scientists using the latest research in bio-cellular chemistry and nutritional science.

These broad spectrum multi ingredient supplements target all organs and systems in the body, including the brain, and offer the strongest of health benefits. They do far more than just ‘top-up’ nutrient deficiencies but rather take a holistic approach to wellness by treating the body as a whole.

The consumption of this category of supplement is trending up worldwide. This is being driven by the aging baby boomers generation who use them as a form of preventative health-care to achieve their aim of “staying young and beautiful” as well as allying their fear of chronic illness, particularly cancer.

Now here is a key point:

The markets’ best science-based supplements are far from being equal!

There are always varying degrees of efficacy and value for money and in many cases these differences are significant.

This is primarily due to factors such as organizational structure, shareholder pressure and the marketing model(s) and distribution method(s) of supplement companies. These factors impact on the type and number of ingredients that manufacturers can afford to include in their products as well as the potencies and dose amounts – all of which are key variables when comparing supplements.

Consumers should always keep in mind that almost all supplements are manufactured to a price!

So regardless of which price category a supplement falls in it should be evaluated and then compared to its competitors. This applies even more for the up market multiples because value for money varies more-so.

Criteria for Evaluating Nutritional Supplements

A supplement can be broken apart and evaluated by examining it through 6 criteria:

The Formula

Ingredient Quality

Bio-availability

Synergy

Manufacturing Standards and Protocols

Value for money

By understanding the basics of each, supplements users can get a feel for the science behind supplements and target in on the fine details that manufacturers often love to keep hidden. This then allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.

The full 6 criteria can be used with multi ingredient products while less complex or single ingredient supplements can be evaluated using only 4 or 5.

To read further details on how to evaluate nutritional supplements follow these link to dedicated pages covering each of the 6 evaluation criteria.

Learn how to evaluate nutritional vitamin supplements

Nutritional vitamin supplements



]]> http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com/criteria-for-evaluating-nutritional-supplements-and-the-need-to-evaluate/feed/ 0 What to Look for in Nutritional Supplements for the Brain http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com/what-to-look-for-in-nutritional-supplements-for-the-brain/ http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com/what-to-look-for-in-nutritional-supplements-for-the-brain/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:50:07 +0000 admin http://i-nutritionalsupplements.com/what-to-look-for-in-nutritional-supplements-for-the-brain/ Brett Seagrott asked: med

Individuals with neurological disorders are being offered new hope thanks to cutting edge nutritional science and nutritional supplements for the brain. Because of increasing media publicity revealing widespread negative reactions to synthetic pharmaceutical drugs which are commonly prescribed to treat symptoms of brain disorders, there is a universal groundswell in the use of natural alternative treatments involving supplementation.

A significant proportion of the population is starting to take control of their own health as they come to realize that pharmaceutical drugs do not treat the root causes and any underlying deficiencies that are contributing to neurological illnesses.

In addition to positive outcomes for individuals with established neurological disorders, proactive consumers in good health are also using brain supplements as a powerful form of long-term preventative health-care. This wellness strategy ensures their brains receive an ongoing range of specific ‘brain nutrients’ which keep this vital organ in tip top shape to avoid disease and reduce free radical damage and degeneration.

This in turn allows them to enjoy the lifestyle they want through benefits including an improved sense of well-being, sharper and clearer thinking, improved memory, less headaches and better sleep. Brain supplements can also be used by those without classic neurological disorder symptoms, but who have a neurological weakness (either hereditary or acquired) which they would like to strengthen.

The Key Nutrients For Brain Health

The brain is a complex, well-organized matrix of intricate nerve endings. Every second, billions of electrical nerve impulses travel back and forth to this organ, with chemicals acting as neurotransmitters, transporting impulses from one cell to another. Because studies have shown that many nervous system disorders are a direct result of nutrient deficiencies, if the brain has an inadequate amount of the nutrients it needs to manufacture neurotransmitters, it begins to malfunction, leading to many chronic conditions.

The most powerful nutrients for your brain as established through clinical research are listed below. Look for these key ingredients when searching for the most effective nutritional supplements for the brain.

You won’t find every single one in a single supplement formula as manufacturers couldn’t afford to do this in effective dose amounts while maintaining an affordable selling price. Since each nutrient has differing properties some are more effective at certain disorders of the brain than others although there is an overlap for many. So some ingredients will be needed in brain supplements aimed at memory but are not needed in one aimed at insomnia. The key ingredients in a supplement formula for anxiety and depression will differ slightly from those in a general brain formula, particularly in the dose amounts.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine for example is used for Alzheimer’s disease, age-related memory deficits, senile depression, Down syndrome, alcoholism-related cognitive deficits and cerebro-vascular insufficiency after stroke. So you should find it in supplement formulas for general brain health, or depression/anxiety formulas and memory formulas but not in supplements for sleep disorders.

In terms of the exact ingredient list in brain supplements we need to rely on the experience and qualifications of the bio-chemists who formulate them. The best supplement companies proudly display full details of their formulators on their websites. The accomplishments of the bio-scientist who formulates the multi nutrient nutritional supplement I have used for the past 7 years is quite remarkable. He has even created brain formulas for NASA’s Space Program. (The name of the supplement is Total Balance).

Please take time to study not only ingredient dose amounts but especially potency levels, particular of herbal extracts and the other key actives below. Higher potency levels offer far more effective health benefits and value for money. Reputable supplement companies always clearly display potencies for ALL INGREDIENTS.

• Huperzine A

• Vinpocetine

• Phosphatidyl Choline

• Phosphatidyl Serine

• Acetyl-L-Carnitine

• 5 – HTP (5 – hydroxytryptophan)

• Gingko Biloba

• SAMe

• Schizandra

• Valerian Root

• Passion Flowers

• DMAE

• Gotu Kola

• Bacopa

• Lithium

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin E

• Vitamin B complex

• Folic Acid

To lean more about these ingredients and what each specifically does in the body please follow this link: nutritional supplements for the brain

The Most Common Neurological Disorders

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive degenerative disorder characterized by a widespread loss of brain cells, beta-amyloid deposits in the cerebral blood vessels, development of plaque and the presence of neurofibrillary tangles. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown, however, research has found some clues pointing to nutritional deficiencies.

The Gingko Biloba herb is a key nutrient in nutritional supplements for the brain aimed at memory. There is a great deal of clinical evidence supporting the connection between long term doses of Gingko and the potential to boost memory and brain function. Gingko has been double-blind tested many times for its ability to increase the oxygen content to the brain and other bodily tissues. Search for dose amounts of at least 100 mg. In terms of potency levels the extract must be standardized to 24% ginkgoflavonglycosides, containing 6% terpene lactones. Extract ratio of 50:1

•Other key memory ingredients that must be there are: Acetyl-L-Carnitine; Huperzine A; 5 – HTP; DMAE; Phosphatidyl Choline; Phosphatidyl Serine; SAMe; Vinpocetine; Bacopa; Gotu Kola; Passion Flower; Schizandra

Depression, Stress, Anxiety

Millions of people worldwide suffer from depression, stress or anxiety. Root causes include heredity, 20th century lifestyles, environment and diet. Conventional treatments use prescription anti-depressants. However, these medications only suppress the symptoms and do not treat the root of the problem. Several natural substances have proven to be highly effective when combined correctly in nutritional supplements for the brain. They can repair neurotransmitter faults, improve mood and re-balance nutrient intake.

•The key ingredients are: 5 – HTP; Acetyl-L-Carnitine; DMAE; Huperzine A; Phosphatidyl Choline; Phosphatidyl Serine; SAMe; Vinpocetine; Chamomile; Hops; Gotu Kola; Passion Flower; Valerian

Insomnia

Insomnia comes in two forms, sleep onset insomnia (the inability to fall asleep) and sleep maintenance insomnia (the inability to stay asleep) Invariably, people suffering from either type will end up with chronic sleep deficiencies. Insomnia can be caused by several factors such as mood disorders, illness, heartburn, menopause, diabetes and arthritis and periodic limb movement disorders. Nutritional supplements for the brain that target insomnia should contain the following key compounds as the main active ingredients:

•5-HTP; Phosphatidyl Choline; DMAE; Huperzine A; SAMe; Vinpocetine; Bacopa; Hops; Valerian; Chamomile; Passion Flower

Brain wellness is a vital component to a healthy and happy life. It effects every other system in the body. The brain is the most intricate and misunderstood organ in the body, which is the main reason why many prescription drugs used to treat problems are ineffective. Nutritional supplements for the brain provide a natural alternative for good neurological health.

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