Guidelines for Choosing the Correct Nutritional Supplements: How Do You Know You're Buying Quality, Purity and Potency

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Depressed? Grab the St. John's Wort. Feeling a cold coming on? Reach for the Echinacea. Have high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol? Take L-arginine. But how do you know which dietary or nutritional supplement is right from you?

"With such a deluge of supplements on the market, consumers can easily get confused about product selection," says William Bunten of Real Health Laboratories, manufacturers of The VasoRect Formula and The Prostate Formula. "Being knowledgeable about quality, purity and potency and how various brands monitor these is important."

Bunten says it is particularly important that consumers do their homework prior to purchasing supplements. "To choose the right supplement to complement your lifestyle, you need to know what you are putting into your body," says Bunten. Current federal regulations dictate minimal guidelines for the manufacturing of nutritional supplements so it is essential to be educated.

To help eliminate consumer confusion about the variety of products on the pharmacy or health food shelves, Bunten suggests asking the following questions of a supplement manufacturer before purchasing a product:

Are the Ingredients Tested for Purity?

The potency of the product greatly depends on the quality of the raw materials. Many companies wrongly assume that a Certificate of Analysis guarantees quality, but it only verifies claims of content.

Consumers can call manufacturers to determine if they specifically test for purity.

Is the Product Manufactured in an FDA-Registered, Pharmaceutically Licensed Facility?

Makers of dietary supplements are not subject to the same guidelines as pharmaceutical manufacturers. Manufacturing a dietary supplement in an FDA-registered, pharmaceutically licensed facility ensures that it is being monitored more closely and to higher standards. Inquire whether or not a supplement company's products are manufactured in such a facility.

Does the Product Meet United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Standards?

The USP was formed to establish uniform standards for selected materials to be used as medicines, drugs or supplements. These standards establish the identity strength and purity of the selected materials for the benefit of physicians, pharmacists, and consumers.

Not all ingredients have established USP guidelines and some that do are not commercially available. Manufacturers that use USP-grade material whenever possible are ensuring the quality of their finished products. Check the bottle for "UPS Grade Material" marked on the ingredients list.

Is there Scientific Research Backing up the Supplement's Ingredients?

Anecdotal evidence is not a sufficient base for pharmacists and doctors to make recommendations and for consumers to make decisions. Look for a supplement whose ingredients have been independently studied by medical and scientific research institutions.

Does the Company Perform Independent Laboratory Analyses on Finished Products?

Many variables introduced during manufacturing can affect the finished product. Testing final batches protect the purity and potency. Inquire if the manufacturer does final testing. Some companies will even send you testing results.

SOURCE: Real Health Laboratories
CO: Real Health Laboratories
ST: New York