Nutritional supplements are one of several key tools I use to improve the health of my patients. These supplements do exactly what their name implies – they supplement what one’s body is, or should be, receiving through ideal nutrition. There are thousands of uses for nutritional supplements. Some are very general, used to supplement nutrients that have been lost in our food supply as it has evolved to feed burgeoning populations. Other nutritional supplements are very specific, used to restore the balance of an individual’s biochemistry after it has been disturbed by illness or lifestyle.
Just as the quality of food one eats is important, nutritional supplement quality is paramount – both for safety and for effectiveness. I need to trust that the nutritional supplement quality is high if I expect to see improvement in the health of my patients. For this reason, I am very selective in which companies I use to supply the needs of my patients. The handful of companies I use choose to have their products and their raw materials independently tested for purity and quality. This sometimes leads to back-ordered products, for example when a raw material source tests poorly and a new source needs to be found and tested. This also leads to a higher cost. But I prefer the higher cost to the unknown cost of using untested, impure products that are mass produced and sold with no connection between the producer and consumer.
Below is a short video recently produced by one of the several nutritional supplement companies I have used for over 15 years. It contains interesting information about nutritional supplement quality, I encourage you to watch it.
Dr. Nicole Fenske
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The TRUTH About the Supplement Industry, by Thorne Research
Are your supplements safe? If you read the recent article in Consumer Reports, you might think they aren’t safe at all. There are a lot of misconceptions about what the supplement industry is doing and how it is regulated by the FDA.
As one of the most respected supplement companies in the world, Thorne Research strives to educate consumers on the facts about the supplement industry. By no means are all supplement companies created equal, we encourage you as a consumer to do your own research and ensure the supplement company you choose is reputable, trusted, and transparent.
