Pharmaceutical Grade Supplements vs Less Expensive Supplements ... Does it Really Matter?
Often patients come to me and ask me if it’s necessary to take a Pharmaceutical grade supplement over one far less expensive and here is what I say:
There is an abundance of great information AND misinformation on the internet about supplements. And there is an abundance of high-quality products to choose from just as there is an abundance of greedy individuals who put making money more important than your trust and health.
Because the FDA doesn’t regulate dietary supplements, it is the responsibility of the seller to assure the supplement is indeed what it claims to be. Supplement manufacturers are not required to acquire third party certification of what is claimed on a product’s label. And unless we’re super innocent… you know where this can go… and it does!
In an ongoing investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office, just 21% of the test results from store brand herbal supplements verified DNA from the plants listed on the products’ labels — with 79% coming up empty for DNA related to the labeled content or verifying contamination with other plant material. The retailer with the poorest showing for DNA matching products listed on the label was Walmart. Only 4% of the Walmart products tested showed DNA from the plants listed on the products’ labels.
In 2015, four major retailers, GNC, Target, Walmart, and Walgreens, were told to cease and desist selling products that could not be verified to contain the labeled substance, or which were found to contain ingredients not listed on the labels.
If that one doesn’t frighten you enough, what Dr Victor Navarro, chair of hepatology for Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, has to say. (Hepatology is the division of medicine that focuses on the liver, gallbladder and pancreas)
Dr. Navarro reported that chemical analysis found that more than half of herbal and dietary supplements analyzed by researchers contained ingredients that were different from the list on their labels, and that some had hidden ingredients that might harm health. In particular, he noted that bodybuilding and weight loss supplements are highly suspect with 80 percent of bodybuilding and performance enhancement supplements, and 72 percent of weight-loss products not reflecting the ingredients on their label.
Dr Navarro further stated, “We found that half of the bodybuilding supplements in our analysis contained undeclared anabolic steroids,” Navarro said.
All I can say is… UGH!
Pharmaceutical grade supplements are only available through a board-certified physician or provider.
These products have been vetted by a third-party lab providing unbiased assurance of quality control, ensuring that no unlisted additives are present, and that dosages claimed match analyzed dosages.
Once standards are met, the products bear the seal of approval from the certifier.
This is why I recommend Pharmaceutical grade supplements (also referred to as “physician grade” and “provider grade”). Sure, when I work one on one with my patients in my Concierge Functional Medical Practice, we examine supplements that may lie slightly outside of official Pharmaceutical grade supplements, but it is truly on a case-by-case basis.
You can be assured that any product that I recommend is going to be fully trusted by me because it has been produced with the highest quality ingredients and properly tested by third party testing. And I never recommend something I wouldn’t take myself or give to my family.
We’re gearing up now for 2021 Squeaky Clean 2 LEAN three-video-series Masterclass, and I’ll be sharing quite a bit about how to get your GUT “Squeaky Clean”! I call this program Squeaky Clean 2 LEAN because without a healthy GUT, it’s almost impossible to lose weight!
Sure, there are many benefits we all get out of being together in Squeaky Clean 2 LEAN, like making amazing friends and supporting one another, and clearing the cobwebs from our brains and feeling mentally clear and emotionally resilient! Like having far less pain in our joints and muscles and OMG – so important – nice, big, easy to eliminate STOOLS and the resolution of bloating and feeling dragged out!
By discovering and removing the causes of inflammation, we heal the “Leaky Gaps” which are at the root cause of toxins and allergens – which enter out body and cause disease. We are then able to build a healthy microbiome.
No wonder we feel so great and our metabolism skyrockets with Squeaky Clean 2 LEAN!
It’s worth every effort made. And it’s so much fun because we’re discovering and succeeding together!
So, yes, I do recommend only the best of nutrients for our bodies. Just like I always try to buy organic fruits and vegetables and non-GMO products, and keep processed foods out of my nutrition plan. I simply would rather spend a little more on Pharmaceutical grade supplements and treat my body to what it really wants – instead of potentially wasting money and not getting what I thought I was getting (and uhg!) putting more toxin into it!
Remember, the Solution to Pollution always starts with Dilution.
Anyway! I hope this helps! And be on the lookout for Squeaky Clean 2 LEAN MasterClass series! Make sure you are signed up to newsletter for latest dates.
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