I had a patient that was taking avery popular joint supplement. He calledit his "miracle supplement". However, hecouldn't take it at night because it would give him "restless leg syndrome". I asked him one question to help him realizethis product was far from a miracle and was actually harming him. "How can it be a miracle when it creates amassive reaction in your nervous system so badly that it causes your legs tojerk and prevent you from sleeping?" Iread the label and there was a whole list of chemical additives. One additive is used to make plastic productsand paint. He really didn't need to reada label to know this was not a good product. He just needed to listen to his body.
Here's a quick way to tell if theproduct(s) you have or want to buy are good for you.
1) Start with theingredient list. If any one productlists dangerous chemical additives then assume the whole product line is madewith the same poor quality. Additives tolook for are:
a. Dyes of any kind~ artificial or natural.
b. Avoid any andall artificial sweeteners ~ Acesulfame K, Aspartame, Nutrasweet, Sucralose,Splenda, Saccharin, Phenylalanine.
c. BHA/BHT ~The National Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World HealthOrganization) has classified this as a possible carcinogen in humans. It is used quite commonly in many foods aswell.
d. Caffeine ~popular in many weight loss products.
e. PolyvinylChloride ~ More commonly known as PVC. Need I say more on this? Yes,many companies use this in their products.
f. Chromic Chloride
g. Anything listed with Sulfate/Sulfite ~ i.e. Manganese Sulfate. (Sulfates and sulfites are also commonly usedin foods such as dried fruit and meats.)
h. Titanium and/orZinc Oxide (only acceptable as a reflective agent in sunscreens ~ not meantfor ingestion.)
i. dl-alphatocopherol acetate ~ very poor and cheap form of vitamin E. It is the synthetic form of vitamin E whichblocks the absorption of the natural form. Look for the d-alpha form of tocopherol.
j. Any product thatblends probiotics (the good bacteria in your gut.) with otheringredients. This should be a standalone product and always requires refrigeration.
k. Products thatclaim to "have it all". Somenutrients prefer more acidity and some prefer more alkalinity for properfunction in the body. When you mix theseit disrupts their balance and they are simply not viable anymore.
The above list is by no means acomplete list of toxic substances. Onevery popular multivitamin contains many of these dangerous, chemical additivesand many more. Most of the chemicaladditives are classified as carcinogenic (cancer causing) and many areteratogenic (causes birth defects). DONOT PURCHASE any product if it lists even one of theseadditives. And AVOID THE WHOLE PRODUCT LINE! If a company is willing to put dangerous chemicalsin a product they tell you is good for your health, do you think they have yourbest interest at hand or does their interest lie more in their bottom line??
Product labeling can be verydeceptive. Lesson #1: start reading labels to know what you are puttingin your body! And, don't sacrificequality for price because what you don't know CAN hurt you.