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Truth In Labeling
In The Nutritonal Industry
You May Not Be Getting
What You Think You Are
Everywhere you look there is exciting new research
on the efficacy of nutritional supplements. Unfortunately, the
average consumer does not realize that evidence seems to come out
monthly indicating that nutritional products do not always meet
label claims. In fact, several recent studies reveal that many
of the products tested did not meet label claims. Caveat
emptor -- let the buyer beware.
Chondroitin Sulfate Study: Only 2 in 32 Products Met Their
Label Claims
A study performed at the Pharmacy School at the
University of Maryland on 32 bottles of chondroitin sulfate
purchased at pharmacies and health food stores indicated that only
two of the products met label claims. In fact, 14 of the 32
bottles contained 10 percent or less of the amount claimed on the
label. What were the buyer's chances of getting a good product
when only two of 32 products met label claims? (1)
Antioxidant Study: Less Than 30 Percent of Label Claims
Met
Another study evaluated 51 antioxidant products
purchased through mail order catalogs and health food stores.
Less than 30 percent of all antioxidant claims were met. What
is even more shocking is that 7 of the 51 products tested revealed
no antioxidant activity at all. (2)
Echinacea Study: 10 Percent of Products Tested Had No
Measurable Amounts of Echinacea
One study tested 59 echinacea-only products that
were purchased in the Denver, Colorado area. The testing found
that 10 percent of the products tested contained no measurable
amount of echinacea. The echinacea species found in each
product was consistent with the label claim in only 52 percent of
the samples. Of the 21 products that were labeled as being
standardized, only 43 percent met the quality standard designated on
the label. (3)
What if you took one of the 10 percent of the
products that contained no measurable amount of echinacea? How
can you trust products where only 52 percent met label claims and
only 43 percent of the products that were "standardized" met label
claims?
If you think all of these are exceptions to the
norm, think again. Recently one of the chiropractic schools
sent a bromelain product to one of our suppliers to be tested for
activity. The product had absolutely no milk-clotting activity
(a standard assay for bromelain activity).
Bacteria, Mold, and Heavy Metal Contamination
At a recent seminar at the International College of
Integrative Medicine, James Short, M.D. presented slides of
off-shore raw material manufacturing plants that caused the crowd of
health care professionals to cringe at the thought of all the
bacteria and mold in which the raw materials were processed and
packaged. Certainly the manufacturer provides the product in
respectable containers that are clean and safely sealed. But
the conditions that are present before it reaches the manufacturer's
hands are unknown even to the supplier who sells the raw materials.
Dr. Short compared the heavy metal content in parts
per million (ppm) of 11 glucosamine products. The cumulative
toxic metal profile ranged from 10 ppm to 2100 ppm. These are
huge differences and may not make a difference to a healthy person
in the short term, but over a long period of time they can add to an
already toxic load. If the 2100 ppm product were taken by
someone already burdened with heavy metals, it could be the
proverbial "straw that breaks the camel's back."
Find a Good Manufacturer
There is only one sure way of buying nutritional or
herbal supplements. Doctors need to do their research and find
a manufacturer that tests every raw material that comes into its
doors. It is surprising, but most nutritional/herbal
manufacturing companies do not test raw materials they receive from
outside suppliers. They receive assays from the supplier that
they take on faith. The studies indicated above prove this to
be ineffective when you are concerned with quality, potency,
cleanliness, freshness, etc. Most manufacturers do not have
the personnel, technical knowledge, or physical capacity to test the
raw materials they receive. They simply encapsulate or tablet
the materials and put them into bottles. Again, let the buyer
beware.
NaturoDoc's Suppliers are Different
Here at NaturoDoc, many of our suppliers have
literally invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to build and
staff a phytochemistry laboratory where their scientists have
developed several hundred tests to determine if the raw materials
they purchase have the activity levels required to use them in the
products. If the activity levels are not as indicated by the
supplier, they are returned to the supplier who, more than likely,
ships it to another manufacturer who does not have the capacity to
test raw materials. They also check for the above-mentioned
heavy metals, mold, bacteria, and other contaminants.
Clearly, the company you choose to provide your
supplements should not be taken lightly.
References
-
Adebowale, Cox, Liang and Eddington.
Analysis of Glucosamines and Chondroitin Sulfates Content in
Marketed Products and the Caco-2 Permeability of Chrondroitin
Sulfate Raw Materials, JANA Spring 2000, Volume 3, No. 1,
37-44.
-
Bucci, Klenda, Stiles and Sparks. Truth in
Labeling for Antioxidant Products, Survey of Label Claims and
Product Potencies, Board of Nutrition, Palmer College of
Chiropractic, 1989, Davenport, Iowa.
-
Gilroy, Steiner, Byers, Shipiro and Georgian.
Echinacea and Truth in Labeling, Arch Internal Medicine,
2003, 163(6), 699-704.
Reprinted by permission of Biotics Research,
December 2003
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