When it Comes to Nutrients in Supplements
Not All Things Are Equal
The Biology of Supplements
Supplements Reviewed
In Part One of this series we learned that "Nature" is not equal. We learned that extracts are more powerful than "whole-food" supplements -although we learned Natural Biology uses the most proven whole foods as co-factors for more powerful extracts -thus making both the whole food and extract more effective than when used alone. This is called synergy! We learned that Natural Biology uses the best nutrients (efficacy -how they absorb), nutrients proven over time, and nutrients on the cutting edge of scientific discovery...and now we will learn what the difference in nutrient grades are. Grade makes the real difference in the formula, the efficacy, and the synergy.
USP Pharmaceutical Grade
In order to have a therapeutic effect, nutrients must be absorbed into your bloodstream. The extent to which they can be absorbed is referred to as their bioavailability. In most cases, the same substance can have a greater or lesser degree of bioavailability, depending on the way it is manufactured.It is important that they are also manufactured in a FDA-registered facility. It is important that the tablet or capsule follow the US Pharmocepia guidelines (USP) for dissolution of the tablet or capsule. In other words, you want to be sure that the supplements you are taking actually dissolve or it doesn't matter what is in them—you won't get anything.
The Secret to Effective Nutritional Supplements
Most nutritional supplements are very delicate formulas. Their effectiveness varies a great deal according to the way they are manufactured, transported and stored. Although the laboratories that manufacture them are not required to disclose this information, the FDA classifies supplements into three broad categories:
Animal Grade
Food Grade
USP Pharmaceutical Grade
Most of the supplements that you buy in the supermarket, or even a health food store, fall into the first two categories. Pharmaceutical grade supplements are usually available only through the prescription of a health care professional -or from Natural Biology...
The secret to pharmaceutical grade supplements is that they are formulated to yield a much higher degree of bioavailability. In other words, your body can absorb them more easily, and this makes a big difference in how they improve your health and enhance the quality of your life.
Cost versus Quality
Let's take a look at one example of cost vesus quality, in the case of amino acids. Most amino acid supplements are manufactured in tablet form. Others contain protein fragments that must be broken down (metabolized) by the body before absorption into a useful form. The real cost of these supplements is the relationship between the dollars spent on them to the effective catabolization of those amino acids into proteins for the body. For example, an amino acid supplement may cost $.25 per capsule, but contain fillers and predigested amino acids that are limited due to the absence of a proper proportion of other nutrients that are essential for their bioavailability. Your body may be able to effectively catabolize only 10% of the product. This product would have a real cost of $2.50 per capsule. That is to say, it would take 10 capsules to get the equivalent effectiveness of one capsule that was completely metabolized.
Synthetic versus Natural
Most vitamin supplements found in drug and health food stores do not contain vitamins that are truly natural, but are synthesized predominantly from petrochemicals and less frequently from plants.
There is much controversy concerning the body's reaction to synthetic vs. natural vitamin supplements. Many believe that the small differences between synthetic and natural are of no consequence. However, clinical evidence and several studies indicate that the body detects the difference and that natural forms of vitamins including A, B-complex, C, D, and E are more easily absorbed by the body and have a more profound effect on deficiencies and disease than synthetics.
There are some very real problems with synthetic vitamins and most supplements containing them. Not only are they synthesized, but are also isolated components completely removed from the family of micronutrients that accompany them naturally in whole foods -or extracts the more concentrated form of a whole food.. They are not intact with their co-factors such as enzymes, co-enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements, proteins, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids as they would be in whole foods or properly manufactured whole food supplements. Just the same, most whole foods really do not contain enzymes -they often die very quickly, even if on the label. WE have discovered the only effective way to manufacture an enzyme is to manufacture an enzyme. Do not take mixed protocols of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals -and this includes probiotics. They cannot possibly have the synergistic, nutritional effect of the whole food vitamins.
The Difference is Always the Formula and What Goes Into It...
What makes Natural Biology so unique....is we use the best pharmaceutical grade nutrients then blend them synergistically into advance formulas -and these products like OxyAGE and Med Factors should cost hundreds of dollars but they compete cost-wise with food grade supplements with simple formulas. That is why our customers are typically more educated and have an acute awareness of supplement use and information. It's our business model. Just like Dell use to beat IBM by 50% for the same product, our business model is offer custom formulations, that in the past were only available for the very rich, to offer them at family prices. Based on your re-order rates and customer satisfaction surveys -our model is working and we hope to continue making it work.
At the very core of this model is YOU. Please give us your feedback, experiences, and keep us informed of your progress!
Supplements Reviewed
In Part One of this series we learned that "Nature" is not equal. We learned that extracts are more powerful than "whole-food" supplements -although we learned Natural Biology uses the most proven whole foods as co-factors for more powerful extracts -thus making both the whole food and extract more effective than when used alone. This is called synergy! We learned that Natural Biology uses the best nutrients (efficacy -how they absorb), nutrients proven over time, and nutrients on the cutting edge of scientific discovery...and now we will learn what the difference in nutrient grades are. Grade makes the real difference in the formula, the efficacy, and the synergy.
USP Pharmaceutical Grade
In order to have a therapeutic effect, nutrients must be absorbed into your bloodstream. The extent to which they can be absorbed is referred to as their bioavailability. In most cases, the same substance can have a greater or lesser degree of bioavailability, depending on the way it is manufactured.It is important that they are also manufactured in a FDA-registered facility. It is important that the tablet or capsule follow the US Pharmocepia guidelines (USP) for dissolution of the tablet or capsule. In other words, you want to be sure that the supplements you are taking actually dissolve or it doesn't matter what is in them—you won't get anything.
The Secret to Effective Nutritional Supplements
Most nutritional supplements are very delicate formulas. Their effectiveness varies a great deal according to the way they are manufactured, transported and stored. Although the laboratories that manufacture them are not required to disclose this information, the FDA classifies supplements into three broad categories:
Most of the supplements that you buy in the supermarket, or even a health food store, fall into the first two categories. Pharmaceutical grade supplements are usually available only through the prescription of a health care professional -or from Natural Biology...
The secret to pharmaceutical grade supplements is that they are formulated to yield a much higher degree of bioavailability. In other words, your body can absorb them more easily, and this makes a big difference in how they improve your health and enhance the quality of your life.
Cost versus Quality
Let's take a look at one example of cost vesus quality, in the case of amino acids. Most amino acid supplements are manufactured in tablet form. Others contain protein fragments that must be broken down (metabolized) by the body before absorption into a useful form. The real cost of these supplements is the relationship between the dollars spent on them to the effective catabolization of those amino acids into proteins for the body. For example, an amino acid supplement may cost $.25 per capsule, but contain fillers and predigested amino acids that are limited due to the absence of a proper proportion of other nutrients that are essential for their bioavailability. Your body may be able to effectively catabolize only 10% of the product. This product would have a real cost of $2.50 per capsule. That is to say, it would take 10 capsules to get the equivalent effectiveness of one capsule that was completely metabolized.
Synthetic versus Natural
Most vitamin supplements found in drug and health food stores do not contain vitamins that are truly natural, but are synthesized predominantly from petrochemicals and less frequently from plants.
There is much controversy concerning the body's reaction to synthetic vs. natural vitamin supplements. Many believe that the small differences between synthetic and natural are of no consequence. However, clinical evidence and several studies indicate that the body detects the difference and that natural forms of vitamins including A, B-complex, C, D, and E are more easily absorbed by the body and have a more profound effect on deficiencies and disease than synthetics.
There are some very real problems with synthetic vitamins and most supplements containing them. Not only are they synthesized, but are also isolated components completely removed from the family of micronutrients that accompany them naturally in whole foods -or extracts the more concentrated form of a whole food.. They are not intact with their co-factors such as enzymes, co-enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements, proteins, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids as they would be in whole foods or properly manufactured whole food supplements. Just the same, most whole foods really do not contain enzymes -they often die very quickly, even if on the label. WE have discovered the only effective way to manufacture an enzyme is to manufacture an enzyme. Do not take mixed protocols of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals -and this includes probiotics. They cannot possibly have the synergistic, nutritional effect of the whole food vitamins.
The Difference is Always the Formula and What Goes Into It...
What makes Natural Biology so unique....is we use the best pharmaceutical grade nutrients then blend them synergistically into advance formulas -and these products like OxyAGE and Med Factors should cost hundreds of dollars but they compete cost-wise with food grade supplements with simple formulas. That is why our customers are typically more educated and have an acute awareness of supplement use and information. It's our business model. Just like Dell use to beat IBM by 50% for the same product, our business model is offer custom formulations, that in the past were only available for the very rich, to offer them at family prices. Based on your re-order rates and customer satisfaction surveys -our model is working and we hope to continue making it work.
At the very core of this model is YOU. Please give us your feedback, experiences, and keep us informed of your progress!
Natural Biology believes a good supplement begins with the careful selection of each micro-nutrient - and then is formulated into a "bio-balanced" formula to offer improved absorption and utilization. We call it the 100% Pure and Natural Advantage.
