Nutritional Supplement Product Quality Checklist

Here’s a quick Product Quality Checklist published by Lyle MacWilliam’s Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements:

1. Is the product delivered in a single dose? (A once-a-day tablet simply cannot provide the levels of potency needed for optimal nutrition without being too large to swallow.)
2. Are the potency levels of the ingredients high enough to provide optimal daily nutritional intake without compromising safety? 
3. Are the ingredients provided in their most bioavailable form? (Mineral salts are not as well absorbed as chelated minerals or minerals bound to organic carrier.)
4. Is the safety profile of each ingredient thoroughly researched and evaluated?
5. Does the company Meet United States and Canadian pharmaceutical guidelines – not food-grade guidelines – for Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs)
6. Is the product formulated to meet pharmaceutical standards for dull disintegration and dissolution?
7. Is the product potency guaranteed for a specified shelf life?
8. Is the product independently tested and guaranteed for potency and safety?
9. Is the product manufactured in-house? (or is it contracted out to the lowest bidder?)
10. Is the product free of ingredients that may have cumulative toxicities (pre-formed vitamin A and iron)?

If the product meets all of these criteria, you know that you have a nutritional supplement of exceptional quality.  If it doesn’t, keep looking.
In reality, it is just not feasible for the consumer to consider all these points about a product simply by scanning the label.  Many nutritional manufacturers don’t make such detailed information easily available – and that’s precisely the reason for this comparative guide.
Below is some of what I take on a daily basis and is the minimum recommendation you should take to protect your health from oxidative stress and provide optimal cellular nutrition?    
1.        USANA Essentials or Health Pack
2.        BiOmega (Fish Oil, Omega 3 fatty acids)
3.        Proflavanol C (Mega Antioxidants)
However, if you are taking cholesterol, blood pressure medications or certain anti-depressants you will need to add CoQuinone 30.  These medications block your body’s ability to produce Coenzyme Q10 which is essential to energy production in the cell.
I hope this information was helpful and I can’t express it enough that as a consumer you need to do your homework.  Don’t listen to the hype or fancy marketing.  Ask the important questions above, check the product ratings and only then should you give them a try.
God Bless