Vitamins–how safe are they?

Vitamins, how much is too much?  There are conflicting numbers, RDAs and other information out there.  Which information is correct, and how do you know?

Here are some of the guidelines I use:

1. Is the vitamin from a natural source, or is it synthetic?  No vitamin is going to say ‘synthetic,’ but it could use labels like ‘isolate,’ ‘fractionalized,’ or some other adjective which tells the consumer that this is vitamin from a synthetic source.
2. On the ingredients, is ‘cellulose’ the first or second ingredient?  This is an indication that the product is made up primarily of ‘filler’, which would be why it is so inexpensive.
3. What is the parent company?  What is the primary work of the parent company?  Look at all the information.  Most of the time you will find that the lab is in the process of making other chemical products.  You are looking for natural substances.  Remember you want your nutrients in the same form as God made them.
4. What is the quality control level? 
5. Are the raw materials imported from a foreign country?  What is that country’s safety record?
6. Are the herbs wild-crafted?

Please contact your supplier and find out the answers to these questions.

There is a difference between ‘maintenance’ use and ‘therapeutic’ use.  

1. Maintenance use is what you need when your body is in balance and you are maintaining that balance.
2. Therapeutic use is what you need to bring your body into balance.

Always check with your healthcare practitioner concerning the purity and efficacy of your products.  Resources are out there, you don’t have to try to do this alone.

As always, I welcome your comments,

Polly