Hi, this is Teri. I am a 3rd generation Alzheimer’s Survivor and a co-caregiver of a parent who is surviving and thriving despite having Alzheimer’s Disease.
This week I want to focus on Nutritional Supplementation. Let’s start by addressing the good the bad and the ugly
Supplementation can be a controversial topic. I have heard these common objections over and over again:
Does it really help?
Is it safe?
Why is it so expensive?
Why can’t I get the nutrition I need from the food I eat?
A vitamin is a vitamin, they are all the same.
Why can’t I just take a single pill and get everything I need?
I don’t want to take handfuls of pills every day.
How do I know what I should take?
How do I know how much I need?
How long will it take until I feel better?
I took those pills for 2 weeks and did not feel any different.
But Joe Rogan says this is the best.
These are all valid objections.
My biggest concern is how I can be sure what the manufacturers say is in the bottle and is actually in the bottle.
There is NO trusted government agency to test and regulate supplements sold in the US. Anyone can put anything in a bottle and call it the cure for cancer and sell it. As long as they label it a “dietary supplement” – it is legal.
We have all stood in the vitamin aisle at CVS, Costco, or the grocery store and looked at hundreds of bottles of little pills, thinking I need to take control of my health. But the many rows of little bottles, with claims of health and vitality, quickly become overwhelming, and the next thing you know you are in the seasonal aisle buying bags and bags of Halloween candy in August.
The supplement industry is setting you up to fail!
Supplement manufacturers realize that you will buy their product or line of products once. So, they must have a flashy spokesperson, packaging that stands out, and/or a health claim that will knock your socks off! They know that you will take about half of the product in the bottle. They know that 2 – 3 weeks of supplementation is not enough to change your health and you will quit. Your supplement bottle will slowly be pushed to the back of the cabinet and will be forgotten until you remodel or move.
Most supplement manufacturers don’t care! By the time you throw the bottle away, the company owners are either on a private boat in Fiji or have moved on to another multi-level sales program utilizing the same sales formula to sell you laser hair growth hats.
Most of the nutritional ingredients in the supplements purchased at Sam’s, Walmart, Target, Costco, Walgreens, CVS & at the grocery store are 3 – 4 years old before you purchase them. What was once a perfect nutrient has lost its effectiveness by the time it enters your body. The problem is found in the manufacturing and distribution lifecycle.
The typical lifecycle of your standard commercial supplement looks like this:
1. HARVEST
The raw vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are harvested from all over the world.
2. TRANSPORT & CONSOLIDATION
Most are then shipped to China where Chinese wholesalers warehouse the raw materials until they find a buyer. It is common for fillers and binders to be added to extend the volume of the raw products. This step alone can take 2 – 3 years.
3. WHOLESALE
Once a buyer is identified and the sale takes place, the raw ingredients are transported within China to either another wholesaler or another distributor. This process of shuffling raw materials can take place multiple times adding additional expense and more questionable fillers, enhancers, and binders to the raw product. Once again extending the volume of the raw materials.
4. MANUFACTURING
Eventually, the raw materials find their way to a manufacturer. The Chinese manufacturer will combine the raw ingredients into a powder, granule, cake, or residue where the product will then again be stored and possibly shipped to another manufacturer who specializes in encapsulating the ingredients or compressing the ingredients into a tablet.
5. PACKAGING
Primary Packaging: The product is placed in containers such as bottles, blister packs, or pouches.
Secondary Packaging: The primary containers are boxed and labeled for retail, with information like the product name, ingredients, dosage, and expiration date.
6. WAREHOUSING
Finished packaged goods are stored in warehouses before being shipped to the US.
7. SHIPPING
Finished packaged goods are placed in containers and loaded onto HUGE container ships. It is impossible to control the product temperature during the shipping process. This process will take at least do 2 – 6 weeks.
8. WAREHOUSING & DISTRIBUTION
At this point, the final packaged product usually enters the distribution cycle of its final reseller. Wal-Mart, Target CVS, Walgreens, Costco & Sam’s will move the inventory to regional distribution centers.
9. RETAIL
The individual stores will order products as needed. Once the individual stores receive the product, it will be placed on the shelf. Retailers display and sell the product to consumers. Some retailers may offer promotional deals or discounts to move inventory.
10. PURCHASE
Finally, after years and years, you purchase the supplement and take it home.
11. END-USE
For the first week, you take the supplement and anticipate healthy changes in your body. However, after a few weeks, you don’t experience an earth-shattering difference and you slowly forget to take the supplement. Slowly the bottle gets pushed back in the cabinet until it is forgotten forever.
Is there anything you can do to overcome this?
YES! Next week we will talk about the tools available to set a baseline to address your supplemental needs.