What Is the Best Natural Health Products?
The term natural health product is now used interchangeably with health supplement. In Canada, the term natural health product means any substance, including vitamins, minerals, homeopathic medicines, herbal medications, energy drinks, and other alternative and conventional medicines deemed by a health care practitioner to be safe for use. A survey conducted last year showed that 73% of Canadian consumers use NHP in their daily medication routine. This represents a significant growth in the country’s reliance on alternative medicines.
Because prescription and over-the-counter drugs are highly regulated in both form and content, there are rigorous quality control checks that NPs undertake before offering a health product to the public. Additionally, health product manufacturers must meet certain requirements regarding the ingredients, processing, packaging, and distribution of their products. Canadian consumers need only do their homework to avoid exposure to fraudulent health products. Below is some advice on how to identify high quality products and how to spot the signs of a questionable health product.
* Natural health fraudsters have made false claims that essential oils can cure serious diseases. While essential oils may be useful for various purposes such as aromatherapy and massage, they cannot cure serious diseases. Some NPs have marketed their products as antiseptics, antibiotics, heart boosters, and other “miracle” therapies. However, these treatments do not work and may even make the problem worse. Consumers should be skeptical about natural remedies that claim to cure serious diseases.
* A dietary supplement that contains activated charcoal is another example of a potentially questionable health product. Activated charcoal, or charcoal powder, is a common ingredient in many granola and other snack foods. It has been touted as a miracle supplement that helps people lose weight, feel healthier, and prevent cancer. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims. In fact, most nutritionists advise against the use of activated charcoal supplements for any purpose. A high-quality probiotic with high amounts of both Probiotics and prebiotics will contain activated charcoal, but it will also have other ingredients such as digestive enzymes, vitamin K, copper, glutamine, etc., to improve the health of the entire digestive system.
* Common health products that claim to boost the immune system are often promoted as natural supplements. In some cases, the ingredients in these supplements may actually increase the amount of toxins in the body instead of providing needed nutrients. This can lead to increased toxicity symptoms and can make the immune system less effective at fighting off illness. For this reason, it is always a good idea to check to see if the supplement contains all-natural organic ingredients and that it is completely GMP compliant.
* As mentioned above, it is important to be aware of scam-type health products. In addition to fakes that contain chemicals, there are also supplements that utilize “safe” quantities of herb extracts, minerals, or vitamins only to claim that the product is a natural product (which is not true). The most common examples of these health products are multi-ingredient supplements with high concentrations of one or more substances that have not been proven effective as medicinal ingredients. Before purchasing any multi-nutrient supplement, consumers should carefully research the company to see if they are registered with the Biotechnology Approval Corporation (BAC) and receive BAC accredited documents.
* One of the least common health products to endorse are supplements that claim to provide a cure for a specific condition or disease. While there are some natural health products that may help people who suffer from a specific disease, most natural products will only treat a symptom or effect of a disease, such as lowering cholesterol or improving the absorption of fatty acids in the intestines. This means that while the supplement may be effective in combating a disease, the cause of the disease has not been addressed.
Most natural health products are not available at the retail level. The few stores that sell herbal supplements typically carry a small selection and may carry low-quality, unbranded supplements. Most health food stores, chain stores, and online health food stores also do not carry most natural health products. It is best to shop with an online vendor that carries high-quality products and guarantees. If you have questions about the products, most online vendors can provide instructions and information about the health supplement that you are considering. Before purchasing any supplement, it is important to do your homework.
