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Supplements...Sometimes over-hyped, overpriced and downright dishonest!
6/19/2002 12:00:00 AM
I am sure that you, like most people receive offers almost every day from someone selling:
- Weight loss supplements.
- HGH.
- Natural libido or 'sex' supplements.
Because of the number of emails that I get from subscribers who have fallen prey to some of these offers I thought it was now time to give a few hints to our subscribers so they don't fall 'victim' to some of these scams.
I will deal with each group separately so you will be better equipped to assess and deal with these promotions should they stimulate your interest. But first a few general 'rules'.
General 'Due diligence' Rules:
If you receive the offer via spam, delete it! No reputable Company with quality products will ever market their products by spamming. If the promoter does not display physical addresses, telephone and fax numbers, plus a toll free number and email addresses there is a high probability that they will be nigh on impossible to contact if you have a problem. Be wary of websites that can only be contacted via a form and have no email address or, the email address is different to their domain name. For example a website www.xyz.com should have corresponding email addresses such as joe@xyz.com. If an email address is a free 'throw away' one give it an extra wide berth.
General 'Product' Rules:
NEVER buy any supplement that does not list ALL the ingredients in each product, INCLUDING the amount of each ingredient in each tablet or capsule. If a claim is made that it contains 'secret' ingredients, scrap it... there are no such things! If a promoter claims that their product is patented... move on. You cannot patent natural ingredients. Besides, competent commercial businesses do not attempt to patent their natural formulas. As an example, our Xtend-Life Total Balance which is arguably the most sophisticated and advanced general dietary supplement in the world is not patented! The reason...we would have to divulge in detail our total manufacturing methodology which would then become public knowledge. A few minor changes and it's everybody's! This is the difference between nutraceuticals which are manufactured using natural ingredients and pharmaceuticals which are synthesized and easy to patent. Be wary of 'clinical studies and trials'. Unless they are referenced or documented on the website they only exist in the mind of the marketer. If you are seriously interested in a product and they say there is supporting 'clinical studies' and you can find no reference to them on the website... email them and ask for details. Use your instinct. If the claims don't feel right... move on... or telephone them to ask questions. You can always tell on the phone if someone at the other end knows what they are talking about or if they are just an order taking service. When a Company tries to load you up with 3 - 6 months supply of product this is a general sign that they know that their product does not work and you are unlikely to buy again or, their customer service is so poor or non existent! I'll now give you some quick hints of some points to be aware of in the three following categories:
Weight Loss Supplements!
This is a category that never ceases to astound me! In fact, many of the products being promoted are so fraudulent that it makes me quite angry... particularly those ones that claim to help you lose weight whilst you are sleeping! Unfortunately it demonstrates just how desperate many people are to lose weight.
When reviewing a product look at the ingredients carefully. If the main ingredient of the product is some obscure, just discovered nutrient which will 'melt the pounds off'...move on. If there was such an ingredient that works you would know about it as it would be international headline news. (Plus we would be producing a product containing it!)
I'm sorry, but the bottom line is that there are NO natural magic weight loss pills no matter what anyone claims. There are however products that can help you normalize your weight through improving your overall health which in turn makes it easier to alter your diet and make other lifestyle changes (our Total Balance is such a product) but the supplements don't do it on their own. They just help trigger off other necessary changes that you need to make. Be very wary of products that are appetite suppressants... particularly the pharmaceutical weight loss drugs... these can be injurious to your health!
Don't take any notice of 'thermogenic' nonsense. It's a term dreamt up to promote products. Although some nutrients will help speed up your metabolism they will not give spectacular results on their own. Also, don't take any notice of the incredible 'before' and 'after' photo's that you see. They are designed to stimulate impulse buying. The results that are shown are indeed usually possible but they are NOT achieved just by taking supplements alone. If you are interested in more info on this subject please click here.
HGH (Human Growth Hormone)
This is another area where there is a lot of misinformation with many questionable people and businesses trying to cash in on people's desire to slow down their ging process. Unfortunately this new 'HGH' industry is fueled by the publics wish for a 'quick fix anti-aging pill'. In the process of seeking an easy fix some of the basic health fundamentals are often ignored. Anyway, here is some info about HGH.
The first thing that you need to be aware of is that HGH is only available by prescription and should only be administered by a highly experienced professional. It is not possible to purchase it as a dietary supplement. Therefore most HGH products which are being marketed today are grossly misrepresented.
These products are either 'precursors' or 'stimulators' of HGH. They are not HGH. Some Companies like to use the term 'secretogogues'. They are primarily a blend of amino acids, other nutrients and peptides. They are designed to improve your pituitary's ability to produce HGH which is fine... and some of them do just that.
What is disturbing about many of these products is the misleading claims based on research and studies which are NOT related to these products but rather to actual HGH injections. It's a bit like trying to compare apples with oranges... just not possible.
What makes it worse is that the prices being charged to unsuspecting customers of many of these products are excessive. Based on the ingredients and our supplement price structures most of these products would appear to be about 300% over priced. Most of them are pretty harmless and some of them may well raise your HGH levels. However, they may not be any more effective in this regard than our Total Balance which costs a fraction of the price and gives an enormous amount more of essential nutrients. For more info click here.
We are continually researching HGH and may introduce a product in the foreseeable future to act as an HGH 'booster' to be taken in conjunction with Total Balance. If we do release such a product it will be done in conjunction with a recommended protocol which will explain how you can determine your HGH levels before beginning and how you can monitor them thereafter.
'Sex' Supplements
It seems that just about everyone over the age of 40 these days is looking for that magic 'supplement' which will improve their sex life.
Do they work? The short answer is 'yes' and 'no'. None of them will give instant results such as 'Viagra', but some will definitely enhance libido and help overcome sexual dysfunction IF they are properly designed and use high quality extracts in sufficient quantities.
To illustrate the issue of design I will give you an example of two of the most well known herbs currently used in these products. These are Maca and Muriana Puma sometimes known as 'potency wood'. Most of the latest 'sex' products contain both these ingredients because so many people have now heard of them. This is a prime example where marketing gets in the way of good science.
Many manufacturers figure that by including both of these herbs in their products it will make it easier to sell to the public... and they would be right. HOWEVER, what they haven't informed their customers about is that because of fundamental differences in the composition of these two herbs that they CANCEL each other out when placed together. So, in other words the consumers are paying for both and getting the benefits of neither.
There are many pitfalls in selecting supplements in this category and some real quality issues. Also don't expect miracles if you ignore the fundamentals of your general health first.
Until the next issue,
In good health,
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Subscribers and customers are invited to submit questions for inclusion within this newsletter. Space does not permit the publication of all Q & A's, but we promise to answer all questions directly. Your questions are considered confidential and only your first name and last initial with State or Country will be published. To ask a question please contact us.
Carol P of Oregon writes:
I hear that Coral Calcium is really good for you. What is your opinion?
WARREN MATTHEWS, replies:
This is a good example of hype being used to sell a grossly overpriced product. There is no doubt that many people particularly women may have a calcium deficiency. Also, there is no doubt that most of the calcium products on the market are rubbish and not very bio-available, particularly the 'carbonate' variety. However, there is more to achieving absorption of calcium that taking a product such as this. In addition to calcium you should be combining it with magnesium, Vitamin D, boron and natural phytoestrogens.
The sales pitch for Coral Calcium largely centers around the excellent longevity and health of the Okinawan people on an island in the southern region of Japan. The claim is that because their drinking water contains this substance that it is the 'cure all' for almost everything. Total nonsense! If you examine the lifestyle of the Okinawan people to the typical western lifestyle they couldn't be more different, particularly when related to diet. They live a life of high activity (little TV), their diet comprises fresh unpolluted and unrefined food and no sugar. There is nothing mysterious about their good health.
Don't waste your money on this product. If you have a need for extra calcium at the least find a supplement which uses Calcium citrate or succinate, with vitamin D, boron and preferably Magnesium as well. It will save you money and be just as effective.