What The Supplement Companies Aren’t Telling You

Obesity rates are on the rise and show no signs of slowing down. And this isn’t just happening in the western world, it’s happening all over the world. Thus, quick fixes are more attractive than ever before.

But too many unsuspecting consumers are unaware of what happens behind the scenes in supplement companies.

So here are some common myths about dietary supplements:

1. Natural means they are risk free: Everything comes with risk and there are many natural substances that will kill you. So don’t make the mistake of assuming that just because a supplement is labeled as natural that it’s safe for you.

2. Testing is comprehensive: Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, supplement companies are under little, if any pressure from the government to test their products extensively. You see, current legislation places the burden of safety on the government.

3. Supplements are backed by all sorts of studies: Most of the charts and graphs you see on the bottles are manufactured. Even worse, they are performed by the same companies selling the products. And this is a perfect breeding ground for conflicts of interest.

4. Your health always takes first priority: Where there is profit to be made, the consumer’s best interest will not necessarily take the number one spot. After all, a business cannot survive unless the model is profitable. Thus, there is always a constant battle between the two.

5. Fish oil is safe in high doses: Anything in excess can cause harm. And fish oil is no exception here. You see, if you consistently take more than three grams a day, you run the risk of increasing oxidation in your heart. So moderation is key here.

6. More is better: Not only is taking mega doses of vitamins potentially toxic, but it can interfere with other medications you may be taking. There have been countless cases of people who unknowingly stack up on vitamin pills that have lethal interactions with their medications.

There are no guarantees with supplements. You never know what is going to come in that bottle of pills. So make sure you proceed with caution here.

Writer Katherine Crawford, an exercise expert and former arm fat sufferer, teaches how to get rid of flabby arms. Unearth how to get sexy and toned arms by exploring her blog with shake weight reviews right now!

The Search For The Best Quality Fish Oil Supplements

You’ve decided it’s time. You just have to start taking Omega 3 fish oil supplements, the evidence for doing so is overwhelming. But how do you decide which are the highest quality fish oil supplements?

Firstly let me say, not all Omega 3 supplements are the same. There is a good reason to find high quality Omega 3 capsules. Here’s what you look for.

1. Purity as well as cleanliness.

Generally fish is contaminated and the FDA tells us not to eat a lot for that reason. Supplements can be contaminated too and some have in the past been withdrawn. So you need to determine if your fish oil supplements are clean.

Most oil from fish that is to be used for making supplements is purified by a process called molecular distillation, and this works ok. But at least one company doesn’t think this is sufficient and adds a secondary purification process to supplement molecular distillation. They also believe that they need to control the process of extracting the oil right from the moment the fish is caught and so they do so, right from the fisherman.

2. The freshness of the oil.

Fish can go rancid, or go off. When this happens it has oxidized. You get that “fishy” taste and smell. Some manufacturers even add masking scents so you can’t notice it as much. You need to choose the highest quality fish oil supplements that have only fresh oils that aren’t oxidized.

3. The amount of DHA.

The most important of the Omega 3 fatty acids is called DHA. Along with EPA it’s very important for your health. You brain is made up of a large proportion of DHA. And when you buy fish oil capsules you’re usually getting what is called 18/12 capsules, where you get 18% EPA and 12% DHA. In a 1000mg capsule you’re getting 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA.

But the best Omega 3 capsules give you 28% DHA, or 280 mg per 1000 mg capsule. Up to or over 2 1/2 times more DHA than most.

4. How effective are the Omega 3 fats?

There’s various factors that affect how well the Omega 3 fats work. To work they have to absorb into your body from your stomach, and this isn’t guaranteed. It’s called “Bioavailability” and it can vary from one supplement to another. It get a little complicated, visit my website for more information on this.

Not all fish oil brands work the same, the quality fish oil supplements do work better. The major benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids are their anti inflammatory effects. And one brand of fish oil supplements has been shown to work over twice as well as an anti inflammatory.

Of course price also comes into any discussion about fish oil quality, that can’t be ignored. But it isn’t easy to do a price value comparison.

That’s a very brief explanation of how to find the highest quality fish oil supplements. Remember, fish oil quality DOES matter.

On my website I write extensively on how to find a quality fish oil supplement and also present a price/value comparison.

Want to know more about how to Compare Fish Oils by price? Or about more about finding high Quality Fish Oil supplements? Visit Peter’s Website Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oil.

What Do Omega 3 Fatty Acids Have To Do With Fetal Development?

DHA is an essential fatty acid found right through your body, and in particular your brain. And it has been discovered that DHA is very important in brain development, as well as other aspects of fetal development. DHA is also a major fatty acid found in the retina of the eye, as well as other organs of the body.

And, as importantly it is found in breast milk.

Now babies cannot produce their own DHA, so they get it from their mother. They get it through the placenta before they are born and from the breast milk after. For this reason a mother is constantly losing some of her supplies of DHA to her baby.

To aid in infant and fetal brain development it is now recommended that moms and moms to be should be taking DHA supplements, or more specifically Omega 3 supplements, because DHA is an essential omega 3 fatty acid. And of course there are other supplements that they should be taking as well, like folic acid.

DHA supplementation is essential for fetal brain and eye development, and other aspects of fetal development.

Recommendations for how much DHA should be consumed by pregnant and nursing mothers varies, but are around 200 to 300 mg per day. With our modern diet it is unlikely that we get enough DHA in our diets.

DHA is found primarily in fish oils, along with other essential Omega 3 faty acids like EPA. However some experts are wary of suggesting that pregnant or nursing mothers should be taking fish oil supplements.

The fish at the high end of the food chain contain the most Omega 3 fats and so would be the obvious choice for a supply of DHA, but some experts believe that these fish are contaminated with some pollutants found in the sea like PCBs and mercury, and that mothers shouldn’t be exposed to these.

And certainly there are fish oil supplements that can contain higher levels of heavy metals and other sea borne contaminants.

There are very strict international standards for the levels of contamination accepted in Omega 3 supplements. The company that makes the very best Omega 3 supplements believes that their supplements should be free of any contaminants, and seek to make their products to a standard way stricter than the international standards. Their Omega 3 fish oils supplements are free of any form of chemical contamination, because they use a fish that is found in the cleanest part of the worlds oceans, they process the fish in a particular way then they decontaminate to an extreme degree.

It is now quite clear that pregnant and nursing mothers ought to all be taking Omega 3 fish oils supplements, both for their own health and the health of their babies and infants.

Fortunately there are now clean Omega 3 fish oil supplements available that eliminate the need to worry about chemical contamination. Visit my website to find out where to source these.

How To Use Dietary Supplements Effectively

For those of us who are carrying unwanted weight, or those of us who arent carrying enough, obtaining a desirable physique can be very difficult. Simply working out regularly and eating right doesnt necessarily work for everyone.

People that feel they are too thin can have a frustrating time at the gym as everyone there seems to be bigger and you seem to be making no progress at all.

Overweight people have an even more of an ordeal to go through at the gym as it is far more difficult to lose weight than it is to gain weight, but surely there is a way to speed the process along?

Everyone is aware of things like dietary supplements and protein shakes, but nobody seems sure of them. Do they work? Are they just something else that someone is trying to sell me? Well, the fact is that yes they will work, if used properly.

For the people who feel they are too skinny and want to gain some weight, Whey protein supplements will make your muscles bigger if you carry on working out regularly. One or two 20-30 minute workouts a day should do.

This will start to make a highly noticeable difference if you are drinking protein shakes as instructed by the particular brand you use. This is because the Whey protein that they usually contain (from experience Whey tends to be more effective than Creatine) can easily be turned into muscle by your body. However it will need an incentive to do so, i.e. regular pumping of the muscles so that they need to be repaired.

For overweight people, a little more effort is involved as you cannot actually turn fat into muscle, the fat cells have to be burned away and then muscle has to be built in its place. An ideal supplement to aid you in this would be one that contains Sida Cordifolia as this increases the bodies metabolic rate, meaning you generally use more energy to do things, meaning you burn off fat cells quicker.

Using a supplement like this can really aid you in your quest for weight loss, followed up by a Whey protein shake of some description, you can have the body you want, realistically in around 8-10 months. As long as you carry on working out on a regular basis, supplements on their own will either have no effect, or just wont do what you want them to, the body needs to stay active for any supplement to have the desired effect.