Product Awareness: Ignorance is Not Always Bliss

How many of you have purchased an article of clothing with a tag that states “one size fits all”? With the knowledge that the garment is sure to fit, you make the purchase without trying on the clothes. You are home with your purchase, try on your new garment, and realize one size does not fit all. This is the impression given with many of the vitamins, herbs, and supplements on the market today, so allow me to suggest a few questions that you should ask before you buy.

Are you taking a prescription or other supplements?

It is important to know which prescriptions, herbs, vitamins, and supplement combinations are safe. Taking the wrong combination may be the equivalent of taking twice the dose of a prescription medicine. There is also the possibility of the reverse: the effect may be the same as not taking anything at all. An excellent example of too much is vitamin E or garlic with a blood thinner may cause your blood to become too thin. Be sure to inform your physician of anything you are taking.

Is the less expensive product the same quality as the most expensive?

Price is just not always an indication of the quality of the product, so it is important to read the list of ingredients. The cheapest may be nothing more than a sugar pill and the most expensive may contain unnecessary ingredients just to make it appear healthier.

Do you really need as much as the label suggests you take?

The manufacturer may suggest that you take more than you really need in order to ensure that the product really works for you.

What are the possible side effects?

Vitamin D and folic acid are examples of popular additives with manufacturers; it makes their product appear healthy. You may assume your body only uses what is needed of the vitamins and minerals you take and discards the rest, but this is not always the case. Any excess fat-soluble vitamins such as A and D are stored by your body and over a period of time may become harmful. The same is true of certain minerals, such as iron.

Anyone with a thyroid problem should not be taking any product containing kelp.

How much of anything you need in a day is going to be determined by gender, age, lifestyle, diet and any health concerns you may have, so please “know before you buy”.

Category: Label Language