Choosing the right supplements

Many of you have written in to ask me about which types and brand names of nutritional supplements are the best, where to buy them, and how much they cost.

Yes, I am an avid believer of nutritional supplements. Based on my clinical experience, there is no doubt in my mind that they work effectively to deter the aging process and fortify the body against many age-related degenerative diseases such as high cholesterol, hypertension, arthrosclerosis, hormonal imbalance, and memory loss.

Unfortunately, selecting and taking the right "nutritional cocktail" can be confusing, inconvenient, and often very expensive.

You can visit your local health food store. Many brands are usually carried. You need to know what you are buying before you walk in, otherwise you may get quite confused. Be aware that you get what you pay for. Be careful not to be carried away by sales talk and special clearance items. The reason these are on sale is usually because it is not moving quickly. Watch the expiration date. You don't want to buy anything that is not fresh. Most salespeople in health food stores are knowledgeable, however, their job is to sell. So be aware. From time to time, I would visit these stores to see the latest "hype" on the market, but I hardly ever buy.

National Chain Stores also are good. They service mostly the general public and are not specifically tailored to function specific. I find that locating a complete cocktail is very difficult. I generally do not visit these stores because I am dealing at a much higher level of optimum dosage than they carry. Also, I find many ingredients (such as L-lysine, L-proline, and Ascorbyl Palmitate) are not available or are of low quality. For general health and well-being, they are good. If you want the higher standard of health, this is probably not the place.

There are also mass online merchandisers like iHerb. The prices are low. The quality is also reflective of that. I personally think that iHerb is better value than national chains or your local health food store due to low overhead and high volume for selected items. You have to know what you are buying, and make sure you read the label carefully. Take vitamin E for example, natural vitamin E (d-tocopherol) is much better absorbed than the cheaper synthetic (dl-tocopherol). Having said that, however, do not expect to get high quality and balanced formulas in optimum dosages for health purposes.

I am very picky on what supplements my family and I take. They are chosen based on my experience and are manufactured under strict standards using quality ingredients. They are available at my online shop.