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Have you ever heard or read statistics that supplements or vitamins supposedly do NOTHING for you?
Every once in a while, there will be a study or article along these lines, and I’ve got to say, they get me riled up every time.
There is SO much evidence to the contrary – studies and research proving the effectiveness of supplements in helping people live healthier, longer lives.
And yet this myth won’t quit!
That’s probably because on some level, there is some truth to it. Hear me out… A lot of people take a lot of vitamins and supplements that do absolutely nothing for them.
Today, we are going to talk about why that is, and how you can avoid being one of those people who is literally flushing money down the toilet – or worse, actually experiencing bad side effects from supplements.
I know you’re curious if you’re making any of these mistakes, so let’s get started.
Mistake #1: Not Following Directions
This is one of the top reasons some of those studies find little evidence of the effectiveness of supplements.
Think about it… Hundreds if not thousands of studies show that individual supplements are safe and effective. And yet, some studies about the effectiveness of supplements in general say that they are a waste of time.
Why this discrepancy? The studies about the effectiveness of fish oil preventing brain decline with age, for example, are closely controlled to make sure people in the study take the fish oil correctly, in the proper dosage, each and every day.
The difference between that and a free for all of “what supplements do you take and how well do they work?” cannot be overstated.
I see this in my wellness clinic with patients all the time. They’re taking the right things but not getting the right results. On further investigation, I often discover that they A) aren’t taking the proper dose, B) aren’t taking it at the optimal time of day, or C) are taking it with something else that decreases effectiveness.
So as always, talk to your health care provider, get your questions answered, and read and reread those labels to make sure you’re getting the most out of what you’re taking.
That’s why the Alkamind team makes ourselves available via our website, Facebook, and Instagram so we can answer your questions about our supplements.
Mistake #2: Bargain Shopping
You know what they say… You get what you pay for! This is true nowhere more than the world of supplements.
Cheap supplements are made from synthetic (read: not food) ingredients through an industrial process. In contrast, quality supplements are made from real, food-based sources.
Take an iron supplement for example. Most supplements are made from synthetic iron, which can upset your stomach, causing cramps, nausea, and even diarrhea. A natural, whole-food iron supplement, on the other hand, is made of raw vegetables that are high in iron. Which one would you rather consume?
The same goes for Tums and other commonly used calcium supplements. They contain calcium carbonate, the cheapest and single worst form of calcium.
The biggest problem with calcium carbonate is that it’s not bioavailable, so much so that 25% of the American population can't even absorb it. Even among those who can, only somewhere between 5 and 30% of the actual supplement gets absorbed into the body.
Here’s what the makers of Tums don’t want you to know – calcium carbonate is predominantly made by finely grinding limestone rock.
So if you take cheap calcium supplements, you’re eating expensive rocks!
When you move into the more quality grade of supplements, you’ll notice that they are expert-formulated to give you the right combination of ingredients from quality sources.
That’s the case with our Acid-Kicking Minerals, which contain the highest quality sources of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate at the ideal ratios for optimal health.
Mistake #3: Not Reading Ingredient Lists
Always, always, always read the ingredient list of any thing you put inside or on your body. Period.
Supplement ingredient lists can be difficult to read through, but I encourage you to take the time to do so with one thing in mind – if you cannot pronounce it or tell what it is, be suspicious. Do your research before you take it.
One thing to make sure of is that you’re getting a vegan/vegetarian source. Going back to that iron supplement example above, most are made from vegetables, but you could be taking one made from cow’s liver if you don’t read ingredient lists carefully.
Be especially wary with any kind of gummy or chewable supplement. They often have the worst ingredients. You would be surprised how many supplements contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. Avoid these at all costs!We talked about Tums already. Not to pick on this one calcium supplement, but it is indicative of so many cheap supplements out there. They cover up the taste of rock with these terrible ingredients:
- Adipic acid – A synthetic additive included for flavor and texture.
- Com starch – All corn products are acidic and should be avoided.
- FD&C blue #1 lake, FD&C red #40 lake, FD&C yellow #5 (tatffazine) lake, FD&C yellow #6 lake – All this means is artificial food coloring. These are toxic!
- Mineral oil – This is a petroleum byproduct. It’s not safe ON your body, much less IN your body!
- Sodium polyphosphate – This is a food emulsifier. It’s not as good as sodium bicarbonate, so don’t let the “sodium” fool you.
- Sucrose – This is a simple sugar, it’s acidic, and it shouldn’t be anywhere near your health supplements!
- Talc – Yes, the same powder used on men’s necks after a shave or haircut is added to some foods. Your body can’t absorb it at all – gross! Recent studies have associated talc to certain forms of cancer.
In contrast, our entire line of supplements’ ingredient lists are simply the active, whole ingredients themselves – all from the highest quality sources available – plus real-food flavors like lemon juice powder, alkalized cocoa powder, and organic raspberry, just to name a few.
Mistake #4: Taking Nothing at All (Or Taking Too Little)
You might hear some of the noise out there and think, “Maybe I’m better off taking nothing at all,” or “This is too confusing so I’m just going to give up.”
That’s understandable, but I want to make one thing clear. You are deficient if you are only relying on your food for nutrition. It’s next to impossible to get enough of certain nutrients without supplementation due to soil degradation and other environmental factors.
In fact, you could eat leafy green veggies 5 times per day and STILL not get enough of the essential vitamins and minerals they supply.
That’s why it’s important to take a high quality greens supplement like Alkamind Daily Greens, which delivers the most powerful, alkaline foods on the planet in less than 30 seconds each morning.
What’s uncommon about our Greens is that the wheatgrass is broken down into a powder in a way that it’s practically predigested– with little to no degradation whatsoever. Other brands cannot say that. So you’re going to absorb more of the wheatgrass and other beneficial ingredients.
Did you know that the #1 ingredient in our greens is organic wheatgrass? It’s actually over half wheatgrass.
We’ve combined that with cabbage, collard greens, parsley, romaine, dandelion, beets, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and celery. So by taking your Alkamind Daily Greens first thing every morning, you’re getting a 5 whole servings of raw, alkaline super foods!
GET OFF YOUR ACID!
Dr. Daryl
