Sunday, October 19, 2014

Finding Organic Non GMO Supplements

By Dominique Martin


All dietary supplements are not created equal. Although there are many good companies and safe products in the industry, there are also manufacturers who cut corners in quality control and may even disregard industry standards of purity and truth in labeling. Now that genetically modified organisms are in the food supply, even more caution is needed when choosing products for self or family. Choosing organic non GMO supplements is one way to find the best nutritional aids.

Foods and other products that are organically certified promise to contain no artificial ingredients. They cannot legally have genetically modified ingredients. The organic label therefore is sufficient to assure consumers that they are not buying GMOs. Governments and independent organizations issue these certifications for consumer information and protection.

The giants in the mainstream food industry spend millions to prevent having to list genetically modified ingredients on the labels of their products. There have been efforts to weaken organic standards to include these altered foods. Grassroots opposition to lowering the standards has succeeded so far in stopping the change. Concerned consumers should ask elected officials to prevent standards from being lowered.

Most manufacturers who do not use genetically modified raw materials in their supplement line will proudly display this information on their labels. Many supplement companies take their responsibility to consumers very seriously and pledge to provide clean, safe products. Others, however, have defrauded their customers and even issued some products that caused illness. One example of this was recalled and temporarily suspended tryptophan, an amino acid. The problem turned out to be not with the active ingredient but with a filler used by a single company.

Supplements are designed to augment the regular diet, which may be deficient in one or more important nutrients. This term covers vitamins, minerals, herbals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and fiber, as well as a host of other substances and formulas. Many foods are therapeutic, like the spice tumeric or cocoa, from which dark chocolate is made. Hormones like melatonin and progesterone are other widely-used, natural products. Supplements are in a different class than drugs.

Many supplements on the market today do contain non-natural and genetically modified ingredients. Buying organically certified products is one way to know that all the ingredients of a product are chemical-free, non-GMO, and not artificial or synthetic. They will not contain artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. Products with the organic seal are generally of very high quality and purity.

Quality matters. Some formulas have been found to contain only traces of the nutrients they promise to deliver. Others use substances which may be poorly utilized by the system, making them a waste of money if not actually harmful. Some forms of iron, for example, may do little for anemia and can even accumulate to toxic levels in the body. Other, more reputable companies have pioneered research in health and have a long record of safety and integrity.

Consumers may feel helpless when it comes to evaluating supplement companies. There are industry ratings and independent evaluations that rate companies and provide this information for consumers. However, choosing organic and non-GMO is one way of feeling good about health and personal care products. These assurances eliminate most of the concerns consumers have about chemicals or unnatural ingredients.




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