Читать книгу Quantum Supplements - Deanna M. Minich - Страница 12

In order for a dietary supplement to have the intended healing effect, you must give care to exactly what you purchase and how you store it. In addition, while you may find a wide variety of supplement products, including capsules, creams, granules, jellies, liquids, powders, and wafers, at healthfood stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies, not all of them are equal when it comes to quality. In fact, a less expensive supplement may be more costly to your health!

The contents of some supplements are also questionable: there can be discrepancies in dose, either too much or too little; and sometimes products are contaminated with substances not intended for the final product. For best results, always purchase your natural products from a reputable source, preferably a healthcare professional.

In addition, supplements are only effective to the degree their potency is preserved. Once you purchase your supplements, protect their potency by storing them in the optimal manner. Typically, although not always, the way you find supplements in the grocery store is a good indicator of how they need to be kept. For example, probiotics (healthy bacteria for the gut) are usually refrigerated at the store to keep the bacteria alive. You will want to keep them refrigerated when you get them home. B vitamins degrade rapidly in the presence of heat, light, and oxygen, so they are (or should be) kept in a cool, dark place. A food supplement like ground flaxseed meal contains fat that can go rancid if it is not sealed properly to prevent the entry of oxygen. In addition to keeping a tight seal, you might want to refrigerate it to minimize the chances of rancidity.

Guidance on how to keep the supplement is sometimes listed on its label. But if it isn't, you can ask your healthcare professional or read literature on that supplement.

On the product, you will also find an expiration date. Do not use supplements that are older than their expiration date, as you may not receive their full benefit. In some cases, they could break down into other compounds that are not necessarily good for the body. For instance, fish oils that are kept too long or are left to degrade may develop a fishy odor, which indicates that they have become rancid.

You will also have to use some common sense when it comes to evaluating the appearance of the supplement. If you are used to a supplement appearing in a certain way—let's say it's a white tablet—and then you notice that the same pills from the same bottle are starting to look a little yellow or developing small specks, that's a good indication that they have changed in some way and you should discontinue use, regardless of the expiration date.