There are many patients that ask this question and are surprised to find the answer is NO.  Today, vitamins can be bought over the counter at any local grocery store, health food store, on-line, gas stations, and just about anywhere else.  So what makes one vitamin better than the other?

Labeling on vitamins does not have to be FDA approved which in layman’s terms means they can put anything on a bottle and market by any means as well.  Potency and purity can vary widely from pill to pill and bottle to bottle.  A study at Duke University examined 12 bottles of one popular supplement. These samples showed they contained 60% or less of the amount of nutrients claimed on the label!  This emphasizes the saying “You get what you pay for”, right?

One example hit very close to home , our Medical Assistant, Dolly’s mother was diagnosed with hyper-cholesterol and borderline diabetes and was started on three prescription drugs.   Although they did their job (at a very slow pace), they were accompanied by side effects and symptoms like headaches, nausea, and so on.  Dolly decided to intervened with supplementation of omega fish oil, a detox program and was not surprised that the results not only beat prescribed medications, but showed her mother a new way of living!  The supplements were not bought at just any store.  They were not cheap but worth their weight in gold.  Her mother’s blood-work results are now at optimal levels and she feels amazing.  She lost 17 pounds on her first detox program and looked ten years younger.  Her own primary doctor was shocked at the results.

So you can see the difference but still wonder the ‘why & how’ behind it?  The omega fish oil she used was enteric coated and made from Arctic fish (not the cheap oil they sell for $6.95 ) and had tested proof to back the product.  The detox program was NOT a bowel cleanse but a 28 day metabolic reset  to clean out her body and allow it to start working the way nature intended to fully absorb the nutrients she ate or supplements she took.  The vitamin D (store will not be named ) she was taking for years never even raised her levels!  Dolly started her on liquid vitamin D and actually saw her levels soar.  Xymogen is a company that not only sells and promotes supplements – they TEST their products vigorously – which is the reason we stand behind the company.

There’s a lot of pressure on the FDA to tighten up the standards of regulation, and we’re excited over it!  When that happens, many of the suppliers will disappear due to false claims and because they won’t be able to compete with the premium grade suppliers.  The truth is we live in a toxic world.  Our foods are picked earlier, chemically treated, processed and no longer contain the same level of nutrients.  In addition, exposure to these toxins interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are a best kept secret in health care and traditional doctors are just now learning nutrient deficiencies can cause problems and how vitamins and minerals can help alleviate symptoms.

There is a gargantuan difference between the $5.40 vitamin which will get you nowhere and the vitamin that has been tested and proven to work.  Bottom line Cheap Vitamins = Cheap fillers = cheap results.  It’s like putting crude oil in a new Mercedes.

Your body and health are worth the difference.

Visit the Office of Dietary Supplements for additional fact sheets.