Nourish Yourself With Food, Not Supplements

Companies marketing pills may not have your best interests in mind. Just because it comes in a nice package and sits on the shelf of a "health food" store, does not necessarily mean it's good for your body.  Most people can get all the nutrients they need as long as they are conscientious about eating a wide variety of whole foods, including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean protein.   Rather than wasting money on expensive supplements, we'd prefer that you spend your precious time, money and effort on buying and preparing healthy, well-balanced meals. Did you know:  Federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to FDA's satisfaction before they are marketed. For most claims made in the labeling of dietary supplements, the law does not require the manufacturer or seller to prove the claim is accurate or truthful before it appears on the product.  The New York State attorney general's office recently ran tests on popular national brands of herbal supplements and found that roughly four out of five products contained none of the herbs listed on their labels! Many of the supplements contained little more than cheap fillers like rice and house plants. Click here for details. The FDA receives reports of adverse side effects in supplements. To see the substances that the FDA has warned people from using, click here. Before taking any supplement, check with your healthcare provider to find out if your body really needs it and if so in what dosage.