Products
Nutritional Therapy and Professional-Quality Supplements
Due to biochemical individuality, the realities of daily life, and inadequate health strategies, many people assume they are getting appropriate levels of nutrients but are not (see Are You Nutrient Deficient?). The essence of naturopathic medicine is that the body can heal itself if given the right tools. Providing you with the right tools is an essential part of our service to you.
A professional diagnosis from one of our clinic’s naturopathic doctors will reveal what your nutrient requirements are and where you are deficient. Then an effective Nutritional Therapy strategy can be designed to meet your specific metabolic needs..
This personalized strategy can bring about excellent results, making significant improvements to your overall body chemistry. In addition to an adequate diet, the key to this strategy is a prescription of professional supplements. We bring specific professional brands into our clinic because we have evaluated them, and are confident they will provide the best possible results for our patients. Here's why:
PURITY – Poor raw ingredients give poor results
Supplement products can vary widely in terms of purity and potency. Nutritional supplement companies may ask you to simply trust that a level of quality is inherent in their products. Often, this is not the case.
All the raw ingredients used in natural products are not created equal. In other words, some forms of vitamin C are better than other vitamin C, and some forms of calcium are more effective than other calcium. In many cases, particularly at the retail level, the potency of the raw materials is not the greatest. Why? Because in the retail environment the primary concerns are often pricing and marketing, so issues of potency often take a back seat. The result is that finished products, even from brand name manufacturers, are often low in potency.
For example, two independent studies commissioned by Wampole Canada Inc. showed that 7 of 10 retail brands of St. John’s Wort, and 8 of 12 retail brands of Gingko Biloba, had less active ingredient than what the labels stated. In fact 25% of the Gingko brands had no detectable active ingredients whatsoever.
In addition, many manufacturers typically utilize additives, flowing agents, and binders in producing their products. These provide no nutritional benefit and may be counterproductive to your health.
ABSORPTION – If you can’t absorb it, it’s not worth taking
With any supplement product the critical issue is not how much you take, but how much your body absorbs. As people get older their digestive functions begin to decline. In fact, between the ages of 40 and 60 the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from their food-bound form can decline by as much as 80%. This inability to absorb may be one of the causes of age-related degeneration and disease. Therefore, the absorption potential of any health supplement is critical to its value.
In addition, all tablet and many capsule supplements are processed with intense pressure, heat, paraffin coatings, binders, flowing agents, and sometimes even shellac. These can coat the nutrients and make them even more difficult to absorb. The simple fact is – poor quality ingredients and manufacturing methods result in products that don’t absorb well.
PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS – A better alternative
It is often difficult or impossible to tell the difference between a good product and a substandard product simply by looking at the label. However, some manufacturers focus on potency, purity and making their products as hypoallergenic as possible so that even sensitive patients can take them. They also produce products for specific health conditions, and other technical products that are simply not available from retail manufacturers.
These specialized products are designed for use by licensed health professionals only. They have the highest standard of purity and potency and are targeted to achieve specific results. Therefore they provide you with the most therapeutic benefit.
At Dr. David Wang & Associates naturopathic clinic, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that the products we carry are of the highest possible professional quality, and will provide the maximum health benefit to our patients.