As a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, specializing in Functional medicine, I’ve prescribed nutritional and herbal supplements for nearly thirty years, with positive results for several thousand patients. I use only professional grade nutritional and herbal supplements manufactured by companies that sell exclusively to licensed alternative practitioners. These companies source the finest ingredients available and produce their products in FDA regulated, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certified laboratories.
These professional grade supplements are rigorously, periodically and randomly assayed for purity and potency by established third party laboratories. Each supplement that passes inspection contains exactly and only what the label claims in terms of the content, quality and dosage. They are safer, more effective, higher in quality, and yes, more expensive than the cheaper, lower grade, unregulated herbal and nutritional supplements sold in drugstores, supermarkets and health food stores. Random studies show that these unregulated supplements vary widely in quality and often contain fillers absent in professional grade products. Some do not even contain the primary ingredients advertised on their labels.
High quality herbs and nutritional supplements can facilitate recovery from illnesses and injuries. And due to our compromised and often contaminated food system they are becoming increasingly necessary for maintaining optimal health.
But supplements are not cure-alls or substitutes for the rigorous self-care required for optimal health in today’s world. No doctor, method, supplement or drug can do for you what only you can do for yourself. A healthy lifestyle – a good diet, regular exercise, proper hydration and sufficient sleep – will always be the best medicine. In the end, your health, your well-being, and your peace of mind largely depend on your intelligent lifestyle decisions, your healthy habits, and your ongoing commitment to provide yourself with the best self-care possible.
