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Re: alt-med manufacturer honesty? any good brands? » iforgotmypassword

Posted by Larry Hoover on May 21, 2005, at 19:02:29

In reply to alt-med manufacturer honesty? any good brands?, posted by iforgotmypassword on May 20, 2005, at 3:44:04

> can anyone give me any info on how honest these herbal/nutritive/alt-med manufacturers are, and do their products actually contain exactly what they say they do? i heard that government's are pretty lax about policing them, and i live in canada, and i don't know how they operate? when you buy these products do they contain what they say they do at the amount they say they do? and are there any particularly good reputable companies that are reliable and are there ones to watch out for?

I like Source Naturals. Solgar. Now. There are so many companies. It's intimidating. Like Declan said, Life Extension stuff is pretty much guaranteed. But you pay for that.

Canada has begun the process of regulating all Natural Health Products (that's herbs, vitamins, minerals, aminos, homeopathic....all that stuff), starting in Jan 2004. The regs will phase in over six years.

Products will have to be tested for content, safety, and efficacy (if an approved health claim is made). Each product will bear a license number, called an NPN. They will no longer be foods. They will all be drugs. Vitamins too (by 2010).

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/nhpd-dpsn/faq_consumers_e.html#7

The labels will have to carry some very specific information.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/nhpd-dpsn/product_licensing_8_e.html

There are also some stringent regulations on importing:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/inspectorate/imp_hum_drug_per_use_enf_dir_entire_e.html

The key thing to recognize in all of this is that NHPs will now be governed under the laws that cover prescription drugs. NHPs are no longer food supplements in Canada. They are drugs, by government fiat. (Or will be, as the different categories phase in.)

The phase-in schedule is here, in Table 1:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/nhpd-dpsn/nhp_compliance_policy_e.html

It's really complicated. You can buy pure melatonin or phenylalanine, but not pure tryptophan, according to the regs I just read.

If you're importing *anything* that falls into the government definitions of a drug, you may not import more than a three month supply at a time. Period. And, they won't let you bring in any more, for three months. If you try, it will be refused entry.

As for quality products, I think that the stuff on iherb or hi-life meets the definition.

http://www.iherb.com/index.html
http://www.hilife-vitamins.com/

Iherb has a wonderful link to encyclopedic information on supps, herbs, etc.
http://www.iherb.com/health.html

I've dealt with both companies, and I've been very satisfied with their customer service, and the quality of the products. Use your intuition. If something sounds too good to be true, it is.

Freight charges are high, though. So, put together a big order all at once. Your shipping charges are about the same, no matter the size of the order (within reason). You'll have to pay entry fees and GST, as well. I've never had anything refused entry, but maybe I've been lucky. I recently got some stuff that's scheduled as restricted. <shrug>

Lar

 

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poster:Larry Hoover thread:500211
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