Diabetics, Looking For A Natural, Herbal Supplement, 3 Things You Need To Know When Selecting A Product That Works.

Type 2 diabetics spend over $500 million each year on natural treatments or herbal solutions.

Scan recently published test results from Consumer Lab, the independent testing lab for alternative health supplements. It will make you think twice about random purchase or un-researched use of supplements. They can be found on line.

Here are some sample headlines:

Most Valerian Sleep Supplements Fail Testing: Low potency and/or Contamination Found in 10 Products
Cancer Prevention Supplements Tested: Four Fail for Lack of Ingredient or Lead Contamination
Supplements for Bone Health Tested: Lead Contamination in One
Results for Ginkgo and Memory Enhancement Supplements: Many Pass but others fail for lead contamination
Weight Loss Supplements Tested: Worrisome Ingredients Found

The fact is, there are many effective and safe supplements out there. And there are many bad ones as well.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lacks the regulatory manpower to block all of the thousands of questionable supplements on the market today.

Type 2 diabetics need to be careful when choosing a supplement that will help lower weight and blood sugar.

There are three ways to make sure you're buying safe, effective and appropriate dosage products that will truly help promote healthy weight loss and blood sugar levels - two areas of great interest to prevent or manage diabetes:

First Thing You Want To Know
Look for supplements with clinical documentation from recognized health institutions, of a supplement's claims.

Many manufacturers claim benefits and results. Few are able to back these claims up. A common practice of unscrupulous manufacturers is to state 'clinical evidence' where none exists. If the manufacturer cannot produce clinical results, stating source and documentation, avoid this product! These clinical claims should have been substantiated at reputable, known medical institutions.

Second Thing You Want To Know
Beware of Products That Don't Provide Purity or Dosage Levels used in Clinical Tests

Products that can provide the stated benefits, having been documented in clinical tests, are usually quite expensive.

While a product may say it contains 'clinically tested' ingredients, the fact is, many quack manufacturers will 'water down' the dosage or substitute pharmaceutical grade ingredients with lower quality, less effective grades.

The result is you are using a clinically proven ingredient. But unfortunately, you will not receive the stated benefits, because it has been adulterated with less expensive ingredients.

One way to ensure proper ingredient and purity levels is to look for independent certification symbols on packaging labels. USP, NF and CL are the three most respected certification institutions.

Third Thing You Want To Know
Beware of Supplements That Make Outrageous Claims

Yes, on this short list, A third and final way to identify and avoid questionable supplements is to note the language used in advertising claims.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified a number of words that can highlight a clearly questionable product.

Any supplement manufacturer that claims their product can eliminate or reduce the effect of diabetes overnight, without the added benefit of diet and exercise or can totally eliminate the effects of degenerative diseases with a single pill are suspect.

42 or 3 of the most popular brands "Not Approved". (Consumer Lab (www.consumerlab.com) whose stated mission is 'To identify the best quality health and nutrition products through independent testing.)

The study considered three factors - the amount of key or active ingredient contained, contamination levels and ability to break apart, and gave thumbs down to some of the most heavily advertised products on the market.

Some received a "Not Approved" review
Among the reasons for test failure:

� Less-than-stated levels of the active ingredient chromium (some had as little as 25 more chromium than stated on packaging)
� Existence of potential carcinogen and toxins

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