Guide to Supplements

Be well informed, keep these tips in mind:

• Have a critical eye when purchasing supplements. Does the company provide reputable nutrition information or just a sales pitch?
• Customer testimonials are not reliable or accurate. If the product sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
• Does the manufacturer’s Website provide resources and references from articles published in peer reviewed scientific journals? It should provide enough information so you can look up the research study yourself.
• Who wrote the information? Search for health professional credentials, such as R.D., Ph.D., M.S., M.A. or M.D.
• Go to the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Web site (www.nccam.nih.gov ) to check the scientific literature about supplements.
• Look for signs on the container that the supplement has been tested for quality. The USP symbol below is a sign that ensures the supplement has passed testing procedures for purity, disintegration and potency. A capital “CL” inside a beaker is also a sign that the supplement has passed tests by ConsumerLab.com.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS BY MEETING WITH CHF'S REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Unbiased resources are available to help you use supplements safely and effectively. For additional information regarding consumer alerts for supplement safety and/or recalls, visit:

• www.supplementwatch.com
• www.fda.gov/medwatch

For the latest scientific research supporting supplements, see:

• www.ConsumerLab.com
• Vitamin and Herb University - www.vitaminherbuniversity.com
• USP - www.usp.org