Please note that supplements are just that and are NO substitute for a proper diet. We are only on the fringes of discovery in what makes up food. Food and how it works in the human body is a VERY complex subject! You can make yourself quite sick dosing yourself at random! Use small doses.Then as you begin to understand how supplements work or don't work for you, then you can make a true improvement in your quality of life, armed with self knowledge.
Harold says, " I don't know how many times I've made myself ill by ingesting stale vitamins. I now know the difference. If vitamin C smells burnt (toasted), then it may have the opposite effect of good vitamin C. Rancid vitamin E or lecithin, or any sort of rancid oil, or even gelatin that has turned hard can make you sick. Deal with a company you can trust. I trust PhysioLogics® because they guarantee potency and freshness and because they're logically made, i.e. they have a system. With them, you are not just buying vitamin E, you are buying their outstanding reputation with doctors and practitioners of all kinds."
Acupuncture doesn't work for everyone, allopathy doesn't work for everyone, diet alone does not work for everyone. We are all different (and yet the same). You can develop some idea about possible effect on your system from the results that others have had. This is what the Physician's Desk Reference and the MERCK Manual are about, but there are plenty of reference for laymen, too, and you should read them. However, there is no substitute for personal experience. Harold says, "I know a person who swears that vitamin E cures her colds. I haven't read this anywhere, but it works for her and doesn't do any harm."
One tip I can give you is to eat foods that have a bit of the supplement you are trying in them with the supplement, i.e. if you supplement vitamin C also have an orange with it! This will keep the whole thing balanced AND train you in what foods and herbs are good for at the same time. It's better to take something like l-arginine with meat, fish, or cheese at least the first time you try it! WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT/we are all the same...
With supplements, you either believe or you don't. It's very much the magick of our time. But as with magick, don't think you won't get consequences for certain actions. BIG MISTAKE! Keep a record at first of how things work, or don't work, for YOU and read some books!
Scientists and doctors tend to not like supplements because some responses to nutrition can be physical, mental and/or emotional (which should be observed by someone else) and it might allow self-diagnosis. Don't play doctor! Doc became a nickname of mine, because of my interests, but I'm not a real one. It's best to remember one's own strengths and weaknesses when advising others. LIFE IS SHORT, ART IS LONG! FIRST DO NO HARM! or "He who is his own doctor, has a fool for a doctor..."
Harold says, "Let there be freedom of choice. If it works, who cares?! JUST AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FEEL ENOUGH BETTER TO AVOID SEEING A DOCTOR ABOUT SERIOUS CONDITIONS. You should see a doctor or other qualified health care provider every year whether you feel sick or not. We assume you do."
See: | Harold Tips | To Nutrition Index