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The Economics of Alternative Medicine

Posted on 4/20/2015 by Dr. den Boer
Categories: supplements

Tim Minchin is a clever man. In the pictured quote, he’s trying to shed some clarity on the notoriously controversial world of alternative medicine. It all seems very obvious; what works, works. What doesn’t work, doesn’t work. 

However, I would argue that Mr. Minchin is laboring under a false assumption about medicine....

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How to Detect a Good Quality Supplement

Posted on 3/31/2015 by Dr. den Boer
Categories: budget, supplements, vitamins

When staring down bottle labels at the pharmacy, how do you determine which supplement is the best? This is a question we often get from patients, and clearly, checking each supplement for the diligent quality control steps mentioned in our last article (insert link) is a difficult task for the average consumer!  Even doctors and other healthcare practitioners often balk at the task; naturally, they may prefer to spend their time researching which herbs or formulas are likely to be effective in the first place rather than worrying about manufacturing procedures or product purity. Unfortunately, without strong government oversight in the industry, the burden is upon the consumer (you!) to find trusted brands and/or trusted doctors and retailers that watch out for your health and safety....
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How is a Good Quality Supplement Made?

Posted on 3/13/2015 by Dr. den Boer
Categories: supplements, vitamins


In our last post, we learned about the very poor state of the American supplement and nutraceutical industry, as well as some of the underlying quality issues with the largely unregulated industry. Now that we’re able to better identify poor quality supplements, how do we detect “good” quality supplements? What is involved in making a supplement of the utmost efficacy and consumer confidence?

Let’s answer the latter question first with an example....
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The Unregulated Dietary Supplement Industry: Why Quality Matters

Posted on 2/9/2015 by Dr. Adrian den Boer
Categories: supplements

On Monday, February 2, 2015, the New York Times reported that the New York Attorney General ordered several major retailers - including Walmart, Walgreen’s, Target, and GNC - to remove a wide variety of herbal supplements from their shelves after finding that almost none of them contained ingredients claimed on the label...
 
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Traveling by Plane? Stay Healthy with These Tips!

Posted on 8/21/2014 by Dr. Adrian den Boer
Categories: exercise, immune system, stress, supplements, travel, vitamins

Whether for business or for pleasure, the many stresses of airplane travel can put a damper on our health if we aren’t prepared. Fortunately, there are many solutions to implement before, during, and after to keep you in peak health throughout all stages of travel...
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Does Fish Oil Really Cause Prostate Cancer?

Posted on 7/18/2013 by Dr. Adrian den Boer
Categories: cancer, heart disease, supplements

Have you read the latest and greatest popular 
study that fish oil is linked to cancer? This controversial study has hit major newsstands hard, as reflected in the amount of questions from my patients curious to know if the study rings true...
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Why You Should Take Your Vitamins and How to Find a Quality Supplement

Posted on 6/13/2013 by Dr. Adrian den Boer
Categories: immune system, inflammation, kid's health, supplements, vitamins

A recent controversial
 article, “Don’t Take Your Vitamins,” was published in the New York Times on why it’s harmful to take vitamins. While some of the information is valid, much of the information is misconstrued and based on poor, outdated, and incomplete scientific evidence...
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