Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements

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This guide seeks to educate consumers about the science and value of nutritional supplementation, and to provide them with a simple, reliable tool with which to compare nutritional products. Section I: Aging, Oxidative Stress and Degenerative Disease

Section I of this guide discusses the theories of aging and the intricate links between aging, oxidative stress and degenerative disease. The remarkable protective powers of the endogenous and dietary antioxidants and their role in mitigating the aging process are examined. Five degenerative disease processes are highlighted, including recent scientific evidence supporting the use of nutritional supplementation as a preventive measure.

Section II: Criteria for Advanced Supplementation

Section II reviews the substantial scientific evidence employed in developing the fourteen analytical criteria imbedded in the product-rating methodology used in this comparative guide.

Creation of the Final Product Score, based on these fourteen criteria, has been an evolutionary process. With each edition of this comparative guide, we have built on previous research as newly published scientific findings have become available. The result has been the creation of a robust analytical model, based on the scientific literature and the independent recommendations of our seven cited authorities.

In each of the chapters of Section II, the reader is introduced to one of the fourteen criteria and the scientific evidence supporting its use. For those who find the reading a little technical, we refer you to the highlighted text. For those who wish to explore the science of advanced nutrition, we invite you to "dive in."

Section III: How the Comparisons were Made

Section III provides further explanation of the Final Product Score and introduces the Blended Standard, a nutritional benchmark we have created based on the independent recommendations of seven scientific authorities. A brief biographical background of each of the seven authorities and their specific recommendations for optimal daily nutritional intake is also provided.

The use of the Blended Standard, as a benchmark for optimal nutrition and the foundation for the Final Product Score, is featured. The Final Product Score is described in detail in Chapter 17. This fourteen-point score is the heart of our comparative analysis; it provides a rigorous quantitative evaluation and relative ranking of all products, based on the Blended Standard benchmark.

Section III also provides a summary of the 25 top-rated products, listed according to Final Product Score. From this list, the top six products are profiled. These are products of exceptional standing and merit your serious attention as a consumer. Included is a brief profile of each company, with contact information, company history and general information. Points of interest on product formulations, including a breakout of the individual product criteria ratings and information on manufacturing processes (if available), is also provided.

Section IV: Graphical Comparisons

In Section IV, selected products from companies throughout the United States and Canada are graphically compared to the Blended Standard benchmark. With each graph, we have provided the Final Product Score for that product, illustrated as both a percentage ranking and a five-star rating. This allows easy comparison of relative product ratings.

In writing this comparative guide, over 1,000 American and Canadian nutritional products were initially examined. Over five hundred qualifying products, representing the best in the line-up of more than 210 companies, were further evaluated, and their respective nutrient contents were compared to the selected nutritional standards. Two hundred and thirty-two (232) finalists, representing the top-rated product(s) from each manufacturer, were then selected and compared graphically. (Some companies have more than one product represented, if they market in

Reader Reviews:

A fantastic reference. It's important to understand as a vitamin consumer that the vitamin industry is not regulated which allows the absolute lowest quality of products to assert pure healthy goodness in their ads. Anyone can legally (within limits I'm sure) buy and box of white chalk, grind it into powder and sell it as a Calcium supplement for $15/bottle. This book is the end point of a long, independent, research indeavor to take the majority of over-the-counter supplements and analyze them for purity, vitamin form, bio-avaialability and cellular absorption. The results are laid out in an easy to understand format that allows you to take any well know supplement, Centrum let's say, and find its analytical grade compared to the others in the study. You'll be surprised by what you find. If you've been taking the regular Target or Walgreens supplied supplements (like my parents were and are no longer), you may be flushing that money down the toilet . . . literally. Not only does this book direct you to the "real" vitamins on the market it also explains to you why each constituent is necessary for healthy cells and why antioxidents do what they do. It goes over everything. I love this book and I seem to have a hard time holding on to it. My wife keeps lending it to friends. This is not hard to figure out people. This book is self serving and was created to sell more USANA products. Every one of the "experts" has major ties to either USANA or one of this books top ranked "winners". Instead of basing their recommendations on solid research data, they use old data and opinion to come up with the formula. Opinion that often favors the USANA or similar product. I don't know a single life extension discussion board moderator that even mentions USANA as a valid choice. It's simply an OK product at best, but that's what sells since garbage like Centrum is #1 and other crazy sale patterns. With that said, if you happen to get a copy and know nothing about the serious field of life extension, you might learn something from reading this book. But here's some advice, look at a product that serious research types use (like AOR's "Ortho Core" or LEF's "Life Extensionin Mix"). Ortho Core and LE Mix are the top multivitamins on the market (maybe one or two others that I can't recall but you will NOT find them at your local GNC). They are somewhat costly, but there are others that cost twice as much and are not as good. Do yourself a favor and use the web to read up on those products and then you'll have enough REAL science to know exactly what each ingredient is and what FORMS of the ingredients you should be taking. "Vitmnain A" or "Selenium" mean nothing...you need to know the best types and most of these formulas don't include the types or at the dosages used in medical studies. Don't listen to the novices saying this is a great book and great product-- spend an hour a day and do your own research on discussion boards and several websites. You'll get lots of FREE advice from serious science and health types and you won't need a biased book like this.My friend who is a member of USANA showed this book to me and told me this book is written from a third party (who has nothing to do with USANA) with a non-bias opinion. After I read it, the first thing I think is this book is too specific on the comparison method. The ranking criteria only bases on one factor on which products has the ingredient best match the author's "Blended Standard". The result is USANA is the one that best match the "Blended Standard" and has the highest score.

While I am still doubt of the "Blended Standard", I read the review and some of the reviews make me do more research. I read "The author is on the MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD of USANA. Could this be fair review?" from one of the review, so I curious and I find out more fact.

What I find out will definitely catch your interest. The result makes me disappointed since this does not seem to be a third party book or a book with fair opinion any more. I am sure my friend told me sincerely based on his knowledge, but who told him and makes him believe this is a non-bias 3rd party and not related to USANA is another question.

From my research the author, and both of the editorial reviews are related to USANA. So, I really think about the question "Could this be fair review?"
1. The author himself is on the MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD of USANA
Source: http://www.usana.com/en/company/ag/mab.shtml
2. One of the Editorial Reviews (Dr. Christine Wood) is the chair of USANA's Medical Advisory Board
Source: http://www.usana.com/en/company/ag/mab.shtml
3. The other one of the Editorial Reviews (Dr. Denis Waitley) is USANA Insider
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=USNA

So, read the fact and use your judgment if you will get what you really need to know from this book or not.
If you are interested in Nutrition, I may suggest some books or 3rd party websites that might interest you
Over all, I thought the book was excellent. I took the time to read several of the previous reviews and have to comment on one in particular. The one by Mr. Marcel Raffoul "Honest Citizen". First and foremost the review section is supposed to be a reviews of books and not of the company that is rated #1 in the book.

I did some research on some of his accusations against USANA by Mr. Raffoul. Here's is what I found.

1. Dr. Lyle is NOT on the board of directors. You can look at the board of directors on the USANA web site.

2. The "Independent Assessment" of USANA says nothing more than USANA is an MLM company. He acts like this is a bad thing. They say on their web site they are a direct/MLM company and talk about the benefits of cutting out middle men to help keep costs down on their pharmaceutical grade products. Their products are pricey but I guess you get what you pay for and would be outrageous if you had to pay for distribution, waehousing and transportion, etc.... but I digress.

3. I also looked at Mr. Marcel Raffoul's other reviews and noticed that some of the books he reviewed were on Direct Selling and MLM stategies which indicates that he is probably in networm marketing, probably in a competitive company.

4. I also read that Maleuca accusations as well as the rebuttal. The rebuttal stated that the original accusations were derived from a previous edition (Edition 2) and since then they went to other independent labratories to ask what other criteria the vitamins could be tested on. These reponses were incorporated into the testing procedures and from what I could determine in the comparison would take the possibility of Dr. McWilliams to skew the results out of the equation and therefore indicates that Maleuca is simply irritated that McWilliams revealed that their products are lacking in quality.

Another note on Centrum. Centrum is the biggest selling vitamin in the U.S. and apparently in Australia as well. It is well documented that as far as absorbability, it is severely lacking. I have talked to several nurses that call Centrum "bed pan bullets" because in patients that use them and use a bed pan, you can still read "Centrum" on the pill when it comes out. Yes, Centrum is much cheaper but again...you get what you pay for. If you want cheap vitamins, that don't work DON'T READ THIS BOOK, go down to WalGreens and buy the cheapest vitamin on the shelf.....you'll save a lot of money that way.

After doing a lot or research on the accuracy and claims by other reviewers, I believe the book and it's rating system are excellent. In addition, the book will teach you a lot on how vitamins work, oxidative stress in the body and how it promotes degenerative diseases. It will also teach you alot about anti-oxidants in supplements and how they prevent degenerative disease as well as how supplements are absobed in the body. I would consider this is a MUST READ book for anyone that is interested in their health.As a personal trainer my clients constantly come to me for advice on nutritional supplements. This book has been a valuable resource for me. I was suprised to find that the vitamin/mineral supplement (USANA) I currently use is rated #1. As a distributor for USANA, I use to book to show my clients that all nutritional supplements are not the same.

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