Millions of Americans take nutritional supplements, including vitamins, herbs, and organic materials. Many people do so believing that they are completely safe, and trusting the information presented to them by the seemingly reputable manufacturers of these products. The catch is that as of 1994, Congress signed legislation protecting supplements from governmental oversight. This means the FDA has not approved the contents of these supplements or verified their manufacturers' claims.

Sometimes, supplements simply do nothing. If you read the fine print or look closely at the advertising copy, you will find phrases such as "may relieve," or you will read comments such as "Collagen is an essential part of firm, smooth skin." Yes, this first product may relieve pain--but it may not. Yes, collagen is an important part of healthy skin--but swallowing it doesn't magically result in its being transported from your stomach through your blood stream to the delicate under-eye area where it then joins your own naturally depleted collagen reserves.

Far worse than when supplements do nothing is when they cause harm. Sometimes the problem is simply quantity. Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. Other times, the manufacturer's regulations are so insignificant that you are not taking what the bottle claims and there may be additional materials in the capsules to which you are allergic--or which would even be unhealthy for anyone. Look no further than the controversy surrounding Ephedra to see how risky it can be to take unregulated supplements.

Smart Shopping for Quality Nutritional Supplements

That being said, there are quality nutritional supplements which can do a great deal for your health and well-being. Many people take multi-vitamins, which often give you a moderate dose of almost all of the vitamins and minerals essential to supporting your body's chemical reactions. Some people also take higher doses of some of the vitamins which may have additional benefits when taken in significant quantities.

Vitamin C, for example, is necessary only in moderate quantities to prevent scurvy (a disease which hasn't been common for centuries since most people get enough vitamin C in modern times to prevent it without even thinking about it) and build collagen and cartilage. Some doctors, however, believe that vitamin C in doses 10 to 20 times greater than the minimum RDA can boost your immune system and keep you from getting colds. You can get quality vitamin C supplements in these larger doses if your doctor thinks that it might be helpful for you.

There are a number of nutritional supplements which are thought to have preventative properties and even healing potential. While researchers are pursuing these leads, you can talk with a doctor about whether it might be beneficial to you to take supplements now. Many arthritis sufferers, for example, believe in the pain-relieving and even healing properties of glucosamine and chondroitin and their doctors suggest that they take supplements, even before the FDA releases an official statement and regulates production.

The Advantages of Time Release Capsules

One of the most important things when you get nutritional supplements in these greater quantities is to get time release capsules instead of other pills. Almost any of these herbs or vitamins can overwhelm your digestive system when taken in a mega dose. Vitamin C, for example, is also known as ascorbic acid--and 1,500 mg of acid all at once can really feel awful in your stomach.

In other cases, the issue is simply that your body cannot process and absorb a full dose of a supplement. Your blood stream is taking in many different vitamins and minerals all at once, and it has a limit on how much of any particular one it will take. If you take 1,500 mg of glucosamine and your body can only absorb a small percent of that in an hour, the rest will pass from your system without ever being used. Time release capsules make sure that the supplement is made available to your body at a pace that it can absorb the maximum beneficial dose.