From this webite you have access to my dispensary at Fullscript which has 23,000 products and over 300 brands. Many of these brands are pharmaceutical grade supplements used by health care professionals and not sold in health food stores which typically sell food grade supplements. Most professional supplement companies use high-grade raw ingredients which are routinely tested for impurities and quality. Many over-the-counter food grade brands do not take the extra effort.

Better Forms of Minerals - True Chelates
Many professional brands use ingredients that are more easily absorbed and used by the body without producing negative side effects. Also, many of these ingredients have been used in clinical trials to prove their efficacy. An example would be minerals. Very few manufactures of food grade supplements sold in health food stores use true chelated minerals. They still use forms of minerals such as carbonates , oxides, gluconates and fumarates because they are cheaper. Besides being poorly absorbed and used by the body they also cause many negative side effects such as gas, bloating, indigestion and even constipation. They also will plug up up the intestinal villi that line the small intestine where you absorb the nutrients from the food you eat. The non-chelated calcium carbonate can accumulate in your body in such places as the soft tissues of the muscles, and even in the valves of the heart and the inside lining of the arteries putting the person at a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Calcium carbonate can contribute to gall bladder and kidney stones as well as milk-alkali syndrome which affects the kidneys. Minerals are extremely important in maintaining the health of the body. So if you are going to take supplements then you should make sure you take the best in the way of true chelated minerals found mostly in professional, or pharmaceutical grade supplements.

Bioactive Forms of Critically Necessary Vitamins
Besides the minerals, there are have been increases in the understanding of how vitamins such as folic acid and B12 are used by the body. B12 and folic acid along with B6 are necessary in how the body processes homocysteine which is a by-product of the amino acid methionine found in high amounts in animal foods such as chicken, beef, eggs, and lamb. If our homocysteine levels becomes too high it can damage the collagen matrix in the bone contributing to bone loss and damage the collagen in the lining of the arterial walls contributing to cardiovascular disease. Excessive levels of homocysteine can also interfere with proper functioning of the brain. Proper forms and levels of B12 and folic acid along with B6 will convert the homocysteine back into harmless and beneficial methionine and cysteine.

Now while many supplements contain folic acid and B12 they are usually in the standard form of non bioactive folic acid and B12 as cyanocobalamin. Before these forms can used by the human body they must first be methylated, or converted into the bioactive forms of Folate as L-5-MTHF and methylcobalamin. However, around 25 to 30% of the population on earth, because of genetics, do not have the ability to convert folic acid, in food or supplements, to its bioactive form of L-5-MTHF. For the rest of the population, they would have diffculty as well if they do not have have the necessary co-nutrients for the enzymatic process to convert folic acid to L-5-MTHF due to eating the typcal American diet of processed and fast foods, sodas, excess sugar and alcohol. And, since the liver is involved in this conversion process, this typical American diet along with being exposed to various chemicals and toxins from our environment will hinder the process as well. For the same reasons mentioned above B12, as the non active form cyanocobalamin, would be very diffcult to convert to the bioactive form methylcobalamin.

To overcome this problem of conversion one should take a supplement that contains these two vital vitamins in forms that are already in their bioactive states such as B12 as methycobalamin and folic Acid, or folate, as L-5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate). When taken in these bioactive forms the body can use them immediately without any conversion process taking place.

I should mention that this bioactive form of folate L-5-MTHF is critical for the healthy repair and maintenance of DNA found in every cell in your body. If you do not repair your DNA on a daily basis these cells will begin to break down and become weaker. Over time the affected cells would die off sooner than normal causing whatever tissue they are part of to become weaker. For example, muscle cells get weaker, liver and pancreas cells get weaker. Also, your body will age much more quickly. So while you may be chronologically a certain age, such as forty, physiologically you could be 50 or more. The bioactive form of L-5-MTHF is also critcal to to the health and function of the brain as it is the only form that can pass the blood brain barrier. So, if you desire to maintain the health and function of the body and brain you need to make sure you receive adequate amounts everyday of folate as L-5-MTHF.

There are many more reasons why I recommend profesional grade supplements but I think what has been written thus far helps people to understand the high quality and effectiveness of using them for your personal program of supporting and maintaining your overall health and vitality.

Recommending Supplements Based on Over 50 Years of Experience and Knowledge
People take supplements because they want to support the health of their body. They do not want to take supplements that are a waste of money and/or could cause them negative side effects or increase further health issues. With the plethora of supplements on the market today it can be a confusing and daunting task to figure out what to use. From my website here I will be recommending the best of the best of the professional grade supplements in formulations and in ingredients used. This will assist you in avoiding supplements that contain, in my professional opinion and experience, less than ideal ingredients and/or formulations. I can rightly make this statement as I have been involved with the study of human nutrition, health, fitness and excercise for over fifty years. I have also formulated many cutting edge science based supplements of pharmaceutical grade for several supplement companies.

Please feel free to look at the supplements I recommend and check back from time to time as I continue to add to the list of the best of the best of the professional grade supplements in formulations and in ingredients used. If you have any questions please go to Contact Us.

Sincerely Yours in Health, Fitness and Well Being,

Charlie Skeen, CNC