Without question, one of the most important dietary supplement categories in North America today is fish oils. As a result, it is a very competitive situation as all of the manufacturers claim their product is the best in order to carve out a share of the marketplace. Often, the retailer is left in the middle, wondering how to effectively evaluate the myriad of fish oil products and their claims. To help with this evaluation, here are some answers to common questions I am frequently asked about fish oil quality.

Everyone is looking for the secret to successful and lasting weight loss. The unique combination of PGX® and high quality whey protein found in PGX Satisfast™, from Natural Factors®, makes it a very effective weight-loss tool. Both of these ingredients have tremendous support in medical literature for helping promote feelings of satiety and reducing an excessive appetite. Alone each is effective but combined they are even more powerful.

Bones are not inert structures, like the beams or pillars of your house. They are dynamic living tissue that requires a wide range of nutrients for optimal health—and not just minerals like calcium.

The term, “inflammation,” when used in a medical context, refers to a localized protective reaction of tissue to irritation, injury or infection, characterized by pain, redness, swelling and sometimes loss of function. The key feature here is “protective.” Inflammation is designed to protect us against infecting organisms and further damage. During inflammation white blood cells rush to the area to destroy harmful microorganisms and dead cells, preventing the spread of the irritation and permitting the injured tissue to repair itself.

One of the popular diet recommendations to help people lose weight is to increase their consumption of dietary fiber. Unfortunately, to fully achieve the appetite-stabilizing effects of fiber, very large quantities must be consumed—higher quantities than most people would ever eat. Most North Americans consume 5–15 grams of fiber per day. And, while some diets recommend 35 grams of fiber to promote weight loss, the reality is that it is estimated that 75–100 grams or more of fiber per day would be required in order to have highly significant effects in producing weight loss in overweight individuals. Because a fiber intake of this level is just not practical for most Americans, a great deal of research has been going on to develop “super fibers” that can be easily added to the diet without taking away from the enjoyment of eating.