Navigating the supplements seas! Choosing the right supplements to you can be the difference between liver health and liver damage.

As part of my weekly routine, I immerse myself in the latest nutritional news, research, and studies. So when I saw this article about Liver support supplement, I had to dig deep and I immediately thought of the numerous times I get asked the question:

“ Which supplement should I take” This often comes up in my inbox and within our community Facebook group, Love your Liver.

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The article immediately caught my eye and I want to share with you some nuggets from research that caught my eye – a study conducted in June 2023 spotlighting the top 10 liver detox supplements. It delves into the efficacy and benefits of these supplements, they analysed the sales and efficacy of ingredients for the top 10 liver supplements with claims like “liver detox” , “liver cleanse” and “improving liver function” and lots of them were lacking strong evidence of efficacy, additionally the research looked at customer reviews on amazon for these supplements -which generates 2.5 M $ for amazon a month- and they found 65% of the reviews to be fake. Scary isn't it? I always look at the reviews!!!!

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Cases of liver injury from herbal and natural supplements have increased in the last 5 years, as well as the sales of liver supplements. 

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Natural supplements can be a great addition to your health regime, providing sometimes a much needed minerals and vitamin which are lacking in our diet 

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But deciding which brand or supplementary company or which liver support supplement to take is extremely overwhelming.

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Today I want to share with you my transformative six-months exploration of the supplements world while working at a local natural pharmacy. 

While studying Natural nutrition at he CSNN in Vancouver, we study how to choose the ingredient and analyse the labels of supplement brands, however for me I felt like I needed more practical experience and I just had so many questions, so I decided what's best than actually spending hours a day learning about the different companies and supplement brands available on the market!

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Picture this- rows of supplements bottles lining the shelves, each holding the promise of better health! Not only did I get to spend this time inspecting ingredients among the aisles, I get to learn from experts on the floor, listen to clients and patients feedback and join training and workshops with direct access to any company I needed more information from! It was an extremely valuable experience.

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what my experience at the natural pharmacy taught me and how it can benefit you:

1. Understanding Ingredients Matters: Navigating the sea of supplements can be daunting. I've delved deep into the science behind them, and I'm here to simplify the complex world of ingredients for you, lots of supplements has fillers and non medicinal ingredients that your liver has to filter 
2. Validating supplements claims: Natural supplements are not regulated as drugs by the FDA, instead they are regulated as food which is very misleading. Supplements ingredients can have strong biological effects and can interfere with medications. by low the FDA doesn't need to approve the claims on supplements that the company makes in each country. You should always look for third party testing, some examples are: isura.ca, cleanlabelproject.org, consumerlab.com.
3. Consider the delivery form and bioavailability: When taking vitamins and minerals, consider is it synthetic? What is the dosage and form of delivery? Is this the right form for your body and your digestive system? Do you need a liquid form, tablets or capsules? tables can be hard for some people, this will change based on the state of your digestive system.
4. Label analysis: I am afraid, yes you not only have to ready the labels, you have to understand how to read the labels I am sharing as much as I can hear but understand this took months of study and I am still learning its simply not possible to teach you this in an email but here is the cream top
   Check for allergens, does it contain gelatin or anything else that you are allergic to? if you are not sure you can always call the company and ask them to clarify and confirm for you.
   Does it have any artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose?
5.  Preservatives and fillers, specifically be careful of BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene ) a preservative linked to liver toxicity.
   5. Personalization is Key: One size does not fit all. Your health and your liver health is as unique as you are. Tailoring supplements to your specific needs yields better outcomes and saves you lots of money on wasted unnecessary supplements or even worse some can actually cause liver injury.
    

Don't let the supplement aisle overwhelm you; let's make informed choices together. Your well-being is a journey, and I'm here to ensure it's a successful and empowering one.