Seven Sneaky Secrets that Nutrition Companies Never Told You

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GetSmart Vitamins Seven Sneaky Secrets that Nutrition Companies Never Told

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The Seven Sneakiest Secrets

Nutrition Companies Hope You Never, Ever Find Out About

The dirty tricks and dishonest tactics vitamin

companies try to fool you with... and often Do

 

Hi, my name is Guy Santeramo. The shocking expose' you are about to read

might make you shake your head in disbelief. It might even get you really

‘ticked off. Reading this report could forever destroy the trust you’ve

placed in your favorite companies or products.

 

But, after you read and understand what is said here, you’ll be better off

by far. I guarantee it! The smoke and mirrors are about to be cleared away.

At long last, you will know exactly what to look for in a product label and

how you’ve been fooled up until now. In short, you will be educated! Never

again will you fall victim to the extremely clever tricks being played on

you by some of the best advertising minds in the nutrition industry.

Oh Yeah? Says Who?

First, let me tell you a little about myself, and what makes me qualified to

write this report. No, I’m not a doctor and I also don’t have a lot of fancy

initials after my name. I’m a regular guy, maybe, just like you.

 

In my past life, I used to be a New York City cop. Out on the streets, you

get a whole lot of real-world training in human nature. You start to look at

everything with a heavy dose of skepticism. You learn to take nothing at

face value.

 

A lot has happened since those early days so long ago. Being interested in

my own health, and the health of my wife and children, I developed a serious

interest in nutrition and supplements. That’s when I encountered a major

problem: there was so much conflicting information out there. One article

after another seems to contradict what some other ‘expert’ had written about

a few months ago. First, it was one ‘miracle’ ingredient, then another!

Soon, it all began to get very, very confusing. Maybe you’ve felt the same

kind of frustration that I did.

How I First Learned The Insider’s Secrets

A number of years ago, I was invited to be one of the founding executives of

a small, but, exclusive nutritional supplement company. In my quest to

develop this company’s line of products, I met with a never-ending parade of

consultants and product formulators. Some of these people had ‘sterling’

reputations in the industry. But, what they told me behind closed doors sent

shivers up my spine. They spilled their guts on how to play the kind of

tricks you’re going to learn about in this report.

 

They thought they were doing us a big favor. They saw these sneaky secrets

as a way to add ‘perceived value’ to our products in order to increase our

profit margin. You, the consumer, would be willing to pay a lot more money

because you thought you were actually getting something of increased value.

Move Over Columbo

Clearly, after hearing all of this startling information, and to get to the

bottom of it all, a detailed investigation was needed. I called upon my

police training and began doing some serious research. Putting in 10, 15, 20

hours of pure detective work weekly, I checked into each ingredient listed

on the labels of my favorite products. I questioned the variety of

manufacturing processes which different companies used to create their

supplements.

 

Something that got me really curious was the wide range in prices between

one product and another that was supposed to be " just like it " . Why did some

cost so much compared to others? I also wanted to know why I felt better

taking one brand versus another that had the same ingredients on the label.

An ‘Expert Consumer’ Is Born

I did that kind of detailed investigative research for years! I’m still

doing it! As you learned about me earlier, I’m not some high-falootin’

know-it-all with a bunch of degrees. You and I are probably a lot alike. I

am a consumer. I needed to think like a consumer, not just a businessman. It

was my goal to become the best-educated consumer I could possibly be.

 

Now I’ve learned what to look for in a good honest product that gets

results. And, isn’t that the reason we buy nutritional supplements in the

first place… for the results we expect from taking those products? Of course

it is!

Let’s Get Caught Up To Date

However, as good as my former company’s products and pricing were, I had a

vision of creating something better, something more… something much more.

Recently, I resigned as president of that other company in order to fulfill

that vision. The result is GetSmartVitamins.Com™. I’ll tell you more about

that later.

 

So, what was it that I unearthed with all my investigations? Well, that’s

what you’re about to discover. You are about to learn…

 

The Seven Sneakiest Secrets

Nutrition Companies Hope You Never, Ever Find Out About

Sneaky Secret #1... All Sizzle - No Steak

 

Ingredients that get a lot of publicity become " Hot " . Everybody has read

articles or heard reports about them broadcast on radio or TV. This creates

a huge demand for them. You’ve heard of them: Grape Seed extract, MSM,

CoQ-10, Gingko Biloba, Ginseng, the list is a long one. Manufacturers like

to list these impressive ingredients on the packaging and labels. It helps

sell lots and lots of bottles. They like all that profit… wouldn’t you?

 

The catch is, although that " Hot " ingredient is listed on the label, there’s

such a tiny amount of it in the formula that it’s therapeutically useless.

And, I’m not talking about putting in half or a third of what’s needed. It

gets completely ridiculous! I’ve seen labels that have only 1/1000th of what

is needed to work. You wouldn’t believe how many times I've seen companies

play these tricks.

 

Let’s take a heart supplement as an example

What’s very common is that they'll produce a pretty good formula, then they

blow it by adding teenie-tiny amounts of 2 very effective (and expensive)

ingredients: L-Carnitine and Co Q10. It looks good on the label, but those

insignificant amounts won’t do you any good. Worst of all, it cost you more!

 

A ton of companies include L-Carnitine in their weight-loss products. It’s

excellent for that. But these companies add only 50 or 100 milligrams of it.

However, you may need to take much more depending on the reason you are

taking it.

 

As an example, for weight loss you need to take between 1,000 and 2,000

milligrams a day for it to work in your body the way it’s supposed to, on

the other hand, you may only need between 250 and 1,000 milligrams a day for

heart support. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I saw a company’s

advertisement where they were actually bragging about the fact that their

weight-loss product has 200 milligrams of L-Carnitine, double the amount of

their competitors. Big deal! You need 5 to 10 times that amount.

 

This trick is not limited to heart or weight-loss products either. You'll

also see this practice used with multi-vitamins to add more sizzle to the

product (more perceived value, you know). It’s also done with those products

that target specific conditions such as vision, memory, joint, menopause,

and prostate conditions.

 

Great, so these wonderful ingredients are on the label. You paid extra for

that bottle because of that. But, it’s not going to do you a lick of good!

 

Sneaky Secret #2...The Big Switch

 

This leads me to the second underhanded tactic many companies use.

Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more common. What they do is switch

the recommended Milligrams down to Micrograms. It takes 1,000 Micrograms to

equal 1 Milligram. Can you believe it? See how they’re playing on people’s

ignorance? They are also counting on the fact that a lot of people are not

very observant.

 

Let’s face it, certain ingredients are very expensive. Herbal Extracts, for

example, can cost the manufacturer a lot of money. They look good on the

label, but they drive the price up. So, companies can get away with having

it on the label. But, unless you are paying special attention to the

difference in the abbreviations you’ll miss it. On top of that, you also

need to know the correct recommended amounts. Otherwise, you are not getting

what you think you are.

 

Two Examples:

 

A major national brand name company has an Antioxidant Formula that sits on

every health food store shelf in America. This formula includes 100

micrograms of Alpha-lipoic acid, a fantastic multi-dimensional antioxidant,

unfortunately 100milligrams (1000 times more) would have been the optimal

amount.

 

Another thing I've seen done many times is this: some companies will add 600

micrograms of Lutein (an expensive ingredient) to their Vision Formula. They

make a big deal out of reporting the scientific study that shows how Lutein

helps to reduce macular degeneration. The only problem is that the study was

based on 6 milligrams, which is 10 times more than 600 micrograms, which is

all they included in their formula.

 

Sneaky Secret #3...Everything But The Kitchen Sink

 

Ever see these supplements that have dozens and dozens of ingredients listed

on the label? Sure, there’s a lot of them! Those so-called, " All-In-One "

inclusive formulas are so weak that you’d have to take a fistful of them to

get any benefit. It’s obvious, with 30, 50, or 70 ingredients, the pill

would be need to be the size of a baseball to do you any good.

 

Here's a perfect example...

The following is the exact wording a well-known mail order catalog company

used to market this multi-nutrient formula:

 

New All-in-One Power Packed Formula Containing Over

50 Vitamins, Antioxidants and Energy Releasers,

Plus Other Natural Nutritional Factors!

 

(Further highlighting that it contains *L-Carnitine & **CoQ10)

 

Here is what was actually contained in this " all-inclusive formula " :

 

L-Carnitine.......5mgs - A great ingredient for weight-loss and heart

support. As noted above, a safe and effective recommended dosage for weight

loss is 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams and 250 to 1,000 milligrams for heart

support. That’s a far cry from the insignificant 5 milligrams they included.

 

CoQ10......5mcgs - Also a great nutrient, which is becoming increasingly

popular, that is enormously beneficial for the heart. 5 milligrams would be

awfully low considering that the effective recommended dosage is 60 to 200

milligrams, however this company really sticks it to you, by including only

5 micrograms...which is 1/1000th of 5 milligrams.)

 

This product also contained synthetic beta Carotene as well as synthetic

vitamin E. (More about the topic of synthetics later in this report.)

 

As far as those Energy Releasers; the label lists 10mgs of Ginseng (It

doesn't even say if it's an extract or what kind of ginseng they used.) The

label goes on to list just 10mgs of Bee Pollen and 5mgs of Royal Jelly.

 

Now, please tell me what benefit are you going to get from a lousy 5

milligrams of L-Carnitine or 5 micrograms of CoQ10? And just how much energy

do you think you’ll get from the above mix of ginseng, bee pollen and royal

jelly?

 

Sneaky Secret #4...I've got a secret

 

While the first three Sneaky Secrets on our list were closely related to

each other, this 4th dirty trick is altogether different. Many companies

simply do not want to reveal their proprietary formulas. They don’t want you

to really know what you’re getting. The way they get away with this is to

list the ingredients in a complex or blend. Then, they list the dosage

amounts for that blend.

 

Here’s the sneaky part: companies will often mix inexpensive raw materials

together with the good ones. You think you’re getting equal amounts of each

ingredient. In reality, the largest percentage of the mix is made up of the

cheap stuff.

 

Let’s look at a few examples...

 

Bioflavonoid Complex with OPC’s - 100mgs - Citrus Bioflavonoids (although

beneficial) are many, many times less expensive than OPC’s. OPC’s are

usually from grape seed extract and are documented to produce excellent

results. Why don’t the companies just list the percentages of the specific

ingredients individually? Do you think they might be hiding something?

 

Calcium (carbonate/citrate) - 1000mgs - Most people would think that they’re

getting 50% calcium carbonate and 50% calcium citrate. Right? Wrong! When

you see this on the label, there’s a very good chance that 99% of this

complex is in the carbonate form. The inexpensive calcium carbonate is far

less absorbable by your body than the citrate. Antacids often contain

calcium carbonate to help neutralize stomach acid. Unlike, the more

expensive calcium citrate, allowing for more complete absorption. You’d also

need 200% more citrate than carbonate to equal the same amount of

" elemental " calcium. This trick not only saves the company lots of money,

but it also allows them to produce a calcium product (with the desired dose

of 1000mgs) with far less tablets or capsules.

 

Magnesium (oxide/citrate) - 400mgs - Similarly to the example we just used,

the oxide is the inexpensive, less absorbable form of magnesium. The citrate

form is far more absorbable, but, it’s more expensive to use. That’s why

there could be as much as 99 times more oxide than citrate in the formula.

 

Here’s my strong suggestion for you:

The next time you see a product that includes a complex or blend, why not

call up the company and ask what the break down is. Don't you deserve to

know what the " real " balance is?

 

Let’s face it, even if you’re buying a shirt, the label will tell you that

the fabric blend is 20% rayon and 80% cotton. Isn’t it even more important

to know the blend when you’re putting something inside your body?

 

Sneaky Secret #5...Is An Apple Really An Apple?

 

Are all apples nutritionally identical? No! Of course they’re not! The

nutritional makeup of each apple is determined by the conditions under which

it was grown: the fertilizer used, the climate conditions, the amount of

sunshine, the amount of rain, the care given by the farmer, and so on. One

good apple could have far more nutritional benefit to you than another grown

under adverse conditions, couldn’t it? Sure!

 

It’s the same with herbs and their extracts. Often, companies will cite

studies of herbal extracts along with the effective dosages. They will then

include the exact same dosage in their formula as in the report. So far it

sounds pretty good, right? However (here it comes), they will use a less

expensive, less ‘active’ ingredient extract.

 

For example

 

Saw Palmetto Extract - This herbal extract is a Godsend for men concerned

about their prostate. The studies suggest 160mgs twice a day of Saw Palmetto

Extract (85% - 95% fatty acids/active sterols). I’ve seen countless

companies include the right amount, but the wrong extract.

 

You see, there are also extracts that contain only 25% of the ‘actives’

versus the 85% or the 95%, which is needed. That’s less than a third of what

the literature dictates, but, since it’s so much cheaper, many companies use

it instead. You think you’re getting one thing, when all the time they are

tricking you again.

 

Sneaky Secret #6...They Don’t Know Any Better

 

That’s the attitude many companies have towards you. They think you don’t

know any better. Unfortunately it’s very often true. It’s awfully hard to

stay completely informed on the highly complicated subject of nutrition.

There’s just soooooo much to learn.

 

Here’s a trick that’s often done with herbs. Herbs come in both extracts and

powders. Powders are vastly cheaper than the much more expensive extracts.

In addition, you need to ingest a lot more of the herb when it’s in the

powdered form than in the more highly concentrated extract form.

Unfortunately, the majority of people don’t really understand what they

should be taking. So, they are easy to fool with some fancy advertising.

 

Based on what you’ve learned so far, which to you think most companies

prefer to use in the products they sell to you, powders or extracts? Right

again! Companies will sell you all the benefits as if you were purchasing

the high quality extract, which is many times more expensive. But, what you’

re really getting is… fooled again.

 

For example:

 

Gingko Biloba - usually comes in 60mgs dosages. However, that’s only the

desired dose if you’re taking the highest quality herbal extract. If you

have bought a product made with the Gingko leaf powder you would need (get

this now) 3,000mgs to equal the 60mgs in the 50:1 extract. That’s 50 times

the amount, no small difference! But it looks good on the label doesn’t it?

 

Sneaky Secret #7... A Book and Its Cover

 

Often times, suppliers of raw materials need to get rid of their inventory

that’s been sitting around for too long. Therefore, these suppliers will

offer manufacturers some tremendous discounts. The problem is that after a

period of time, much of the potency of those raw materials is lost. This is

especially true of herbs.

 

No matter how educated you are in reading labels, no matter how alert you

are to the other sneaky secrets we’ve talked about so far, there’s just NO

way of knowing whether the product you’re buying was made with inferior raw

ingredients that lacked potency.

 

Natural Vs. Synthetic

Here’s another way you can’t judge a book by its cover. Frequently,

companies will use synthetic versions of the ingredients you see on the

label. This is most often done with things like vitamin E and beta carotene.

 

Here are a couple of good tip-offs:

 

If you see beta carotene listed by itself, it's synthetic. The same for

lutein or lycopene. The natural source should be listed. Examples: Lycopene

(from Lycomato), or Lutein (from Marigold Flower extract).

 

Here’s another one to watch out for: With vitamin E the " dl " in front of

alpha tocopherol makes it synthetic. It should read " d " not " dl " .

 

Natural ingredients are more effective and also more expensive. However,

scientific evidence indicates that natural carotenoids, (not just beta, but

also alpha and the other carotenoids) are much more absorbable by your body.

Not only that, but they are also retained by the tissues anywhere from 200%

to 500% longer. That is a tremendous advantage!

 

Scientific evidence also indicates that if a person takes too much synthetic

beta carotene it can cause a deficiency of the other carotenoids. The

natural versions are vastly more absorbable than the inferior synthetics,

thus increasing your body’s ability to utilize it.