There are dozens and dozens of ‘pharmaceutical’ supplement companies on the market and this designation, alone, means nothing.  What a company must do is grow/supervise all the ingredients in their products and have the ability to test each ingredient for several factors.  To do this, you need robust research facilities, partnering laboratories, and enough high level scientists and staff to perform the necessary testing.

Pharmanex Innovation Center in Provo, UT has over 22,000 sq. ft of research labs. The research lab in Fengxian has 20,400 sq ft.

Most of the companies on the market simply do not have the money, scientists, or research engine to perform appropriate testing, and because of this, their products are not what they are touted to be.  Pharmanex, along with parent company NuSkin, employs 75 scientists full-time globally (you can buy their products in 53 nations). This includes over 20 PhDs.  They have two major research facilities (not including AgeLoc research performed by LifeGen Technologies).  One in Provo, UT boasting over 22,000 sq ft of labs and one in Fengxian, China, which is 20,400 sq ft. Of course, both labs follow the rigorous 6S process.  In addition, Pharmanex pairs with researchers at major universities and independent labs to help with product development and testing.  All this is stellar and their science is even more impressive when you look at their Scientific Advisory Board.

Most other companies on the market have a maximum of 10 total researchers (compared to Pharmanex’s 75), and they are not too open about their credentials. Again, most companies do not have the personnel or technology necessary to produce high quality products, in spite of their claims. Because of this, the consumer ends up wasting money and there could actually be ingredients in the products that are harmful.  (Please reference my last blog on supplements, as it discussed what was found when many store brands were pulled and tested…none of them had what was listed on their labels!)

Pharmanex leads the industry with innovation and research capabilities.

I have worked with many supplement companies in my office over the last 16+ years and have always looked for the best I could offer my patients.  I know that too many products are ‘snake oil’, and the more I learn, the more I find that validates this sentiment.

As an insulin dependent diabetic well-versed on the research demonstrating that oxidative stress kills, I have always strived to eat well, exercise, and supplement quality products to give my body the best opportunity to negate the oxidative stress caused by fluctuations in blood sugar.  For diabetics and others who have diseases and for that matter are athletes, seldom does food intake alone give the body what it needs for optimal function.

When I brought the Pharmanex Biophotonic scanner into my office, I knew I was doing wonders for my patients.  This is for many reasons but for comparison sake I ask you to do the following…check to see if your supplement company tests their products like Pharmanex. See if they have guarantees like Pharmanex.  See if they test you every month non-invasively for the biomarker for health and nutrition status, your dermal carotenoid level…(the indicator of oxidative stress).   I assure you Pharmanex is unique. Pharmanex holds the patents on the Biophotonic Scanner so no other company can test for absorption of carotenoids (and these are vital to your health!).  In addition, every ingredient in their products is test thoroughly….above and beyond what every other company does.

The processes listed below are what Pharmanex uses to help them make the best quality products in the world.

1.  Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC).  This instrument determines the makeup and components of any sample.  It isolates each component so that it can be properly identified and defined.  This isolation helps test the purity of products and ensures that each batch is free of contaminants.

2. Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS).  This technology works by injecting samples of argon plasma hotter than the surface of the sun.  The ICP/MS can detect almost any element from the periodic table in a sample.  Pharmanex verifies that the products meet their label claims for elements such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and that they do not contain toxic ‘heavy metals’ such as lead, mercury, or arsenic.

3. Ultra High Performance Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS).  This coupling technology creates the most sophisticated instrument for the evaluation of chemical compounds.  Using this technology, Pharmanex can determine the exact molecular structure of organic compounds in a sample.  This process allows for identification of active ingredients found in natural products.  The science is unparalleled.

4. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).  This technology tests for the authenticity and purity of an herb.  A beam of infrared light is passed through a sample and the sample absorbs the energy from the beam at certain frequencies. By charting the frequencies at which the sample absorbs the energy, Pharmanex is able to get the ‘absorption spectrum’ of the chemical substance.  No two substances have the same absorption spectrum, so by comparing this spectrum to those created by authenticated reference materials, Pharmanex can positively identify an herb.

5. Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).  This is the most advanced method for determining the presence of compounds such as pesticides and residual solvents.  A few drops of an undesirable substance dispersed in an average-sized swimming pool would be so diluted that it would be impossible to detect with other instruments.  But using a GC/MS instrument, Pharmanex is able to detect its presence at a low level of two parts per billion.  This analysis helps to identify raw materials suitable for Pharmanex products.

Pharmanex utilizes 5 Labs (Formulation, Stability, Microbiology, Clinical, and Chemistry) to test products before they can be approved. This helps ensure that the products are pure, safe, and absorb. Only Pharmanex has such a complex system in place.

These technologies are necessary to be sure that what you put in your body is safe and effective. Many big name companies likely have products that have pesticide residue in them and they have no way to test for this.  Pharmanex can test for this.  In fact, they guarantee every one of their products as they are the only company that can be sure that what is on the bottle is what you are ingesting, and nothing more undesirable.

When it comes to your health, do not take chances.

Do not be conned by fancy labels, unvalidated claims, unproven assessment tools, and more.  Do not develop brand loyalty because you ‘like’ the product or the company representative. Do not take a product unless you are guaranteed that it has what it says and only Pharmanex delivers on this topic. Engage in primary prevention using validated science.

Here’s to your health!  Eat well, exercise, and supplement only proven products.