As our health challenges and the toxicity of our environment increase and as the "baby boomer" generation reaches the later stages of life, there is an escalating array of "miracle products" marketed as everyone tries to make a financial killing.

The way these "miracle products" come about is typically as follows: 

• Someone notices that a certain population seems to have a much lower incidence of a particular than the general population.
• They then isolate some element of their diet or health practices that seems to be responsible, often one that exists primarily only in that region.
• They then attempt to isolate the chemical constituent or constituents of this plant or herb that seem to be responsible.
• Next they attempt to find a way to extract this element from the plant or create a synthetic imitation. Occasionally, some will attempt to create a product in a way that minimumly alters the original plant and includes all the synergistic effects of all the constituents, known and unknown.

What generally comes down to the consumer is either a synthetic chemical compound that is not utilized well by the body or something like liquid seaweed that now costs $300 a month on autoship so you can "build your business" or a calcium product that's been heated to 1000 degrees and irradiated to remove toxic heavy metals.

Another example getting a lot of play lately, revolves around plant sterols and their benefits. There's a good marketing system and people are making money, but I'm still having questions about product. Their site tells me that they have a "proprietary chemical-free extraction process which provides natural sterols and sterolins in the optimum balance as found in nature for high bioavailability." Yet, I find no support for that claim and the product is in capsule form which commonly results in only a 5-10% absorption rate. Where is the data on actually absorption rates? The testimonials all seem to focus on that fact that plant sterols are good for me, rather than anything about the specific product.

Now, please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this isn't a wonderful and beneficial product. I'm simply saying that from the information given, I honestly can't tell. I see a lot of sites that shout about the compensation plan and the marketing system that works while you sleep and the gobs of money you're going to make. And those are all essential for a good business opportunity. But often these claims are simply good advertising tactics, designed with the hope that you'll just make certain assumptions about the product despite the lack of information, because you want all that money.

What I am saying is based on the information I've seen, I'd still be more inclined to get the health-giving benefits of plant sterols from Maca, a plant, which contains six different sterols and provides dozens of other heath benefits as well.

My approach in researching these things is to first look at the product. Is it some isolated compound that targets specific functions? Or does it have a wide range of benefits? Are the claims specific to the product and backed up? Or are they generalized? How many benefits do I notice from taking the product? A lot of products have some value. Not many benefit a large range of issues and benefit the whole body.

Once I've satisfied myself on the product, then and only then will I look at compensation plans and marketing systems to see if there's also a sound business opportunity as well.

I sincerely hope that this commentary will be helpful to you in some way while sorting fact from fiction in your quest for better health. :-)
 

Jeff
 

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