The days of Carter’s Little Liver Pills, and the infamous bread, that “helps build strong bodies 12 ways,” may be gone, but it was not all that long ago that consumers filled their shopping baskets with these and similarly marketed products. And none came away with cured livers nor enhanced physiques for their trouble.
      We may chuckle at the specter of a tall, handlebar-mustached huckster peddling his patent medicines, but to watch modern consumers at the dietary supplements counter, one has to wonder who is having the last laugh.
      Food supplements are a $20 billion business in North America alone, and we continue to purchase and consume these products as though we have discovered the Holy Grail. Have you ever wondered if the products you purchase will make you live forever, or is it just so much snake oil?

The old adage about members of the porcine family fluttering about has a great deal of merit in the dietary supplements business. In fact, it is very good advice. Some of the claims for supplements we have heard are so preposterous, that even a chi... well, you know what we mean.
      In an effort to simplify a very complex subject, the entire matter of dietary supplements can be reduced to a few basic questions: Are there a lot of useless products out there? Definitely. Are there dangerous products out there? Likely. Am I wasting my time and money on dietary supplements? Perhaps not, but that depends entirely on what you are buying, and for what purpose.
      The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as other Federal agencies in the U.S., have taken a fairly conservative approach to dietary supplements, the result of a great deal of pressure from the private sector. This leaves the decision of what is useful, and what is dangerous completely up to you. But this is not to say that these products are solely the fare of fly-by-night hucksters. There has been a significant amount of responsible research in recent years concerning fitness and nutrition and, in particular, the contribution that supplements can make to better nutrition, and their overall role in preventive health.
      Unfortunately, the amount of research in this area and its technical nature make the body of this work unreachable for most people. What is perhaps equally difficult, is wading through mountains of marketing hype that some manufacturers of these products use to convince us that their product is some new-found, magic bullet that will somehow cure all of our ills. Reasonable people know better. Or, as they say in those hallowed halls of justice, caveat emptor, or “buyer beware.”
      Part of what Preventive Health Today hopes to accomplish is to inform our visitors about the state of the art in nutrition. This includes the basics, reading food labels and, of course, the nature of dietary supplements... what they are, who should use them, what gains you can expect and, most importantly, what risks are associated with their use. Armed with this kind of information, you will be able to avail yourself to the products that can be of significant health import to you and your family.

      Yes, Preventive Health Today is in the dietary supplement business. We are an independent business owner of Unicity International, with distribution rights for their unique line of preventive and complementary health care products.The other part of what we hope to accomplish is to introduce you to this line of scientifically based products that focuses on preventive health, anti-aging, sports nutrition, personal care, and other health-related concerns. With many of Unicity's products featuring exclusive, patented formulas, proprietary blends, and cutting-edge ingredients, we believe this line of products stands above all of the others.
      We provide this information service with the hope that our visitors depart with a little more knowledge and better understanding of nutrition, preventive health, and self-care. Having accomplished that, as health educators, we are happy.
      On the other hand, if you use dietary supplements or other complementary health care products of any kind, or are considering their use, it does not hurt to have a look at the extensive, and well-respected Unicity product line. For an overview of some of the more popular products, please check out our product summary. For more comprehensive information, please stop by our Unicity web site for detailed information on the company and their products. Remember, the next time you reach for a multivitamin, herbal, or other, similar supplement product, please think of us. Questions? Our thanks.