What is the World's Biggest Con Job? Week 3 - the Dirty Dozen

What do you mean?  The world's biggest con job?  A con job is making people believe something that is not true.  This is what the vitamin industry is doing.  To explain, I will recap the last two posts for those of you who have not read them.

There are three different types of vitamins; synthetic, natural altered and natural unaltered.  Click here to read that post explaining the difference.  Of the three, only natural UNaltered can be utilized by the body.

The next post explains the single most important factor in choosing a vitamin -- is it alive or dead?   You need life to create life.  The con job is that you can swallow synthetic vitamins (many of them are labeled NATURAL) whose source is petroleum or coal tar and build health.  It is NOT possible. How can you tell the difference?  How can you know if the product you are taking is GMO free? There are a couple tests you can do to help determine if your vitamins can be assimilated by your body. Read that post here.  

Here are several stats that should make you stand up and take notice:  A common problem with many pharmacy-grade and health food store products is that they do not make the grade in Consumer Lab testing.  EVEN WORSE:  Many of these multi-vitamins contained EXCESSIVE amounts of lead - INCLUDING (and this is where I get ill) pre-natal multi-vitamins.


An important fact to remember is that many governing agencies do not differentiate between synthetic and natural sources.  If the product contains the 'amount' it claims - they get their stamp of approval - even if it is a petroleum natural source - not meant for human consumption.

Vitamin Companies with Integrity

You should also consider checking out the integrity of the company brand you are using.  It is really quite simple.  As I state in earlier posts, there are many questions you could ask the company.  Here are two more:

Does your food supplement company produce hormone products?  A company with integrity will not produce hormone products as this is something the body will produce on its own, if given the proper tools - nutrients.  Taking hormones can create a dependency, an addiction, in which the body stops doing its own job of producing the hormone for itself.

Does your vitamin company have ANY of the DIRTY DOZEN bad ingredients in their nutritional supplements?  If they have even one of these ingredients in any of their products, it is NOT a company with integrity and personally, I would never trust them.

On "Good Morning America," ABC News senior health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser discussed these 12 ingredients - the DIRTY DOZEN. (Source:  Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Professional Version, June 2010)

1.  Aconite  Used for:  Joint pain, inflammation  Possible risks:  Toxicity, respiratory system paralysis, heart rhythm disorders, death.

2.  Bitter Orange  Used for:  Weight loss, allergies  Possible risks:  Heart-rhythm disorders, heart attack, stroke, death

3.  Chaparral  Used for:  Colds, weight loss, infections, inflammation, cancer  Possible risks:  Liver damage, kidney problems.

4.  Colloidal Silver  This one touches a sensitive spot with me.  My friend 'swore' by colloidal silver. Took it every day and I did everything conceivable to convince her how harmful it was -- she would not listen.  She died of cancer from toxic metal poisoning.

Used for:  Fungal and other infections, Lyme disease, rosacea, psoriasis, chronic fatigue, AIDS/HIV Possible risks:  Neurological problems, kidney damage

5.  Coltsfoot  Used for:  cough, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma  Possible risks:  Liver damage, cancer

6.  Comfrey  Used for: Cough, heavy menstrual periods, chest pain, cancer  Possible risks:  Liver damage, cancer

7.  Country Mallow  Used for:  Nasal congestion, allergies, asthma weight loss, bronchitis  Possible risks:  Heart attack, heart arrhythmia, stroke, death

8.  Germanium  Used for:  Pain, infections, glaucoma, liver problems, arthritis, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer  Possible risks:  Kidney damage, death

9.  Greater Celandine  Used for:  Upset stomach, IBS, liver disorders, cancer  Possible risks:  Liver damage

10.  Kava  Used for:  Anxiety  Possible risks:  Liver damage

11.  Lobelia  Used for:  Coughing, bronchitis, asthma, smoking cessation  Possible risks:  Toxicity, very low blood pressure, coma, possibly death

12.  Yohimbe  Used for:  Aphrodisiac, chest pain, diabetic complications, depression, erectile dysfunction  Possible risks:  High blood pressure,  High doses can cause severe low blood pressure, heart problems, death

These are ingredients that many vitamin companies use and try to con you into believing they will IMPROVE your health.  Ask your company if they use them -- You Be The Judge.

You have the right to ask these questions.  If you truly care about your health, your future and your family's future, please take the time to check the food supplements you are using.

Did anyone try the vitamin test I shared last week?  What were the results?

Photos courtesy of liveoralive.com, tudsb.ca