Xtend-Life-Questionst
30th November 2004
Please click on the question of interest:
Question: From Keri. (Subject: Purity of Fish oil...)q1
I am looking for a high quality EPA and DHA supplement for my son. He is allergic to cod, and cannot take cod liver oil. Here are my questions about your fish oil capsules:
Do you run tests on individual lot #s for individual heavy metals?
Do you test anisidine levels for rancidity and/or dual rancidity?
Is there a nitrogen blanket delivery system?
What are the exact PCB and dioxin levels of the capsules? I am trying to decide if I should purchase your product or a product by Vital Nutrients.
Answer: From Warren.
There are regular tests run for individual heavy metals on the raw fish oil prior to processing and the independent laboratory has never found any traces of heavy metals. These tests are carried out on the raw oil at the start of each 'hoki' season. Hoki is the name of the fish we use.
Other producers of fish oil purchase their supplies extracted from a variety of fish from worldwide sources including third world countries. They are transported across the world in tankers and pass through the tropics. As a result the oil is very prone to rancidity and has to have many additives to try and minimize this problem.
In contrast, our fish is all processed fresh as is the oil. This is because they are all caught locally. Rancidity is therefore not a problem as the source is known and all the processing steps controlled. Nonetheless, we do add natural Vitamin E oil as a safeguard against future rancidity which may occur as a result of a customer keeping them in sub optimal conditions for long periods at a time.
With regard to a nitrogen blanket delivery system, this has nothing to do with the finished soft gels. It is a term used to describe a system used when transporting the finished oil for encapsulation. Nitrogen is pumped into the drum to ensure that all air spaces are replaced with nitrogen in order to avoid oxidation.
We use this system even though we only have to transport the drums about 400 miles by road. I would be very surprised if there are any manufacturers who don't use this system. It is an industry standard and very inexpensive.
There are no detectable levels of PCB or dioxin even in the raw oil before concentrating and molecular distilling. This is quite unique in this industry. In fact, we could supply the raw oil and it would be almost as pure as most molecularly distilled oils on the market today. However, we do distill it because that forms part of the concentrating process to raise the DHA levels, so the oil is as pure a pharmaceutical grade as it is technically possible to produce.
The reason why the oil is free from contaminants in the first place is due to:
a) The type of fish we use…(New Zealand Hoki). These are local fish, not migratory and they live in the mid ocean levels in the Southern ocean. They are relatively short lived so they don't build up toxin levels which are common in larger, longer living fish.
b) The area of the Southern Ocean where they are caught is considered to be the most pristine in the world. The area of New Zealand that they are adjacent to is the South West of New Zealand. This region is all National Park and there is nothing between there and Antarctica.
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Question: From Steve. (Subject: Shotgun approach?)q2
I am interested in your Total Balance line of products and showed the list of ingredients to my father, who teaches pharmacology here in the States. He was turned off by the large amount of ingredients in your product and called it a "shotgun" product (as in trying to scattershot a lot of problems at once) with many ingredients in it that he deemed either unnecessary to take (as in some people wouldn't need them, such as policosinol) or potentially dangerous (he mentioned lithium and stronium specifically).
I'm impressed with the thoroughness of your site and the expressed credentials of your chief researcher. I'd like to hear your side of this issue. Can you explain in more detail why your Total Balance product is good when it has so many products in it? Is it really okay for all people to take, or do the presence of some ingredients in TB make it a danger for some people to take (I did notice your mention of ginkgo's blood-thinning effects)? If you can explain this in a scientific manner, it would be most useful.
Lastly, I mentioned the testimonials on your site to my father and he said that "it may just be good PR" and that complaints, or reports of harm to people would not be listed. Have you had negative reports from your Total Balance product, and if so what are the nature of them?
Thanks for reading this letter--I somewhat apologize for the length of it, but I see a lot of potential good in your product and I'm dealing with a skeptical person who is very well-versed in the effects of natural products. I appreciate any response you can give.
Answer: From Warren.
That's a good point that your father raised. However, we are not taking a 'shotgun' approach even though at first glance it may appear so. The Total Balance products are designed to target all of the body's organs. We believe that in order for the human body to be healthy and work efficiently that you must address all the organs of the body, not just one or two selected ones. This is because they all depend upon each other.
This can only be done effectively by using relatively small doses of a large number of synergistic ingredients. This is because by combining the necessary ingredients in the correct proportion you can enhance the efficacy of the individual ones. This results in levels of potency which could only be achieved by much higher doses of individual ingredients. That in turn can create an imbalance within the body of certain nutrients and offset the benefits of some of the individual nutrients.
A classic example of this is the Vitamin E issue. It should never be taken alone. This is why we balance it with Tocotrienols and other compatible nutrients.
With regard to policosanol, the safety and benefits of this to 'healthy' individuals has been well established. It can help keep the arteries clean and also confers other general health benefits. With regard to lithium and strontium most people have a deficiency of these. The amounts we use are very small and are only at a fraction of the levels which have proven to be safe. Also, we use the salt form so there is no accumulation in the body.
Regarding the 'testimonials' on our website, these are not actually testimonials but just copies of unsolicited customer comments. In four years we have had no negative comments about Total Balance, although we have had comments from a handful of people who felt that TB did not agree with them. However, on investigation any reaction that they had had was found to be due to other factors or an allergy. We have never had a complaint. The comments that I refer to were minor and were no more serious than what some people experience when they eat some types of foods. I couldn't give you exact number but it would be no more than about 1 per 1000 people that feel that it is not right for them.
The levels of Gingko that Total Balance contains are well within safety limits even for those people who have to be careful not to thin their blood to much.
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Question: From John. (Subject: Eczema...)q3
What I am inquiring about is if you know of any potential treatments/help for skin Eczema condition and then my dermatologist calls Atopic Dermatitis? I have heard taking in more essential fatty acids, even Primrose oil could be helpful. One doctor (Dr Weil -DrWeil.com) famous for medical and homeopathic recommendations advises to stop all dairy products, hydrogenated foods/trans fats and using Black Currant Oil and some Calendula extract.
Then another doctor recommends essential fatty acids and says it may take 6-8 weeks or even up to a year to clear up. I have only had this condition for the last year and a half. I know the ointments my demonologist is prescribing is only masking my condition. I do not eat hydrogenated foods because of my cholesterol level (242 last check-May 2004) from 299 in April 2004 just on Oat bran (1/4 cup/day) mixed in my cereal and one 250 mg slow release Niacin tablet. I have a nice high HDL (over 60), but doctor wants me on Lipitor 20 mg. Sorry for the winded message, but any help on the skin condition would be most appreciated. I respect your knowledge that is why I ask for any assistance.
Answer: From Nicolien.
Regarding eczema or atopic dermatitis (as it is also called), some herbs may be very helpful such as coleus (Coleus forskohlii) and burdock (Arctium lappa). It would be best to consult a qualified naturopath or herbalist to supervise treatment with herbs and dosages.
Some topical creams or ointments help to reduce the itching. Many of them contain Calendula (officinalis) or/and St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum). If there is a secondary bacterial infection as can happen sometimes (often with Staphylococcus spp.), you may need to get an anti-bacterial cream from the pharmacy (or dermatologist!).
Omega 3's such as our fish oil may be very beneficial for your eczema. To view this click here and here. I would recommend 2 - 4 capsules daily.
Also some customers have found our Total Balance (TB) to be helpful with eczema. This is understandable as it contains many ingredients that are beneficial for skin health. These ingredients are amylase, betaine, quercetin, lipase, papain, lutein, rutin, zeaxanthin, bioflavonoids, MSM, naringin, PABA, phosphatidylcholine, lecithin, vitamin A, E, zinc, green tea extract and gingko.
You may also like to know that eczema may be caused by reaction to foods (food allergies). Dr. Weil is certainly right about this, specifically dairy is often involved. Many foods can be allergens, such as wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, and to a lesser extent soy, citrus fruits and chocolate. However, virtually every food can be an allergen. Diagnosis of a food allergy is best achieved by the "elimination diet and challenge" method. Eliminate a suspected allergenic food for a period of at least 10 days, followed by careful reintroduction of a small amount of the food. After a cleansing period the person will develop an increased sensitivity to the allergenic food. Reintroduction of allergenic foods will produce a more severe symptom than before.
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