Failing Grades

Wow, been a while. It has been a tough year here at Vita-guru. One of me had a month long computer problem, then another of me lost a very dear friend suddenly. Combine all that with training and my other employment and team Vita-guru was not very prolific at the prose production.

Yesterday I was “discussing” various multivitamin/multiminerals in the market with a couple of friends out for lunch. One of the ladies was buying her supplements from some never-heard-of-before supplement company. She proudly boasted that they were “pharmaceutical grade”. The implication is superior quality that is rare to find in the industry.

Yep. Sure. Got it. OK then.

Here we go. Pharmaceutical grade is marketing bullcrap. I have found ONE supplement manufacturer that can back that up with a use claim as well. Ajinomoto makes amino acids with the pharma claim, then backs it up with having a pharmaceutical division and being the major supplier of free aminos to the medical industry for their various needs. They do not make multivitamins.

The tightly held secret of supplement companies is that most don't make their product in-house. They have teams of scientists looking at the data and determining what they want their supplement to include. Then they give the new supplement formula to a buyer who prices it out. Next, to some accountant. So, the scientists look at the data and start over. I assume that scientists drink heavily, largely due to the accountants. (maybe lawyers, too)

Eventually, the raw materials are bought and sent to a job shop that probably also encapsulates medicines and pet supplies. There is your pharmaceutical grade production. Big Fuckin' Deal. You want to impress me? Get rid of the “accountant” and let the good stuff out.

All this leads back to the lady and her friend. They came to me because she wanted to see what I was about. Her friend was allergy miserable. I suggested a simple nasal wash and an Olbas Inhaler. I use them and went from being a connoisseur of allergy meds to not having any real problems for 5 years.

Her friend was thrilled. She was trapped by marketing.

One last note. Annual medical checkups are a good thing. DO THEM FOR YOUR FRIENDS.

Gesundheit! Welcome to Allergy Season

With the end of winter, finally, and the start of spring comes the joy of allergies to many of us. Hay fever and similar allergies affect up to 20% of us. It is the bodies over-reaction to the pollen, dust, and molds in the air. Symptoms include itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose, and sneezing. The escape from allergy symptoms has become a billion dollar industry.

In the past, I used to look at the warm weather with dread. Many of my favorite past-times are outdoor activities, and the enjoyment of them was always tempered with the irritation of allergies. I have over the last four years found an effective, safe, side-effect free escape.

First, I use a nasal wash daily. Kinda makes sense. We wash our hands to keep the germs away, so why not our sinuses? There are a number of ways to accomplish this wash, from neti pots to nasal mists. I use Xlear nasal spray once or twice a day, depending on the pollen count.

That has kept my symptoms under control for the most part. I have on occasion found myself at the beginning of an allergy attack in the middle of the day. For convenience I also carry a mint and menthol inhaler which I breathe through to open my sinuses right away. 

These two inexpensive remedies have allowed me to enjoy warm weather alert and allergy free.