Respective Benefits of Conventional Treatment and Supplementary Support

Conventional medicine is very good in emergency situations. It treats symptoms with medication and surgery because that works when there is no time to carefully examine causes. It is also what doctors are largely taught by a health care system which incentivizes them to treat the symptoms rather than address the underlying causes. In other words, not enough effort goes into prevention of illness.

In the case of accident or injury, drug and surgery interventions are the only solution, but for chronic long term illness and degenerative disorders, like diabetes, cancer and immune diseases, this approach very rarely works. Why? 

Not only does Conventional medicine usually ignore root causes, it also encourages the use of toxic drugs with known negative side effects. Many of these drugs require further medication to suppress side effects from the first medication. So begins a vicious cycle of, and dependency on ‘pill-popping’. It’s as if Health Care has become Sick Care.

Therefore, for chronic degenerative disorders we need to think outside the ‘Conventional’ box. 

Nutrition from most ‘normal’ i.e. processed foods just doesn’t cut it because of their toxic loading. Even non or minimally processed foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables may be inadequate because they are likely grown in poor quality soils and sprayed with chemicals. 

Therefore, quality supplementation has become a necessity, not a luxury. 

But how do you know what a quality supplement is when there is so much choice and questionable quality? 

Please consider this guide:

What to look for in a Quality Supplement

1. Ingredients must be in the most bio-available form, so they are properly absorbed and assimilated,   and they must use the most appropriate delivery mechanism. For example, L-Glutathione needs to be in the ‘reduced’ form so it can pass through the intestinal walls into the blood stream. Accordingly, it also needs to be protected as it passes through the stomach before being released in the upper intestine. Enteric coating is therefore the best delivery mechanism.
2. Ingredients should be pure - free from contaminants, additives and preservatives.
3. Solid evidence of ingredient effectiveness should be available to view.
4. Mixed formulas should contain ingredients at the right doses and potency to complement each other’s effectiveness.
5. The most effective and often the most expensive ingredients should not be avoided in order to keep the price lower.
6. Supplements should be manufactured in a facility which is GMP compliant and meets all regulatory requirements, including hygiene and testing protocols.

Most health supplement manufacturers are only able to claim that maybe 1 or 2 of these points apply. At Xtendlife we are able to prove that we meet (and often exceed) all of them and more. 

We put the health of our customers first.

Experts at Xtendlife have spent many years researching, processing and manufacturing formulas to help you improve your health, wellbeing and longevity. Long will this continue! 

To help you understand some of the key essential ingredients necessary for your 'whole' body health and wellbeing you may find the following list helpful. (Please note these are not specialist ingredients for specific health conditions):

Essential Ingredients for ‘Whole’ Body Health and Wellbeing.

Vitamins and co-factors

Vitamins and co-factors may help to protect against hardened arteries; excess cholesterol, environmental pollutants, heart and circulatory problems, fatigue, digestive pressure, metabolism problems, brain diseases, aging, eye and skin problems and nervous system disease… 

Examples include: Vitamins A (usually as beta carotene), B1, B2,  B3,  B5, B6, B12, folate (as folic acid), biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D/D3, Vitamin E, inositol, lutein, phosphatidyl choline, rutin, tocotrienols.

Amino acids

Amino acids are natural compounds involved in many metabolic processes related to energy metabolism, immune, nervous, and  musculoskeletal system functioning, bone and joint integrity, hormone and blood sugar balancing, cardiovascular, brain and memory health.

Examples include: L-Arginine HCL, L-Methionine, L-Threonine, L-Tyrosine, L-Carnosine, L-Glutathione (reduced), L-Taurine, L-Proline, L-Lysine, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

Enzymes

Enzymes help to break down food into usable nutrients which can be assimilated and absorbed through the small intestine. There are around 22 different digestive enzymes, each of which has a different property. Enzymes are found in fruits, vegetables, meat and other foods. 

Examples include: Amylase, Lipase, Isolase, Cellulase, Lactase, Protease, Bromelain, Papain and Betain HCL.

Macro minerals and trace elements

Macro minerals and trace elements may help enhance food and mineral absorption, correct mineral deficiencies, increase energy, improve blood pressure, reduce obesity, aid detoxification, promote normal cell function, help prevent osteoporosis and improve bone and joint flexibility. 

They also help central nervous system and brain function, muscle and cardiac health, hormonal health, help detoxification and protect eye health and vision. 

Examples include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, boron, manganese, potassium, chromium, iodine, selenium and molybdenum. 

It should be noted that all minerals are not the same.  Because you cannot ingest the actual mineral they come in a variety of different forms.  For example, calcium can come in the form of calcium carbonite, and there are different forms of that as well.  The most common form found in supplements being ‘chalk’.   Xtendlife now uses calcium derived from a marine algae which is much more bio-available and will not build up calcium deposits in the body.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants fight free radical damage to your organs, tissues and cells to help protect against premature aging and disease. There are many anti-oxidants. Key is to use those with as many proven benefits as possible. We use the following: 

Examples: L-Glutathione (reduced),  red grape skin and seed, bilberry, green tea, gingko biloba, resveratrol, beta carotene (Vitamin A), lycopene, curcumin (turmeric), hawthorne berry, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, lutein, zeaxanthin, quercetin, rutin, hesperiden, grape seed, oregon grape (Mahonia), ginger, black cumin, soy isoflavones, N-Acetyl L- Cysteine, L – Carnosine, astaxanthin, Vitamin C. Vitamin E, Tocotrienols. 

All of the above and more are used in their most bio-available form in our supplements. 

In this blog you have seen why Conventional medical solutions are largely limited to emergency situations. For longer term lasting health we need to consider holistic treatments which address underlying causes on a cellular and systematic basis. This includes, but is not limited to quality supplement support. 

You know what quality supplementation looks like. 

And now... we've covered so much ground, I think it’s time to wrap up. Please look forward to our final instalment which does just that.