When it comes to health, Americans seem obsessed with the word "natural." We want to have natural resources, avoid natural hazards, study natural history and have a natural death. I'm told that if you do home schooling you are raising natural children. We buy natural food, natural skin care products, clothes made from natural materials and natural vitamins. Most of us believe these products are better for us than those without the natural label and savvy marketing folks do nothing to discourage this belief because they know we will pay up to one-third more for a product labeled "natural."

I'm not anti-natural by any means. However, common sense is warranted here. After all, bee stings are natural, bacteria are natural and disease is natural and I don't want any part of those. Instead, since there has been a ten percent annual increase in the sale of natural vitamins and herbals and these products are now a $500 million dollar business, I'm going to take advantage of my pharmacy education and focus on the use of the word when it comes to supplements.

Despite what you may be told, supplements with the natural label are not better for you. The body can't distinguish a natural source from a synthetic one. The only exception seems to be natural vitamin E which is slightly better absorbed than a synthetic vitamin E. And, even if you decide you're willing to pay the extra bucks for a natural supplement be forewarned that they can be contaminated with other ingredients that are unsafe.

There are other terms used to market pills and potions which also demand some clarity. For example, despite claims, chelated products are no better absorbed than non-chelated products. Both break down as soon as they hit the acid rich stomach and both are absorbed at the same rate.

Time released vitamins and other supplements have no advantage over those that release all at once. There is no optimal time to absorb nutrients and having it slowly available through the day is of little value.

Instead of looking for these fancy terms, look for the "USP" designation on a product label. This indicates that the product meets five quality standards set by the U. S. Pharmacopoeia for vitamin, mineral, botanical and herbal supplements:

• 1. disintegration
• 2. dissolution
• 3. potency
• 4. purity
• 5. expiration date

If you want to be safe rather than sorry don't buy products produced outside the U. S. where you can be assured they haven't been adulterated with pesticides or other chemicals you don't need. And, last but not least, don't be swayed by products that advertise "laboratory tested" or "quality assured." This means little without a USP okay.

If you take a supplement and want to improve absorbability take it with food. Better yet, go for the food itself.