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Now Foods - Dr. Recommended
Dr. James Balch, MD
Health Counselor & co-Author of Besting Prescription for Nutritional Healing Book.

Dr. Balch Speaks
I first came into contact with the NOW company in the mid 1980's when our family health food store, Good Things Naturally in Greenfield, IN, stocked their product. As the NOW company grew to be a sizable concern, it also grew in my mind as a brand that I could trust and recommend. The more I came into contact with NOW products and NOW employees, the more comfortable I came to feel about the company. While I continue to recommend a variety of supplement companies, I have discovered that NOW is worthy of my trust.

Trust
Honesty
Principled
Quality
Research
Price

Trust
To me trust is not a virtue that can be assumed. The lack of government regulation in the vitamin industry means that consumers must rely on the honesty and integrity of the manufacturer. Having come to know Elwood Richard and the other principals at NOW, I'm confident that my trust is well placed and deserved.

Honesty
Two things stand out to me in NOW's literature. First - "Honesty is our best policy." We're not perfect,, but if it's not right, we'll make it right." That statement really does come across in the employees at NOW They've been in our industry since 1968 and have no plans to sell out or go public.

Principled
Second - "Christian Principled" is a term that attracted my attention to NOW It is rare to see such a statement in any business today, and especially so among large companies. I appreciate it.

Quality, Research, Price
But I really recommend NOW for these important reasons:
1) Quality control is key,
2) Research is reflected in products, and
3) Their prices are reasonable.

Quality Control is Key
No issue is more important than quality. I believe that quality products can only be attained by quality people using quality ingredients within quality processes. Anything less is certain to show itself in time.

1998 is NOW's 30th Anniversary. The reality is that NOW has stood the test of time. I've seen NOW consistently produce quality products while making improvements whenever possible. I like the fact that NOW is an active supporter of several quality associations. The natural Vitamin E Association, NNFA's TruLabel program and the American Herbal Products Association stand out as a few.

I also like the fact that Elwood and his brother Louis have been actively involved in industry standards for 25 years and helped to organize NNFA labeling standards in 1972. Quality people interacting with quality associations regarding quality products.

There are many more reasons why I like NOW's quality controls. They test in-house many ubiquitous nutrients using high performance liquid chromatography and other analytical techniques. NOW uses a number of well-known outside labs that specialize in specific high-tech analysis.

NOW also encapsulates and markets a range of trademarked products that are exclusively produced by a single company to exacting standards. Product names like Pycnogenol®, Ester-C®, ChromeMate®, Pure-Gar®, Citrin®, Boswellin®, SuperCitriMax® and MaxEPA® assure the highest quality available.

Research is Reflected in Products
As a physician with a keen interest in nutritional research, I appreciate the efforts NOW expends researching new products. Too many new companies are jumping on the bandwagon for the latest nutritional cures that reach the media. NOW has an internal Standards Committee of three Certified Nutritionists that acts as a watchdog for the company.

NOW has remained one of the very few supplement companies NOT wanting to sell widely popular DHEA and pregnenolone hormone supplements until more evidence indicates their safety and efficacy. I appreciate this conservative caution that puts public safety first.

Recently, NOW updated its Saw Palmetto Complex to include Stinging Nettle Root Extract, Lycopene and standardized Pygeum. The new name "Prostate Support" interested me especially since I am a urologist and have reviewed recent prostate research. Upon reviewing the new formula, I discovered that recent European research is certain to make standardized Stinging Nettle another known "prostate herb. I plan to continue to review future new NOW formulations and suggest improvements as needed.

Price is Reasonable
Like most consumers, I insist on superior quality supplements as an overwhelming priority. The lowest priced vitamins would be worthless if they are mislabeled, low potency or ineffective. Having established that NOW products are among the highest quality, I believe it makes sense to recommend NOW because of its low prices. I simply could not recommend an identical trademarked product that costs 30-40% more. It's the same with prescriptions for my patients. I feel a responsibility to suggest generic brands that have been proven to be effective. Of course NOW is really no longer a generic brand.

Awards
NOW CoQ10, Ginkgo, Grape Seed Extract, Heart Support Formula, Herbal Allergy, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Shark Cartilage were each determined to be the best selling brand in health food stores in a recent survey (1999 VITY Awards).

NOW has established an identity for disproving the saying "you get what you pay for." With NOW, I'm confident that consumers obtain the absolute best value for a full line U.S. supplement company. Their industry best growth rate over the past ten years speaks for itself. I wholeheartedly recommend NOW for their line of natural food products. They can be trusted.

Dr. James Balch, MD
Health Counselor & co-author of Bestselling Book "Prescription to Nutritional Healing"

Information and comments presented at our site and any promotional or other materials presented by Living Well Natural Foods or www.thebook.com/livewell is intended for educational purposes only: statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, cure, or suggest treatment for any illness or condition.