Carlotta Mast

Former executive director of the Natural Products Association’s China office, Jeff Crowther is founder and executive director of a new trade group called the U.S.-China Health Products Association (U.S.-China HPA).

Many fish oil supplements come from China, and two leading supplement trade organizations are considering asking their members to provide country-of-origin labeling on their fish oil products.

The U.S. organic industry scored a victory this month in its campaign to educate consumers on why organic products are worth their often premium price.

Here are five steps to finding the right supplements and trustworthy brands, plus information on how the FDA regulates supplements.

Dietary supplements for fitness and sports performance can be used to increase energy and stamina, build muscle mass or aid in muscle recovery following athletic activity.

Whole, unrefined grains are clinically proven to reduce risk for a wide spectrum of disease states.

American consumers are increasingly interested both in prevention and in natural healing modalities.

Natural oral care ingredients include baking soda, xylitol, neem, silica, aloe, and vitamins A, C, and E.

When people start to make healthy choices for themselves, thinking about their pets is a natural extension; after all, most pets are considered part of the family. Pet products now make up a multi-billion dollar segment of the natural products industry, with pet supplements alone accounting for $1.4 billion in 2008 (a 7.4 percent growth over the previous year—faster than the sales of human supplements). According to a 2008 study, dogs’ and cats’ toxic loads from food and the environment rival and often exceed those of their human companions, so there’s ample incentive to provide consumers with research-backed, natural care options to maintain and extend their pets’ health and well-being.

Holistic pet products include natural and organic dog and cat foods; pet shampoos free of artificial ingredients (and including beneficial ingredients such as green tea extract for a healthy coat and herbs to repel fleas); functional pet treats that benefit skin, coat, heart health, and weight management for pets; durable, eco-friendly toys; homeopathic remedies for anxiety, rashes, and digestive problems; and pet supplements, including antiaging antioxidants vitamins E and C, fish oil for inflammation, glucosamine and boswellia for joint health, and Chinese herbs for overall health.