Oh Good Lord…<\/p>\n
When it comes to supps and functional foods, I try to keep an eye on the industry side of things, as well as the consumer side.\u00a0 So, I get trade publications and newsletters dropped in my inbox on a regular basis.\u00a0 That way, I get the latest news on ingredients and marketing trends.\u00a0 It’s interesting stuff…to me, at any rate.<\/p>\n
So yesterday, I tuned in to the latest from “Natural Products Insider”<\/a>…and saw red…<\/p>\n Educating Female Shoppers About Immunity & Detox (It\u2019s a Woman Thing … But Do They Understand?)<\/strong><\/p>\n Helping female shoppers grasp the connection between detoxification and immune health.<\/strong><\/p>\n by Steve French, Managing Partner Whoa…talk about a patronizing title!\u00a0 And the rest of the article wasn’t much better.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With their increasingly demanding lifestyles, women today simply can\u2019t afford to get sick. Yet, seemingly unbeknownst to many women, poor diet, stress, aging and environmental pollutants are a few of the many factors fighting against them, impairing their immune system and causing inflammation, one of the leading causes of poor health.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Oh, I dunno about that Steve.\u00a0 I think women are smart enough to make the connection between poor diet\/stress\/aging\u00a0and poor health.\u00a0 We don’t need your help on that one.<\/p>\n In addition, it seems to me this is\u00a0really a\u00a0“people problem” – not a “women’s problem.”\u00a0 Last I heard, men\u00a0may also\u00a0have “demanding lifestyles” and “can’t afford to get sick.”\u00a0 So is Steve suggesting we’re more fragile or susceptible than men?\u00a0<\/p>\n Or\u00a0 more suggestible, perhaps… \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n While more women are getting the message about the importance of detoxification in boosting immunity and thereby reducing inflammation, gaps still exist. More than three-quarters (82 percent) of women are aware of the term \u201cdetoxification,\u201d up from about two-thirds (69 percent) in 2002. However, only four in 10 women look for ways to detoxify their body to improve their overall health. While the desire to detoxify the body spans a woman\u2019s lifetime, the youngest generation, Gen Y, shows higher inclination to search for ways to do so.<\/em><\/p>\n …Two lifestyle factors\u2014lack of sleep and stress\u2014play a large role in diminished immunity. While women may report low immune problems, they are far more likely to understand the effects of these two factors on inflammation within the body and, more importantly, on their overall health. Approximately one-third of women feel the amount of stress in their life and their lack of sleep is causing increased inflammation in their body.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ummm…Steve, honey?\u00a0 How about some medical data here?\u00a0 So some women (responding to a leading survey question)\u00a0“feel” that stress\/lack of sleep is causing increased inflammation? How does\u00a0that “feeling”\u00a0correlate to actual clinical measures of inflammation?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n He doesn’t even explain what he means by the term, “detoxification,”\u00a0 for crying out loud,\u00a0let alone\u00a0how it relates to inflammation or improved immunity.<\/p>\n And don’t you think that maybe the best cure for “stress” and “lack of sleep” might be “relaxation” and “more sleep” vs. detox products?<\/p>\n Just askin’…<\/p>\n As the article proceeds, it’s clear\u00a0Steve thinks highly of probiotics.\u00a0 Ok, so do I.\u00a0 And certainly, probiotics can do good things for gut health and immunity<\/a>.\u00a0 But I’m still fuzzy on the “detoxification” claim here…where’s the data that shows probiotic supplements will help\u00a0mitigate\u00a0 the effects of \u00a0“…poor diet, stress, aging and environmental pollutants<\/em>” that were cited at the beginning of his spiel?<\/p>\n But, of course, it’s the closing para that gives the game away:<\/p>\n Immune health, vitality positioning, detoxification and anti-inflammation are fast-emerging as key drivers in the health and wellness marketplace prompting the rise of targeted functional and fortified foods, \u201cdetoxifying\u201d spa programs, heavy metal, liver and kidney cleanses, and dietary supplement regimens to address these issues. Major companies channeling resources and efforts into this area can be proactive in meeting these new health challenges. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
\n01\/30\/2009<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n