If you’re familiar with this website and you’ve taken the time to look through some of the supplement solutions we provide, you’ll have noticed, no doubt, that we only sell organic supplements – that is, products that comprise vitamins and minerals in their naturally-occurring states. We do not and never will advocate the use of synthetic vitamins or the supplements that contain them; certainly not over organic supplements with their natural vitamins.

But, you may ask, why is this? What’s so special about going the organic route? Why are natural vitamins so much better for you than their synthetic counterparts? Well, first of all, perhaps you should consider why it’s so critical we consume a comprehensive and large helping of vitamins on a daily basis; consider what’s so important about vitamins in the first place./span>

Put simply, if our bodies aren’t provided with an adequate amount of vitamins on a consistent basis, they simply don’t function properly. If we’re deficient in the vitamins we need, we can experience problems and even suffer from chronic illnesses – everything from obesity to anorexia; depression and fatigue to organ malfunction. Ideally, we should get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our diets – and our diets ought to contain as natural, organic and healthily vitamin- and nutrient-rich food as possible; the sort our ancestors would have eaten. That is, foods without a synthetic ingredient in them at all. Nowadays, though, owing to our hectic lives, exactly what foods we can regularly buy and modern farming techniques, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get all the natural vitamins our bodies require from diet alone, so supplements specifically containing organic vitamins – and not synthetic supplements – have to be the answer.

Synthetic vitamins vs natural vitamins

Unlike the natural vitamins in organic supplements then, their synthetic versions are manufactured via the mixing of chemicals with a vitamin; thus, they don’t come directly from a plant-based, natural source but are created in a test tube to more or less mimic natural vitamins. However, because these ‘unnatural’ versions have been isolated to be mixed into a synthetic compound, they don’t – and simply can’t – fully mimic naturally-occurring vitamins because they lack all the features of the latter, including the co-factors and transporters (natural chemicals that ensure the natural vitamin is, following consumption, transported effectively from the digestive system to where it needs to go in the body).

Indeed, according to research validated by the Organic Consumers Association, synthetic vitamins simply can’t be classed alongside naturally-occurring vitamins as the body isn’t able to recognise them and so can’t use them in the same way1. They’re simply not as good for the body. Natural vitamins – because of the way in which they’re consumed (in healthy food or organic supplements) – are delivered to the body alongside other complementary vitamins, minerals and enzymes specifically because, in this format, the vitamins can be recognised, metabolised and absorbed by the body to aid its overall function and health.

Conversely then, it’s too often the case that isolated, synthetic vitamins have to be stored in the body before it obtains – or creates – the nutrients and enzymes necessary to get out any of the goodness these synthetic vitamins contain. Or worse, the body has to rely on its own store of trace minerals for this job; thus diminishing its mineral reserves and perhaps contributing to potential mineral deficiencies.

The dangers of synthetic vitamins

So then, far from doing you good, synthetic vitamins are sometimes liable to do your body harm. A good example to consider is the synthetic version of Vitamin E. The most common naturally-occurring form of this vitamin in Europe is d-alpha tocopheral (found in sunflower oils and olive oils), while its synthetic form is what’s referred to as dl-alpha tocopheral. Not only is this latter less bioavailable and about only half as potent than the former, it’s also created by blending the natural version (the ‘d-form’) with other chemical ingredients (which make up the ‘l-form’). Sure, that may sound rudimentary, yet when you learn that the latter ‘l-form’ has to be separated from the ‘d-form’ once it’s in the body and then excreted via the digestive system, you have to ponder on whether it might harm the body? After all, why else would the body reject it and eject it through excretion?

Additionally, Vitamin E – along with Vitamins A, D and K – is a fat soluble vitamin. Needless to say, this means they’re soluble in fats (lipids), which isn’t a big deal if you consume them naturally through a healthy, balanced diet or via organic supplements, as you won’t consume too high a level of them in one go, preventing them from collecting and building up in the body’s fatty tissues. Consuming synthetic versions of fat soluble vitamins is a different matter, though, because – as they’ve been scientifically-created – they tend to be more concentrated; in other words, you get more bang for your buck. This means the fatty tissues can fill up with them quicker and toxicity becomes a genuine danger.

How to tell the difference?

Unfortunately, knowing for sure whether you’re about to purchase or consume a natural or a synthetic vitamin isn’t always that straightforward. Why? Because too many synthetic vitamin-producing companies like to suggest their creations are more natural than they are – or even like to suggest they’re totally natural. Like it or not, many ‘unnatural’ vitamins tend to be labelled and sold as natural even if they contain as little as 10% of the genuine naturally-occurring form of a vitamin; 90% of them is made up then of synthetic, laboratory-added ingredients.

So, to avoid purchasing a synthetic vitamin by mistake, it’s important to check the product’s label for its ingredients; this should offer tell-tale signs of its ‘artificial’ nature. Ingredients in supplements to steer clear of include:

• Aminobenzoic acid (in para-aminobenzoic acid or PABA)
• Ascorbic acid (in Vitamin C supplements)
• Choline chloride/ choline bitartrate (in choline supplements)
• dl-alpha tocopherol and dl-alpha tocopherol acetate/ succinate (in Vitamin E supplements)
• Cyanocobalamin (in Vitamin B12 supplements)
• Calcium d-pantothenate (in pantothenic acid)
• Irradiated ergosteral/ calciferol (in Vitamin D supplements)
• Magnesium stearate (or stearic acid)
• Monosodium glutamate (used for flavouring)
• Pteroylglutamic acid (in folic acid)
• Retinyl palmitate (in Vitamin A supplements)
• Pyridoxine hydrochloride (in Vitamin B6 supplements)
• Riboflavin (in Vitamin B2 supplements)
• Thiamine mononitrate/ thiamine hydrochloride (in Vitamin B1 supplements)
• Titanium dioxide (it’s carcinogenic!).

Go organic for natural vitamins

As noted above then, should you find your natural vitamin-intake limited through diet alone (because of pre-existing health issues, food availability or modern farming practices), you should turn to organic supplements. And, among the huge number of naturally-derived nutrient-rich supplements available through us at The Finchley Clinic, the following are highly recommended for their multivitamin composition:

Methyl Multinutrient – a superior, powerful multivitamin, mineral and antioxidant complex, this supplement’s designed to provide many nutrients in their metabolically active, bioavailable forms.

One-a-Day Multivitamin & Minerals – a potent multinutrient product, providing a broad range of natural nutrients in readily absorbable forms (including Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D2 and many more).

FemForte Multi – specifically suited to the nutrient requirements of women, this supplement comprises high ratios of female health-enriching vitamins and minerals; the likes of Vitamins E, B6 and B5, as well as magnesium, zinc and green tea.

Reference:

Clement B. ‘Nutri-Con: The Truth About Vitamins & Supplements’ (‘The Vitamin Myth Exposed’). Organic Consumers Association. https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/nutri-con-truth-about-vitamins-supplements. December 2006.

We may all think we know what diarrhoea is, but do we? And do we know what causes it, what suffering from it could mean and how dangerous it actually could be?

Generally speaking, diarrhoea tends to refer to the frequent passing of stool that’s of a liquid consistency. Pretty much everybody at some stage is likely to suffer from it, ensuring it affects people of all ages – from children through to the elderly. In most cases, it tends to clear up in a few days and not prove a cause for concern; thus, this is what’s usually referred to as short-term or acute diarrhoea. It’s long-term or chronic diarrhoea then that people should be worried about; if it goes on for more than three weeks it’s more than likely to be symptomatic of a serious bowel function issue.

Diarrhoea causes

Diarrhoea can occur due to a number of different reasons – some more serious than others. Therefore, some cause the acute kind of diarrhoea; others the chronic version:

• Bacterial infections – usually ingested due to contaminated food or water, they include salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli), shigella and campylobacter

• Viral infections – diarrhoea’s often a symptom of the likes of hepatitis, rotavirus, Cytomegalovirus and Norwalk, as well as simplex and herpes viruses

• Food intolerances – lactose (milk and dairy-based food) intolerance is the obvious example here, but intolerances to food colouring and other additives are also common

• Parasites – can be ingested via food and often via water; they include Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia

• Bowel conditions – irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Celiac disease often result in diarrhoea

• Medications – on occasions, the likes of antibiotics and antacids, as well as some blood pressure treatments can set off diarrhoea.

When does diarrhoea occur – and for whom?

As established, in most scenarios and for most people, diarrhoea tends to be symptomatic of something else and isn’t usually health-threatening in itself. But that’s not always the case. For the young and the elderly it can be potentially dangerous – and that’s because it’s directly connected with dehydration. Essentially, what happens when you experience diarrhoea is the body uses up a large amount of fluid, which the rest of the body needs to function effectively and correctly.

As children’s bodies are still developing and those of the elderly tend to be weaker and in more advanced decline compared to those in the prime of life and health, significant dehydration can be hazardous for these two age groups. Indeed, in children, diarrhoea (usually caused by rotavirus) commonly fades by its eighth day at most, but a parent’s nonetheless advised to seek medical advice after 24 hours – indeed, in new-borns it may even prove fatal if they’re not rehydrated quickly enough.

All that said, those of all ages ought to be wary of long-term symptoms, of course. If it’s gone on in excess of 72 hours, if it’s accompanied by severe abdominal and/ or rectal pain and if you have a fever (higher than 102°F), it would be a very good idea to see a doctor.

Food and travel advice

If you’re already suffering from diarrhoea:

• Avoid fibre-based, greasy and mostly sweet foods

• It’s probably best to cut out dairy products too

• If the diarrhoea symptoms are particularly strong, you may want to opt for fluids only, returning to soft foods (plain rice and bananas, for instance) in time

When traveling overseas, there’s a good chance you’ll find one or more foods simply don’t ‘agree’ with your digestive system. In this case, there’s not a lot you can do if you’re trying and experimenting with local cuisine. However, to try to prevent catching infections and viruses, you should try to:

• Avoid drinking tap water, don’t add it to tea and coffee and don’t use it to brush your teeth

• Avoid buying and consuming food from street vendors

• Drink bottled water but only if the bottle’s seal hasn’t been broken

• Only add pasteurised milk to hot drinks

Diarrhoea supplements

When you’re suffering from diarrhoea or if you’re someone who’s susceptible to suffering from it at all regularly, it’s natural to want to rely on – or at least try – something that helps alleviate the symptoms, or even prevent it developing in the first place. So, you may be interested in the following diarrhoea supplements and probiotics available via us at The Finchley Clinic:

Saccharomyches boulardii (formerly OptiBac Probiotics for bowel calm) – a globally renowned probiotic that naturally helps control bowel function during diarrhoea episodes and bring under control Candida and other fungal overgrowths.

BioKult – great for intestinal balance and integrity, but especially for sufferers of post-antibiotic diarrhoea, IBS, gut dysbiosis, Candida and ‘traveller’s tummy’; combines very well with and enhances Threelac.

OptiBac Probiotics for children & babies – an ideal blend of probiotics and prebiotics for women during pregnancy, babies and children; specifically containing acidophilus, Bifidobacterium infantis and bifidum.

Toxins. Everybody’s heard of them, but how many of us are actually familiar with them? How many of us really know what they are, where they come from and just how many of them may be inside our bodies and doing us harm? If you’re unfamiliar with the topic of toxic chemicals and ‘heavy metals’, you might want to read on…

Toxins derived from food

Unfortunately, research suggests a good deal of the toxins that get into our bodies do so because we consume them in what we eat and drink. For instance, it’s worryingly common for industrial contaminants (the likes of dioxins, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs) and naturally-occurring contaminants (say, the bacterial Escherichia coli or E. coli and the fungi-derived aflatoxin) to find their way into our food.

By way of example then, although it’s eaten daily by billions of people around the globe, white bread contains chemicals that surely nobody would otherwise willingly put through their digestive and other bodily systems, what with the likes of chlorine, acetone peroxide, benzoyl peroxide and nitrogen dioxide all being used as regular oxidising agents in white bread’s flour. Meanwhile, like it or not, humble old table salt is often criticised by experts for its toxic effects on the body – so much so, in fact, the US nutritional organisation The Centre for Science in the Public Interest once referred to salt as ‘the single deadliest ingredient in the food supply’¹.

And worth considering too is that in the United States ‘good’ gut bacteria-killing antibiotics are used (and therefore fed to) livestock as many as eight times more than they’re used to inoculate humans against disease². This means that in that in the US alone, should you try to avoid antibiotics – because, among other things, they do no good at all for maintaining the all-important gut flora in your intestines – it’s still likely you’ll be consuming the chemicals they contain should you eat meat and drink milk.

Plus, like it or not, vegetarians don’t get off scot-free here because, beverage-wise, studies suggest as much as 70% of the coffee produced around the world features toxic pesticides – apparently just one cup could well contain in excess of 2,000 different gastrointestinal (and potentially carcinogenic) irritants. Something to consider the next time you think of stepping into that high-street coffee shop?

Toxins derived from elsewhere

As you may have guessed by now, the number of harmful toxins – chemicals and dangerous ‘heavy metals’ – that find their way into our bodies is pretty staggering. And it’s not just because they’re present in so much of the food and drink we buy and consume, but also all around us in our everyday environments.

For example, it’s often said that young children ought not to be mollycoddled in terms of the cleanliness of their environments so their immune systems develop normally and can work effectively in later life; however it’s also important to be aware of the facts here. Research has found that crawling about on a normal home’s floor will expose a baby to the likes of dust mites, mould and mildew – fair dos, you might say; yet this accounts for daily contamination in the infant’s lungs equivalent to four cigarettes³.

And speaking of looking after children, a study published in 2011 found that 10% of women of childbearing age possess a worryingly large amount of mercury in their bodies – it even concluded that some of them may have ‘potentially hazardous levels’ of the metal in their bloodstream³. Meanwhile, nowadays you’ll find another potentially dangerous chemical, fluoride, present in everything from infant formulas to toothpaste and mouthwash to bottled water even. Is fluoride really that hazardous? Well, one scientific study suggests that, once in the body, it can act as an endocrine disruptor that negatively affects the bones, the brain and the thyroid and pineal glands, as well as your blood sugar levels⁴.

And finally, there’s no question that, given so many of us spend so many hours in homes, offices and travel compartments installed with air conditioning, we should be aware of how potentially harmful today’s indoor environments can be. Believe it or not, a 1992 study discovered that indoor air pollution accounts for 1.6 million deaths annually (one loss of life every 20 seconds); the direct causes for these deaths being chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer and pneumonia⁵. Now that’s surely something to make you think!

Toxin cleanse via supplements

Happily, however, it’s not all bad news on the toxin front. The modern lives we lead may expose us to wanton levels of toxic chemicals and ‘heavy metals’, but that’s not to say we can’t do anything about it. In addition to trying to ensure your diet is as natural and organic as possible (thus free of processed foods with all their potentially harmful, unnatural chemicals), you can easily perform a regular toxin removal via toxin cleanse supplements. Indeed, you’ll find the following three products – among many more – available on our website here at The Finchley Clinic. Why not check them out and discover just how much good they can do you…!

ORËÁ – a natural toxin remover that aids the elimination of the likes of lead, mercury, arsenic, biotoxins and solvents from the blood, organs, glands and cellular tissue.

Green Magma (Barley Grass Powder) – an organic extract of young green barley juice; regular use of this product could well improve digestion, increase energy and aid detoxification.

Crystal Energy – a detoxification supplement that ensures the toxins in your body are rendered harmless and then effectively and naturally removed.

References:

1. Jacobson M. F. ‘Press conference on salt: the forgotten killer’. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Feb 2005.

2. Epstein S. S. ‘Potential public health hazards of biosynthetic milk hormones’. Int. J. Health Serv. 1990 20 (1): 73-84. Erratum in: Int. J. Health Serv. 1991 21 (2): 373.

3. ‘Blood and hair mercury levels in young children and women of childbearing age’. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. March 2001. 50 (08) 140-3.

4. ‘National Research Council Findings’. Fluoride Alert. http://fluoridealert.org/researchers/nrc/findings/. 2006.

5. Morris R. D., Audet A. M., Angelillo I. F., Chalmers T. C. and Mosteller F. ‘Chlorination, chlorination by-products, and cancer: a meta-analysis’. American Journal of Public Health. July 1992. Vol. 82 No. 7 pp. 955-963.

We’ll be open almost up to Christmas, and if you want to order before we close here are the deadlines:

• The last date for guaranteed (courier) UK delivery before Christmas is Thursday 22nd December. This is also the last date for orders to be shipped internationally by courier (usually 3-4 working days).
• The last date for 1st and 2nd class Royal Mail shipping before Christmas (but delivery before Christmas is NOT guaranteed) is 10am on Friday 23rd December. This is also the cut off time for orders being shipped by Air Mail (delivery time is usually about 5 -10 working days).

Products to prevent colds and flu’s over the holiday season

There are loads of choices here. It may be hard to decide which one to use, but using one or more works, whereas being lazy or indecisive and not using any of them as a result, does not. Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve got.

1) All of our liquid oxygen products are anti-viral. As for which one is the “best” one in this category, well that’s almost impossible to say. Basically, they all work.
2) All Vitamin C products boost immunity, and combat viral infection and pretty much all infectious disease. Our best selling one, which is also excellent value for money is Tapioca Vitamin C (formerly Ultra Pure Vitamin C) 1000mg 90 caps – and I take this product myself.
3) Zinc (our favourite one is Zinc Ascorbate) and Selenium (more or less any of them) also help tremendously in preventing viral replication
4) We provide a number of antioxidant products which combine Vitamin C, Zinc, Selenium and other important antioxidants as an all-in-one product. They are all quite similar, but based both on value for money, and the actual balance of the nutrients provided, we think that Antioxidant Supreme which I take myself is the best one. My own mentor used to say (repeatedly!) that everyone who wants to optimise their health should take this or something similar, long term. The only important vitamin antioxidant that’s missing from this product, and for some reason most similar ones is…
4) Vitamin D, which close to 100% of people are deficient in during the winter is highly supportive to immunity, whereas being deficient is highly unsupportive (there is also overwhelming evidence that people who are chronically and long term low in this vitamin are statistically more likely both to get cancer, and if they do get end up with this awful illness, less likely to thrive and recover). Of the Vitamin D products we provide, we think this is the best one and is the one I personally use (although almost any Vitamin D product would be better than nothing), and is beneficial for almost everyone.
6) Herbs. We sell a lot of Anti-Viral herbs. Our top choices would include Pau D’Arco (also known as Lapacho), Samento (a more powerful form of Cat’s Claw), Barberry (which has similar properties to Golden Seal), and Olive leaf extract.
7) Support your adrenal glands. Cutting a long story short: Strong adrenals = strong immunity. Weak adrenals = low immunity. Our top choices from this category are Licorice Formula (or the more gentle Licorice Formula A for sensitive individuals), and Adrenal Support.
8) Keep your colon clean and well oxygenated. As Dr Edward Group of Global Healing Center puts it, “Regular intestinal cleansing with an oxygen based colon cleanser like Oxy-Powder can support your immune system by providing a balanced, clean environment for probiotic bacteria to thrive. The positive benefits of intestinal cleansing with Oxy-Powder are enhanced when it’s paired with a good probiotic supplement.”
9) And finally, as stated above, consider probiotics.

So that’s the quick ABC of keeping health and vibrant over Christmas. Have a Happy Christmas or Chanukah if you celebrate these festivals, and if you don’t just have a fun relaxing break!

Mark G. Lester
Director and boss (not that my staff agree) – The Finchley Clinic Ltd
www.thefinchleyclinic.com

Customers always hate it and complain bitterly when we raise our prices. And believe it or not, we hate raising them too. Unfortunately though, as much we didn’t want to do it, we have had to raise the prices of many of our imported items over the last month, as existing stocks ran out, due to the terrible fall of the £ against the US$ and Euro.

There has already been an Oxy-Powder price rise to £42.99. Sadly, the ones that have NOT gone up in price, will too, and without notice. We do not tell people in advance to some degree because we don’t want panic buying to occur, but mostly because we only decide to raise them when we have no other choice, and when we get to the stage of having to, it is done with immediate effect. However I am willing to share with you that of the products where we have not already increased the price, it is almost inevitable that over the next few weeks, we will have to increase the cost of all the Oxygen based Colon Cleansers, (except Oxy-Powder, which has gone up already) as well as most products from Global Health Trax, and Global Healing Center (except Oxy-Powder).

The situation will not be any better if you go elsewhere, for example if you try to go straight to the suppliers, as by the time you have paid for shipping to the UK, VAT, import duty, customs brokerage charges, and further VAT on both the duty and the shipping costs, we can pretty much guarantee it will cost you a lot more. You will also get a very poor exchange rate compared with the mid-market rates that you see on the TV or currency web sites. Customers do sometimes try to bypass us, and they always come back to us the next time regretting doing so, after paying a lot more than they anticipated, and waiting up to a month to get the goods.

With the products we source from the UK, even there, many of the raw materials come from abroad, so we anticipate that the suppliers will soon increase their prices, which means we will then reluctantly have to raise our own.

All we can say about this is sorry, and we promise not to raise prices that don’t need to be raised.

From all of the team

Mark, Rachel, Sarah and Tony

(Yes we do only consist of four staff, and we don’t seek to be one of the countless organisations that just sell any old tat they can make a profit on, without knowing anything about the products. The reason we seem bigger to some people is partly because we outsource the social media, but mostly because we all work so hard!).

We’ll keep this one brief. We’ve got up to 70% off on a number of clearance items (due to short expiry dates) in our summer sale. The full list is found here. Most of these products are being sold at cost price, and in some cases significantly below cost price! We urge you to view the sales page now, as once they’re gone, they’re gone.

​The sale items include multivitamin supplements, probiotics, psyllium husks (i.e constipation relief), children’s products, and more.

​

A couple of the highlights of the sale include : –

Kidslac 35% Off   – Pleasant tasting childrens probiotic (though we know a few grown ups take it too!) – Just 19 boxes available at the time of writing

Antioxidant Supreme 35% Off – Just 7 boxes available at the time of writing. This is the director’s personal favourite wide spectrum probiotic formulation (out of several similar products we provide), designed for long term usage, and the one he uses to oppose free radical activity and aging. He believes that everyone seeking optimal general health or looking at it more negatively, illness (of almost any kind) prevention should take a product of this kind.

Please note if you visit the page, and either of these products are not there, it means they’ve already been snapped up, though you can of course still purchase them at the regular price.

​Price rises

On a sadder note, it’s looking increasingly inevitable that a few product prices will have to go up when our current stock runs out. This is largely because we purchase a lot of our products in US$. We have had the poor performance of the £ against the $ over the last 2 months, although in truth, the £ had slipped quite a bit even before that compared with the same time a year ago – even after the Brexit vote. Also, our shipping costs have gone up tremendously over the last year or so. We don’t fully understand this, bearing in mind the fact that petrol and oil prices are currently very low, but this is what has been occurring nonetheless. We will not raise prices if we don’t have to, especially as we urged customers to vote for Brexit in order to get our health freedoms back again, which have been disgracefully stolen from our customers over the last ten years.But on the other hand, we will not put ourselves out of business, and have to trade with some profit.

​The Finchley Clinic Team

www.thefinchleyclinic.com