I have been in this industry an embarrassingly long time. I have seen a lot of things, some good, some bad, some appalling bad, and some criminal.

Recently, I spent some time coming up with a pithy list of things I would tell my parents about buying supplements, if they actually were inclined to listen to me 🙂

I call them the nine commandments, and here they are:

Commandment 1: It’s all about the brand
What’s the difference between supplement brands? Not much… unless you care about quality, potency, and safety. Nature’s Sunshine’s longevity and reputation matter. Meanwhile, that fly-by-night Amazon brand with a weird jumble of vowels for a name could (and probably will) disappear tomorrow.

Commandment 2: Online reviews are unreliable
Here’s a dirty secret: Brands control which reviews get published, and which get unceremoniously escorted to the great garbage can in the sky. That 5-star rave about so-and-so’s ashwagandha might well have been posted by the brand itself.

Commandment 3: Ancient remedies are often just nutty
Please, no more carnivore diets or perineal sunning. Ancient remedies are ancient for a reason. The reason? They don’t work and we’ve found better options based on cold, hard facts.

Commandment 4: New, innovative products are usually neither new nor innovative
You will save yourself a lot of money if you realize that 99% of the brands on the internet claiming to be different and innovative are neither. They are using the same ingredients as their competitors. All they do is slap a new cool label on it.

Commandment 5: The science is what matters
Most companies sell products based on historical myths, great stories, fancy packaging, and clever marketing. The companies you want to buy from sell products based on hard, cold facts that come to us from the scientific process.

Commandment 6: All health “experts” are not experts
In the age of TikTok, SnapChat, and other apps we’re too old to know about, there’s more information available than ever before.

That’s great for sharing cat memes and vacation videos, but it also means anyone with a pulse can shill supplements — even if they’ve got no idea what they’re talking about. Don’t trust beautiful strangers who are pretending not to sell you stuff.

Commandment 7: Labels should tell the full story
Be wary of labels that do not disclose enough information. We are not anti-proprietary blends, but ideally, labels should disclose exactly what is going on in products. That has not been the way it has always been to be honest, but this is an area in which the industry has evolved in a good way. We appreciate that Nature’s Sunshine is moving more and more in that direction.

Commandment 8: Good professionals know more than crazy relatives
We all have that one aunt who swears by the tea she makes from that weird spiky herb growing on her windowsill. If she is helped by that, great; however, it does not mean it will work for you. While we’re sure Aunt Lizzie’s concoction is delicious, you’ll get more out of consulting a professional such as our own Dr. Shannyn.

Commandment 9: Just because you can swallow lots of pills doesn’t mean you should
There are plenty of people taking 10, 15, even 30 supplements a day. Some of those supplements do the same thing. Some do nothing at all. We’ve met way too many customers taking a supplement without knowing why or even who told them to take it. If you can’t justify every capsule on your counter, don’t put it in your mouth. More is not always better — not to mention more means more money out of your pocket.

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A new study looked at what happens when people stop using the internet on their phones for a few weeks. Researchers worked with 267 adults (average age 32) who blocked internet access on their smartphones for 2-4 weeks. They could still make calls and send texts, but couldn’t browse the web or use social media on their phones.

The results showed that taking a break from mobile internet helped people feel better mentally and improved their ability to focus. This suggests that for some people, cutting back on phone use might be a simple way to boost their well-being.

What the Study Found

• Less screen time: People used their phones 2-2.5 hours less each day
• Better mood: Participants felt happier and less stressed overall
• Improved mental health: Less depression, anxiety, and anger
• Better focus: People could concentrate better and pay attention longer
• More sleep: Participants got more rest when they weren’t using their phones late at night
• Healthier activities: People spent their extra time exercising, reading, and hanging out with friends in person

What This Means

When people stopped using the internet on their phones, they slept better and did more healthy activities like exercise and face-to-face socializing. These changes likely helped improve their mood and mental health.

The study also found that phone use might make it harder to focus, even when the phone isn’t around. This could be because constantly checking phones and social media overloads our brains with too much information.

However, it’s important to note that most people in the study already wanted to use their phones less, which may have made the benefits seem bigger. The research suggests that smartphones aren’t automatically bad for mental health – it depends on how we use them. For people struggling with mood or attention problems, limiting phone use (especially before bedtime) could be helpful as part of taking better care of their overall health.

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At Caring Sunshine, we sell supplements in many forms: tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids. In some cases, the same supplement is available in multiple forms.

Almost always, liquid supplements are going to cost more than non-liquid options. That is not because they are superior; the main reason they are more expensive is just because, due to water content, they are bigger and heavier. Bigger and heavier items are more expensive to bottle, label, store, and ship.

That being said, there are valid reasons to choose liquid options:

• Faster absorption and potentially higher bioavailability. Capsules and tablets have to break down in the digestive system, while liquids do not. If you need something in your system fast, liquid is the way to go. Liquids may also be more fully utilized by the body rather than passed through the gut unused in a partially digested capsule or tablet.
• Easier to swallow. If you are young, older, or just don’t like swallowing objects, liquid options have an obvious advantage.
• Dosage flexibility. It may be hard to chop up caplets and tablets, but adjusting the dose of a liquid is quite easy.
• Fewer fillers and possible irritants. While this situation is fairly rare, the capsule itself or other ingredients used as binders or fillers may irritate some people.

Here is our official Caring Sunshine position on this question. Unless any of the four reasons above apply to your situation, buy the less expensive option (which usually means the capsule or tablet).

Besides cost, the non-liquid option has other advantages. It does not usually need refrigeration, will last longer, is more portable, and has no taste. And, while you might want fast absorption of nutrients in some cases, generally, a slower release of nutrients into the body (sometimes called time release) is usually preferred. This happens naturally with most capsules and tablets.

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A new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that vitamin D supplementation could help slow certain mechanisms of biological aging by protecting telomeres—the protective caps at chromosome ends that naturally shorten with age.

Study Findings

Researchers analyzed data from 1,054 participants in the VITAL randomized controlled clinical trial, tracking females 55+ and males 50+ over five years. They measured telomere length in white blood cells at baseline, year two, and year four to assess the effects of vitamin D and omega-3 supplements.

The results showed that vitamin D3 supplements significantly reduced telomere shortening, preventing the equivalent of nearly three years of aging compared to placebo groups.

While more research is needed, this is exciting validation for vitamin D. And, of course, that is not all Vitamin D is useful for. Beyond aging research, vitamin D offers established health benefits. Recent studies indicate it may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve heart health, and reduce type 2 diabetes risk in people with pre-diabetes. It’s also essential for bone health and preventing osteoporosis.

Vitamin D Sources and Recommendations

Approximately 35% of Americans have vitamin D deficiency. The recommended daily intake ranges from 400-800 international units for most healthy adults.

Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is best obtained through sun exposure, as the body produces vitamin D3 from skin cholesterol when exposed to UV rays. Peak sun exposure occurs at noon, though excessive sunlight poses risks including sunburn and skin cancer.

Dietary sources include cod liver oil, cooked swordfish and salmon, canned tuna, beef liver, egg yolks, fortified milk, certain mushrooms, and cheese.

Alternative Aging Strategies

Keep in mind that you don’t need to focus just on Vitamin D when planning on how to age better. While the telomere research is promising, proven strategies for healthy aging include regular exercise, proper diet, stress management, adequate sleep, and avoiding harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol. These lifestyle changes not only preserve telomeres but broadly support healthy aging processes.

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A recent University of Oxford study followed 85,000 people wearing health trackable devices for six years. Here are some results:

• Walking 5,000 steps/day reduced the risk of cancer by 11%.
• Walking 7,000 steps/day reduced the risk of cancer by 16%.
• After 9,000 steps, the risk reduction plateaued.
• The pace of the walking did not affect these results.

The American Cancer Society says physical activity can help regulate some hormones that contribute to the development of cancer and help keep the immune system healthy. Regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of breast, prostate, colon, endometrium, and possibly pancreatic cancer.

The University of Oxford study looked at oesophageal, liver, lung, kidney, gastric, endometrial, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, colon, head and neck, rectal, bladder, and breast cancers. After six years, approximately 3 percent of participants developed one of those cancers.

I have talked about this topic before, but let me reiterate: there is nothing special about walking in itself. Here is why step-counting is so popular:

• Walking is movement, and movement is highly beneficial.
• Steps are easily measurable. What can be measured can be tracked. What is tracked can be improved.

If you don’t like steps, find another way to move. But just remember: a big key to better health is just to move regularly and move more.

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Many of our customers add supplements to their regimen over time; if not careful, those regimens get bulky and inefficient. If you think of a “hoarder” relative, but that is not a bad analogy that applies: some regimens start to resemble the house of a hoarder, full of too much unnecessary stuff, almost to the point of being dangerous.

I have noticed that some customers start to feel trapped by their regimen. They are taking a lot of stuff that has accumulated over time, and often don’t even know why they are taking some things. On the other hand, their health is working, so they are afraid to stop taking anything.

Some of you are nodding your heads at this point; I know that this hits close to home for many of our customers, and I want to help. Even if you end up buying less from Caring Sunshine, I want you to have a more efficient and cost-effective regimen.

Here are some steps to move in that direction:

• Make a list of every supplement you are taking.
• Go through that list one by one and ask yourself if you know why you are taking that supplement. What health condition or body system is it for? How do you know it helps that body system or health condition? Who told you it did, and how credible is that person?
• Look for duplication. Very often, you will find you have multiple products providing the same ingredients. While this duplication is typically not harmful, it is quite possibly not helpful either.
• Look for interactions. It is possible that you could have two products that work against each other. If you are on drugs as well, there is a risk of interaction there as well. We can help you with this analysis, by the way. Send an email to Dr. Shannyn.
• Start a log about your physical health, especially any markers/symptoms related to the supplements you take.
• If you have identified supplements that you 1) don’t know why you take, 2) are duplicating other supplements, or 3) may be interacting with other supplements/drugs, take a break from them one at a time.
• Monitor your markers/symptoms and see if anything changes. Give it time. If your health stays stable, remove that supplement from your regimen completely.

I wish I could say this is easy, but unfortunately, it’s not. It is a trial-and-error process that is time-consuming and often imprecise. However, it is also necessary if you want to maximize the effectiveness (and cost efficiency) of what you buy.

You are not alone in this.

Please let us help you. If we can help you trim down the supplements you purchase from us, that is more than OK. Take advantage of our free consultations with Dr. Shannyn Fowl.

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I have been in this business (selling nutritional supplements) for over 25 years.

Over the years, I have talked to thousands of our customers. I get the frustrations of buying supplements: the conflicting information from biased sources, the overwhelming number of options, the rising prices…

Then, when you factor in the complexity of health, with all its variables, making good decisions about what to use becomes almost unbearably hard. I know that.

What we hear from customers is tough sometimes. There are legitimate complaints about a lack of hard data and too many options (even within the Nature’s Sunshine line).

We sometimes hear from customers who are taking products, but don’t know why, and are scared to stop. We often notice customers who are overlapping products (which may waste money) or even taking products that may conflict with each other to an extent.

That is why our biggest initiative at Caring Sunshine for 2025 is helping you make better decisions about the supplements you buy. We want you to get optimal benefits at the best price.

To combat this complexity, here are some tools we have either already launched or will be launching within months:

• Our free ND consult program.
• Nutritional Supplement Audit. This is a new, expanded ND-related offering we will be launching soon. In a special consultation (which will cost a minimal amount of money), we will audit your supplement regimen for you to identify duplication/overlaps and deficiencies. Again, we want the supplements you take to work best and at the lowest price.
• Expanded product information. If you have not checked out our product pages lately, we encourage you to. Our search capabilities have been significantly updated as well. Want to find the least expensive vegetarian product at Caring Sunshine that contains at least 500 mg of calcium per serving? That is now easy to do.
• Ingredient database. We are in the final stages of building a database containing information about the hundreds of raw ingredients in nutritional supplements. We will tell you how they are used and how substantial the data is to support their use. The same database will have information about your body’s systems and how to support them (including natural remedies you can use).
• Laboratory testing. We are within weeks of launching a laboratory testing option for customers who want clinical data about what is going on in their bodies. You will have the option to take tests from the convenience of your home, and when you get the results, our ND, Dr. Shannyn Fowl, will go over them with you.

We want to be way more than a business that sells supplements; you can find those businesses everywhere. We want to be a business that makes our customers healthier, and we want the dollars they spend on supplements to go further. Education is a big key to that.

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We are dealing with a few dementia situations in our family. It is brutal and incredibly sad and feels hopeless.

I know that many/most of you have dealt with dementia situations with aging family members as well. And let’s face it: Due to the seemingly high number of dementia cases all around us, a lot of us fear that may be our fate too.

So, are you going to get dementia? I have good and bad news.

The good news is that while the number of dementia cases is indeed rising in the US, that is because people are living longer and the population of elderly people is increasing. The per-capita rate is actually in decline, and your chance of being diagnosed with dementia is actually declining substantially.

The bad news is that dementia is still a big deal and is diagnosed in close to 10% of the population. Even worse, the impact is much higher because many people with dementia never get officially diagnosed.

Who are the people most at risk for dementia? Those who are obese and/or have diabetes. There is a big correlation with poverty, but that is probably due to the higher rates of obesity/diabetes in that population (because they cannot afford quality health care).

Here are some other factors that can increase the risk: family history of dementia, uncorrected vision/hearing, high blood pressure, poor diet, lack of exercise, sleep issues, depression, and social isolation.

As you can imagine, the very best way to protect yourself from dementia is to live a healthy lifestyle. Surprisingly, recent studies show that the way you live in middle age (40-65) is especially important if you want to lower your risk.

I heard a speaker say recently that the top two fears about aging (other than dying) are vision loss and dementia. I have no doubt that is true, but please, don’t live in fear.

Just live a healthy life, live a good life, and live a hopeful life. Make the most of today. That is the only day you can be sure of.

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I live just a few blocks from an Orange Theory gym, so I have been working out there for the past few months. Since a lot of you probably live near those studios and may have considered trying them out, here is my review.

After you join an OT gym, you sign up for roughly 1-hour managed classes, which rotate through sessions with floor weights, rowers, and treadmills.

There is a big emphasis on heart rate. Many participants wear heart rate monitors and their statistics are shown on big screens in the gym. If you are shy and don’t want everyone knowing your heart rate, you don’t have to wear one, or you can just use something like an Apple watch (or just ignore your heart rate altogether).

The Orange Theory workouts are considered HIIT, meaning High-Intensity Interval Training. They are designed to push you for short periods of time and then give you brief rest periods.

OT is not for the faint of heart. It is the most challenging workout I have ever done, and I have done a lot of things. In a typical workout, you might burn 500-800 calories and end up drenched in sweat.

So, should you do something like Orange Theory? Honestly, I am not sure that most people should, because I would argue it is just a bit extreme and unnecessary. Here are some things to consider.

• It is pricey (around $150/month). There are way, way cheaper options, such as an annual subscription to Beach Body for $150/year.
• If you are not already in reasonable shape, don’t attempt it. That is especially true for older people. Plenty of older people do OT, but the majority of the studio will be young.
• If you do HIIT programs like OT, you certainly do not need to do it every day. I go 3-4 times/week and take it relatively easy on other days.
• OT gamifies things in ways that are designed to make you push yourself. That is fine to an extent, but you should never forget that real harm and injuries can come from pushing yourself too hard. If you are susceptible to pushing yourself too hard, be careful with this kind of program.
• If you have heart disease risks, avoid OT.

Above all, remember this: Just because something is hard does not mean it is best or even good. I understand the feeling of wanting to take a radical step to improve your life. However, good health does not usually require you to be radical. In fact, most of us simply need to make incremental improvements. We don’t need to run marathons; we just need to get out and walk more.

I want to reinforce that people with certain personality traits are likely to do themselves damage on these kinds of programs. I have to watch myself carefully. If I push myself too hard to hit various goals (such as a 2,000-meter row), I can end up with injuries that keep me out of the gym for weeks. In fact, pushing yourself too hard could even endanger your life.

Here is one more reminder: even if you do something extreme like OT, that should not be used as an excuse to eat badly. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet.

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Nature’s Sunshine has around 500 products, which creates a lot of overlap and confusion for many customers.

They are well aware of the confusion, and over the next few years, you will see a lot of pruning in the Nature’s Sunshine lineup. But, in the meantime, I want to give you a few thoughts about one big point of confusion: Chinese herbs and the TCM line.

There are about twenty herbal formulas based on traditional Chinese medicine that come in two varieties: a regular version and a TCM version.

Here is an example: Kidney Activator and Kidney Activator TCM.

Now, here is why this gets confusing. TCM stands for “Traditional Chinese Medicine.” However, both versions of the product are based on traditional Chinese medicine, and this phrase appears on both of those labels. In fact, the labels look almost exactly the same at first glance.

There are differences though:

• The stock number is different.
• The number of capsules is different. TCM formulas contain 30 capsules while original formulas usually have 100 capsules.
• The TCM formulas are made with concentrated herbal extracts. This means that the capsules do not just contain powdered herbs; they actually contain extracts of herbs that are standardized to a certain level o the active constituent in the herb. In other words, they are far more powerful.

The recommended dosage for TCM formulas is always one per day (while you may take anywhere from 1-6 capsules of the original formulas).

Here is what you need to know: When you see one of these products named with a TCM at the end, it does not imply that that version is based on traditional Chinese medicine while the other version is not. Both versions are based on traditional Chinese medicine. Rather, TCM means that the product is more potent because it is made with extracts.

Confusing? You bet. But that is where we are…

So which option should you take? In my opinion, the choice is clear: TCM formulas are always a better choice. They are higher quality, stronger, and generally a better value.

They are a better value because while they often cost more, a bottle usually lasts longer. As an example, if you use an original formula that requires you to take six capsules/day, a bottle with 100 capsules will only last you about 16 days. The TCM equivalent may cost 30% more but lasts 100% longer.

Again, Nature’s Sunshine is going to be trimming products to eliminate overlap over the coming years, and my guess is that all the original formulas will be eliminated eventually. However, in the meantime, choosing the TCM formula is a slam-dunk. If faced with a choice, just buy the TCM option. You won’t regret it.

Note: On Caring Sunshine, we make it very obvious which products are TCM versions. The product name will always end with TCM..

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