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If you have been trying to lose a few pounds buy bulk creatine monohydrate trying to get in shape, or if you are getting ready co-enzyme q10 a marathon then it is very likely that you have been exposed to dietary supplements of some kind. This could be in the form of Vitamins or Meal Replacement Powders or even something like Creatine.

Maybe you have tried the fat blocking pills like Alli, or the metabolic enhancer types like Ephedrine. One of the major problems with these products until recently was that you only had one way of telling what was buy bulk deanol bitartrate to be in the bottle. That was you could read the label and hope the manufacturer was honest. There was no agency that regulated the quality of the product or even the amount of the supplement in the bottle or the dosage or the manufacturing process.

The FDA regulates the Pharmaceutical companies and given their poor track record with products such as Phen-phen, Cylert, Bextra, Vioxx and a long list of others I for one find it almost a relief that the FDA was not allowed to regulate the food supplements.

There is now a company called NSF International The Public Safety Company. They are not a part of the government thank god, but they do offer to certify products that would be called supplements. You can contact them 1-800-NSF-Mark or check out their web site at http://www.nsf.org.

Much of the following information is being taken mostly from the brochure I received from the NSF.

Who is the NSF International?

They are independent not for profit organization that helps protect the individual by certifying products and writing standards for dietary supplements, food, water, air and consumer goods.

What is the Certified for Sports Program?

This program is set up to minimize the risk that a dietary supplement will contain banned substances when taken at the recommended serving size. It was set up to meet the growing demand of athletes coaches and all those concerned about banned substances in sports.

The program certifies that participating manufacturers and their products have met the NSF's stringent certification process guidelines which include:

• Product testing for banned substances and label content confirmation

• Formulation and label review

• Production facility and supplier inspections

• Ongoing monitoring

What banned substances are checked for?

NSF certifies products and inspects facilities for a wide range of substances identified by leading sports organization such as the World Anti-doping Agency WADA, the National Football League, and Major League Baseball. These include narcotics, steroids, diuretics, beta-2-agonists, masking agents and other substances.

Why should I purchase NSF Certified products?

Products certified by NSF conform to the highest standards. They go through extensive testing and formulation and label review as well as unannounced plant inspections. NSF is the only third party testing organization to conduct a complete evaluation of a prouct and the production before it can earn certification. Ongoing monitoring ensures continued compliance to program requirements.

How do I know if a product is NSF Certified? Check the label, NSF certified products will have the NSF Certified for Sport Mark on the product label. You can also find the most up to date list of NSF certified products at the NSF website www.nsf.org

For more information on the NSF Certified for Sport Program or products you can log on to www.nsf.org or if you have specific product questions you can call Kathy Jordan MS, RD Business Development Director of NSF's Dietary Supplements and Functional Foods Certification Program, 1-800-NSF-MARK ext 6856. CertifiedForSport@nsf.org or visit http://www.nsf.og/business/athletic_banned_substances

Jerry Goodwin has been certified as a Medical Technologist since 1977. Jerry has served as a Personal Trainer to hundreds of people in his own studio as well as through his involvement as a volunteer expert in weight lifting and bicycling at allexperts.com He is a Veteran of the US Navy having served during the Viet Nam era. Jerry also served in the Army National Guard in Ohio, Texas, Kansas and Georgia as a field medic with Infantry, Armored Cavalry, Artillery and Mechanized Infantry Units. He has earned several medals including the Army Commendation Medal. Jerry is the editor of Body Mind and Goals Ezine and the owner of BMG Services Fitness and Nutrition at http://www.bmgfitness.com