Natural health product or food?

In addition to the medicinal molecules contained in our products, the consumption of our non-medicinal powders could improve the effectiveness of our products in preventing, helping or curing specific functions of our body,

Some plants such as gingko biloba, ginseng and maca are classified as natural health products and require a product licence from Health Canada to be sold. Other plants, even if they have some medicinal benefits just as important as the first, are classified as simple foods. It’s all about security. If the consumption of the plant is dangerous and can cause serious problems and even death, Health Canada defends it or classifies it as a drug with even stricter rules than for natural health products. If its consumption even abusive can cause temporary health problems but without real danger to health if not certain accommodations such as headache and / or diarrhea, it becomes an NHP with very precise dosages and recommendations. When the consumption of the plant is safe, whether it has extraordinary medicinal abilities or not, it is classified as a simple vegetable.

Some non-medicinal plants such as spinach and beetroot are full of phytonutrients that are more than useful for health. They can therefore be consumed with specific medicinal purposes. They can also be used as quasi-adjuvants (a substance that is added to a drug that improves its performance) to products classified as medicinal by Health Canada. For example, wild blueberry powder could be synergistic to cranberry powder because, in addition to also containing a high concentration of proanthocyanes and proanthocyanes, wild blueberries also contain other phytonutrients all equally similar to those of cranberries that have no more and no less than the same medicinal properties.

Finally, several ongoing studies tend to show that wild blueberries would also be effective in preventing diseases of urinary tract infections.

Cruciferous trees are another example. To get a Vitamin A supplement, you only have to eat spinach. In addition, it is a massive dose of nitrate (which will turn into NO) that improve the mechanical side of sexual function. It is the same with beet as far as nitrate is concerned.

Phytonutrient Canada’s approach is to offer a choice of dietary supplements adapted to its medicinal products. The consumption of our non-medicinal powders in addition to the medicinal molecules contained in our products could improve their effectiveness in preventing, helping or curing specific functions of our body for which these formulations have been developed.