How do I order Metagenics nutritional products?
Health care providers may register with Metagenics and order products online, via phone or fax, and in person through a nutritional sales consultant.

What is FirstLine Therapy?
It's a comprehensive therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) program that provides patients with the necessary knowledge to make healthy lifestyle choices to manage or reverse chronic illness and improve health. TLC is the first, and arguably the most important, therapy health care providers can use to treat many chronic health problems.

Why do some supplements cost more than others when they contain the same ingredients?
Simply looking at the ingredients does not necessarily provide enough information to assess value. For example, the same amount of elemental calcium can be found in different forms, which have significantly different absorption dynamics. Frequently, higher quality comes with a higher price. But higher quality is ultimately a better value if it provides reliable outcomes. A product that doesn't work, even at a lower price, is still too expensive.

How do I order Metagenics nutritional products?
Metagenics formulas are only available through licensed healthcare practitioners. Patients may find a practitioner.

Why can't I get everything I need from my diet? Why do I need to take a nutritional supplement?
The human body has often been compared o an extremely complex and wonderfully efficient machine. To function normally, it is extremely dependent upon a large variety of raw materials such as protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and so forth. If any of these critical substances are lacking in sufficient quantities, the efficiency of the "machine" suffers. Food is always the preferred source of vitamins and minerals. Many nutritional researchers point to the rising problems of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases of modern society as evidence of the deteriorating quality of the diet most people consume.

• Our diets have changed. As a society, our dietary habits have changed over the past couple of generations. A healthy diet consists of plenty of fresh (or fresh frozen) fruits and vegetables, lean meats and dairy, and whole grains—all at appropriate portions to match activity levels. The reality is that few of us meet that goal.
• We eat out more.Recent studies indicate that the majority of meals in the U.S. are eaten in restaurants—where food tends to be high in fat and sugar—rather than at home.
• We eat more processed foods. Convenience foods now make up a much higher percentage of the average diet than they did in the past. In some people well over 60% of their food is from so1called "empty" calorie foods (candy, sweets, chips, or other highly processed foods that contain very little real nutritional value other than calories). The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a low nutritional value.
• We have more stress.Today's fast-paced and busy life often means more stress. The greater the external stressors, the higher the nutritional demands on the body. Eating a poor quality diet robs you of the nutritional factors necessary to help you stay healthy—especially in the face of stress.
• We don't know how to buy "healthy" foods. Many people are simply unaware of how to shop for healthy foods. Convenience and taste become the major criteria for food selection, while nutritional value may be given little attention, if any at all.

While a nutritional supplement may provide value in maintaining health, we should never think that taking a supplement (such as a multivitamin/mineral) replaces a good diet. In other words, the first and most important step is to improve the quality of the diet, and then take a supplement as a nutritional insurance policy. Depending on your unique needs, your health care practitioner may also recommend targeted nutrients that are difficult to obtain through dietary measures—no matter how good your diet may be.

If you have questions about your diet, it's important that you discuss them with your health care provider on your next visit.

How can I tell if a vitamin/mineral supplement is of high quality?
It's difficult to tell quality simply by looking at a tablet. Many factors (most hidden to the naked eye) go into a high quality nutritional supplement. The 3 main factors are:

• Quality of the science behind the product formula. The therapeutic use of nutritional supplements usually involves combining nutrients together as economically and physically possible to focus on a particular health goal. If the nutritional supplement is poorly designed, key nutrients may be left out, or less important "window dressing" ingredients may be added that don't bring significant additional benefit. The product may then be inadequate to meet the therapeutic goals, or may be more expensive than needed. A reputable company will be able to provide scientific studies to support the formulation and its therapeutic value.
• Quality of the ingredients themselves. The same nutrient may be available in different forms. For example, vitamin E can be natural (derived from food) or it can be synthetic (manufactured). The natural, food-identical vitamin E is called dl-alpha tocopherol, while the synthetic form is called d-alpha tocopherol. Science has shown that there is a significant difference in the way the body uses these sources. Natural vitamin E is significantly better in its biological activity than the synthetic. Also, minerals like magnesium and calcium are typically not found as "single" ingredients but as chemical compounds. The nature of that compound is related to the ability of the body to absorb and use the mineral. Inexpensive compounds are typically more difficult to absorb. Other mineral compounds, which may be a little or quite more expensive, may also be much better utilized by the body. A manufacturer of high quality products will be able to provide documentation from the scientific literature on the specific ingredients selected that will help to explain their superiority.
• Quality of the manufacturing process. Even if the supplement is well-formulated and has high quality ingredients, care must still be exercised during the manufacturing process to ensure a quality finished product. If the supplement doesn't break down properly during the digestive process, it doesn't matter how well it's designed or what is used as ingredients! A manufacturer of high quality nutritional supplements will perform a number of different tests before, during, and after the manufacturing process to ensure quality in the finished product, and should be able to provide you with documentation to support their processes upon request. Providers of high quality supplements also have GMP-certified manufacturing.

How do I find a Metagenics practitioner near me?
Simply click here to locate a health care practitioner near you who offers Metagenics nutraceuticals and medical foods or to find a certified FirstLine Therapy practitioner who offers therapeutic lifestyle changes programs.

How do I sign up to be a Metagenics practitioner?
If you're a health care professional who's as passionate about improving health as we are, then we invite you to join our team!

What is the "glycemic index"? How is it different from the "glycemic load"?
The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of foods on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Glucose is given a relative number of 100 to provide a baseline to which all others can be compared. For example, an apple has a GI of 38 which is less than half that of glucose, but higher than soybeans (which have a GI of 18). Foods with a GI of 55 or less are considered to be low—glycemic—index foods.

The GI considers the quality of a carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) carries that a step further and considers the quantity of carbohydrate—namely its fiber content and/or portion size. Fiber is a "good" component of carbohydrates (as opposed to sugar). The higher fiber content a food has, the lower its GL. Carrots are a high GI food. But when served as a handful of raw carrots, it has a low GL. Carrot juice, which has a lower fiber content, has a high GL. Likewise, 3/4 cup of watermelon (also a high GI food) has a low GL, while half a watermelon has a high GL. Research suggests that glycemic load is an important consideration in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.

Most complex meals (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) have a moderate GL because proteins and healthy fats (which have a low GI) help balance out carbohydrates that may have a higher GI. It’s important to include whole fruits and vegetables in your regular eating pattern to help achieve a balanced, low-GL diet. Research suggests that glycemic load is an important consideration in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.

How do I find a FirstLine Therapy practitioner near me?
Simply use our practitioner locator and specify that you're looking for a practitioner certified to offer FirstLine Therapy.

How do I access your product literature to use in my clinical practice?
Authorized Metagenics practitioners may request a username and password to access our online library of product literature, patient education collateral, research, and—for our FirstLine Therapy practitioners—practice tools, forms, and presentations.

What is a Mediterranean-style, low-glycemic-load diet?
The Mediterranean diet is rich is fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats (like olive oil), and fish. It's a diet rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and other health-promoting nutrients. Those who eat this diet are among the healthiest people in the world. A modified Mediterranean diet has less red meat, red wine, and breads (sugars) than typically found in a traditional Mediterranean diet. While many of the other foods are the same, a modified Mediterranean diet that considers glycemic load also makes recommendations for amounts of specific fruits and vegetables. This helps the overall diet deliver a glycemic load (see above) that promotes a healthy blood sugar balance, prevents energy surges and crashes, and helps maintain a feeling of fullness so you aren't tempted to eat more than you should. Research suggests that glycemic load is an important consideration in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases. FirstLine Therapy-certified health care practitioners can help you learn how to eat like this.

How do I contact Metagenics?
If you have questions about a specific Metagenics product or how to use it, please consult your health care practitioner. For other questions or comments, please Contact us Online.

Where can I learn about using FirstLine Therapy in my clinical practice?
FirstLine Therapy is designed to complement virtually any type of clinical practice. Customize the program to meet the unique needs of your business and your patients. Learn more.

How can I tell if an herbal product is of high quality?
As with vitamin and mineral supplements, it's often difficult to see quality in herbs simply by looking at the finished product. This is especially true with herbs, as the standards for quality are still being developed. Quality in herbal products begins with high quality raw materials. This means that the manufacturer must have an intimate knowledge of herbs.

• Verified ingredients. One dried powder looks very much like another, so a reputable herbal manufacturer will exercise great care in the raw material purchasing process, and should be able to provide such things as Certificates of Authenticity and other documents establishing the source and quality of the herb.
• Appropriate harvesting. Because the chemical makeup of the plant changes as it matures, selecting the herb at the correct time during the growing season is important.
• Appropriate plant parts. Different parts of the herb have different chemical constituents (and different effects in the body), so knowing which part of the herb to select is important. Some companies simply grind up the whole plant (stems, roots, leaves, flowers) and sell that as the herb.
• Careful manufacturing. The delicate active principles of the herb must also be protected during the manufacturing process, so great care must be taken here as well.

Many people have tried herbal products only to be disappointed when they don't work as hoped. A large part of this must be laid at the feet of manufacturers hoping to profit from the explosion of interest in herbs without understanding herbal medicine. For example, many people know of echinacea as being an important herb for supporting healthy immune function. But only certain parts of the plant contain the substances that have established benefits. "echinacea." People taking the whole plant expecting to get the therapeutic benefits described will often be disappointed. A high quality product will have the active ingredients necessary to give the health benefits known by traditional herbalists. So if you've tried herbs before and been disappointed in the results, it may not be the fault of herbal medicine.

What are excipients, binders, and fillers? Why are they necessary?
The highest quality ingredients in a nutritional supplement could be useless if the product doesn't disintegrate properly or crumbles in the bottle. Excipients are inactive ingredients—usually odorless, tasteless, and colorless—used during the manufacture of tablets, capsules, softgels, or powders to:

• Aid in powder flow during encapsulation or tableting to keep it from sticking to equipment (anti-caking)
• Improve tablet consistency, density, compressibility, or other desired characteristics (binders)
• Preserve integrity of product during storage to help keep it from disintegrating in bottle (binders, stabilizers)Enable providers to manufacture tablets of uniform size, weight, texture, and shape (binders, fillers)
• Ensure even dispersal of raw materials in tablet, capsule, or powder
• Keep active ingredients in a well-dispersed liquid mixture (emulsifier, stabilizer)
• Prevent crystallization of ingredients
• Help tablet/capsule dissolve in a timely manner and/or increase bioavailability (disintegrant, dissolving agent)
• Aid tablet disintegration in a sustained release manner (coating)
• Ensure consistent fill of both capsules and tablets (filler)
• Protect ingredients during storage (antioxidants, preservatives, sequestrants)Help ensure even coatings of tablets and capsules
• Form capsules or softgels (gelling)
• Help retain moisture (humectant)
• Facilitate product use, such as enhancing the mixing capability of a powder

How do I sign up for a customized, practice-building website?
Our Meta-eHealth™ service is a unique health resource for patients and the only Internet-based business service that enables practitioners to provide one-on-one, personalized patient care beyond the office. In addition to customizable website templates and optional online stores capabilities, the site also offers patient newsletters and a nutritional research library. We call it the ultimate patient relationship management tool. You'll call in invaluable.

What makes Metagenics different from most nutritional supplement companies?
A lot of things make us stand above other companies—a focus on patient health, quality manufacturing, ingredient testing, safety reviews, clinical testing, scientific research, unique formulas, and more. For specifics, check out the Quality Difference section.

What are medical foods?
Medical foods are formulated with macro- and micronutrients that are recognized by scientific principles to support the dietary management of a disease or condition, and are to be administered under the supervision of a physician or licensed healthcare practitioner. Medical foods contain nutrients in therapeutic amounts that typically cannot be acquired through a typical diet.. Metagenics is one of the few professional nutraceutical companies that formulates, manufactures, and tests medical foods.

Are these inactive ingredients "good" or "bad"?
The answer depends on the selection of the ingredient, quality checks during manufacture, and the person taking the product. In general, however, the use of inactive manufacturing ingredients is a very "good" choice-helping to deliver a product of consistent quality and reliability for consistent outcomes to meet product expectations. A product made "without excipients" may not, despite its good intentions.

Some excipients, binders, or fillers are "bad" because they can contribute to unwanted reactions in some people with heightened sensitivities. Artificial colors, dyes, preservatives, or coating agents have been implicated for years as possible concerns-though not all artificial ingredients carry the same potential for harm. Some inactive ingredients (like some vitamins) may be derived from either a natural source (plant, mineral) or an artificial source (chemical). Although labels are not required to state the source of inactive ingredients, quality manufacturers may opt for the natural source whenever possible for a final product that may offer less potential for adverse reactions in those who may be sensitive.

Other inactive ingredients are "neutral" (meaning they are neither digested nor absorbed), but they improve product function by ensuring proper dissolution or other product characteristics.

Inactive ingredients are "good" if they are carefully selected from a reputable source and used in the proper amounts outlined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Good Manufacturing Practices. A reputable company producing high quality nutritional supplements will exercise great care in selecting only those inactive ingredients that are approved for use in manufacture and have a history of safe use. Quality manufacturers will also safeguard the purity of these inactive ingredients with the same care as "active" raw materials to ensure consistent quality throughout the product. Even a "safe" ingredient can be potentially bad if handled improperly.

How do I enroll as a patient in one of Metagenics clinical studies?
Most of our clinical studies take place on site in our Functional Medicine Research Center in Gig Harbor, Washington. Check back frequently for upcoming studies.

How do I contact Metagenics?
Health care practitioners may look at our locations to determine the appropriate Metagenics office to arrange for a visit with one of our direct or distributor nutritional consultants. Or simply call customer service at 1-800-692-9400 to be directed to the appropriate location. Or use the online contact form.

How do I sign up for FirstLine Therapy certification?
The FirstLine Therapy certification program is an intensive, 3 1/2-day seminar for both prescribing health care practitioners and Lifestyle Educators. See upcoming dates and locations and register by phone or online.

What are nutraceuticals?
Definitions for this term vary slightly in the industry, but agree on a key point-they are recommended for a specific health purpose, which would indicate a recommendation in a clinical setting. We refer to our nutritional supplements as nutraceuticals because they are solely recommended and supervised by health care practitioners to help patients improve health and support healthy physiological function.

What makes Metagenics different from most nutritional supplement companies?
A lot of things make us stand above other companies—a focus on patient health, innovative practitioner programs, educational opportunities, quality manufacturing, ingredient testing, safety reviews, clinical testing, scientific research, unique formulas, and more. For specifics, check out the Quality Difference section.

Why do vitamin supplements have expiration dates? Are they safe afterwards?
Like everything else, vitamins have a "lifespan". While they are generally quite stable, especially when kept away from direct sunlight, oxygen, moisture, and high temperatures, there may be a gradual loss of potency over time.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration dictates that if supplement manufacturers list an expiration date on their products, they must maintain records that prove that the products contain what the labels state through date of expiration. In order to set expiration dates, the manufacturer must perform stability tests showing how much degradation of the product occurs over time, and put in enough of the raw material to compensate for any potency loss. A reputable company will slightly "overfill" their supplements, meaning that they put enough of each nutrient in the tablet to compensate for any loss of potency over time. A 2-year expiration date means that the company is certifying that the product will continue to meet or exceed label claim for 2 years from the date of manufacture.

Expiration dates ensure that the product will provide consistent results. While vitamins generally do not deteriorate into something harmful or toxic over time, it's possible for the potency to diminish as time passes. To get the results you're seeking, it's best not to take a supplement that has gone past its expiration date.

What are the TLC Centers of Excellence (COE)?
Certified FirstLine Therapy practitioners may apply to become a part of this unique opportunity for an enriched partnership to help patients looking for solutions for their chronic illness connect with health care practitioners. The TLC Centers of Excellence partnership incorporates modern, fun-to-use services for health care practitioners utilizing today's technological communication methods. This pro-active system is designed to help you reach out to the millions of people who are less than satisfied with their current health care and are looking for more effective solutions—particularly on the Internet. This partnership includes an Internet patient referral system, media outreach, marketing kit, advanced educational opportunities, and other support services. Find out more.

Where do vitamins come from?
Vitamins are substances found in food that are required by your body to convert the food into energy. Since our bodies cannot manufacture these substances (or in the amount we may need), we have to get them from our diet. Unfortunately, the foods that many of us choose to eat have had most of the vitamins processed out. As many as 30 - 40 vitamins and minerals may be taken out of our food; "enriched" foods may have a dozen added back. Generally the richest source of vitamins and minerals comes from fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. Nutritional supplements may contain vitamins that are natural (food derived) or synthetic (manufactured).

In order to stay healthy, what is a good basic supplement program?
Each person is unique, and has unique nutritional needs. A prudent course of action to stay healthy would begin with eating a healthy diet. This means avoiding highly processed foods (candies, snack foods, convenience foods) or foods high in refined sugar or flour, as these tend to have low levels of important vitamins and minerals. A high quality multiple vitamin/mineral supplement is helpful to "fill in the gaps" in the diet. While other nutrients also may be helpful, it is important to remember your individuality and discuss the specific additional nutrients you might need with a nutritionally oriented health care practitioner.

What is stearic acid and why is it used?
Stearic acid is an essential saturated fatty acid that is found in all vegetable, seed, nut, and animal oils. Although stearic acid can be from several sources, the most common source in better quality nutritional supplements is vegetable stearic acid.

Tablet manufacturing requires certain substances like stearic acid to help powders flow smoothly through the tableting machines and help the tablets hold their shape. Stearic acid is ideal because of its natural source and inactive state-so it doesn't interfere with the proper utilization or absorption of the active ingredients in the tablet.

Does stearic acid interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals?
No. There is no evidence that stearic acid, in the miniscule levels used in tablet manufacturing, interferes with or blocks breakdown and absorption of nutrients. The amount of stearic acid in a typical tablet is much less than what you'll find in a salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing. (Olive oil is a source of stearic acid.)

How do I apply for the COE designation?
Simply complete our online application.

Are capsules better than tablets?
Capsules have some advantages in certain uses, but tablets have proven advantageous in others. For example, capsules increase the cost to the end user, it generally takes more capsules to contain the nutrients found in tablets, if the bottle is allowed to get too warm the capsules can melt or stick together, and the capsules have to be digested (broken down) before the nutrients inside can be released. On the "plus" side, capsules are generally easier to swallow, you can't tablet a liquid (which thus MUST be in capsules), and capsules can be made opaque to protect delicate and easily-lost nutrients (such as CQ 10). A reputable company will not be tied exclusively to capsules OR tablets, but will select the delivery method that is most appropriate to the nutrient and the marketplace, considering all variables in the selection process.

What are slow- or time-release tablets?
Time-release or slow-release tablets are manufactured in such a way that they release their contents in the digestive tract over time rather than all at once. This can be accomplished by a variety of methods. One method is called "enteric coating", where the nutrient is coated with a substance that won't break down in the stomach but will in the small intestine. Another method coats the nutrients with a substance that will be slowly digested, so that the nutrients are gradually released. Both of these (and other) methods can be useful, but care must be exercised in the manufacturing process to ensure the desired results.

What do vitamins do in the body?
In order to accomplish all of the thousands of day-to-day functions of your body, the food you eat every day must be converted into energy and raw materials (building blocks for muscles, bones, ligaments enzymes, hormones, and so on). To do all this, vitamins are required. Since humans lack the ability to manufacture these critical nutrients in our bodies, we have to get them in our diet.

Generally, vitamins perform 3 major functions:

• They are "cofactors" and catalysts for enzymes, which means they are required for the enzymes to do their jobs. The B-complex vitamins B1 and B2, for example are required for every function in the body that requires production of energy-which means every function!
• They act as antioxidants, which means they prevent highly reactive molecules called free radicals from damaging delicate cell membrane structure. Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants, protecting cell membranes from free radicals.
• They act as "pre-hormones." For example, vitamin D functions as a hormone to facilitate calcium uptake and utilization.

What do minerals do in the body?
Minerals have very many important functions-life could not exist without them. Iron is required for the manufacture of the chemical hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood to all the cells of the body. Calcium is necessary for strong bones, and for transmission of messages within cells and from cell to cell. Magnesium is required for production of energy from the food you eat, and a selenium-containing molecule protects the body from damage by free radicals.

What makes amino acid chelated minerals better than other types of minerals?
In order to be absorbed, minerals, whether from foods or in supplements, have to be combined with a "carrier" molecule. When this molecule is a fragment of protein (an amino acid), and the mineral amino acid compound forms a stable molecule, it is referred to as an amino acid chelate. Because the body is very efficient at absorbing amino acids, chelated minerals are more easily transported across the intestinal wall than are non-chelated minerals.