Part Two:

In Part I of this article we went over the criteria we use to determine if an ingredient is worth recommending. Once we have found a quality organic ingredient, the next step is finding the best organic supplement with the ingredient.

Aren't All Supplements Really The Same?

Sure – just like every car is the same, every book is alike and every movie is an Oscar winner. Seriously, there is a world of differences when you start to look at supplements. There are some god awful, flat-out scary, wouldn't feed to a rat, supplements on the market – and some are even organic! On the other hand, there are Organic Supplements that truly capture the nutrients of fresh fruits, plants and herbs and provide real health benefits.

So, How Do You Find Only The Best Organic Supplements?

While we look at many different ingredients at BOS, we have come up with a set of criteria that we can apply to any supplement we are researching. We call it our, Be The Best Supplement Test! You have to admit, it has a nice ring to it.

By applying the following tests to a supplement, only the best supplements will rise to the top.

Remember, in Part 1 we went over how we pick the best organic ingredients, these tests happen after we have an ingredient we like and are looking for the best supplement using the ingredient…

Is The Supplement Certified Organic?

In our article on What Does Organic Really Mean we discuss the different levels of Organic. Our first choice is to find a supplement that is certified Organic. If there is no Certified Organic Supplement, wethen look for a "made with Organic Ingredients" supplement.

Is The Supplement Fair Trade Certified?

We believe that a healthy supplement is one that helps everyone who touches the supplement. The growers, the workers and you the end user, should all benefit from the supplement. Fair Trade Certified supplements guarantee that the workers who make the supplement are making a living wage.

If we can not find a Fair Trade Certified version of the supplement, we look for supplements that are made using fair trade ideals, even if they are not certified by a 3rd party.

Is The Supplement Pure?

If we are trying to find the best Supplement made from Spirulina, then all we want to see in the supplement is Organic Spirulina. We do NOT want to see additional ingredients, fillers and flow agents.

Hey Supplement companies, here is a tip for you – Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)! If consumers want Spirulina, don't fill your bottle up with a bunch of other ingredients that no one has ever heard of!

Has The Supplement Been Lab Tested?

This is a big one. A lot can go wrong between picking a fruit and getting it into a bottle in capsule form. We look for supplements that have been tested – both to show they have the correct healthy nutrients, but also to show that they do NOT have any unhealthy contaminants.

Let me just add, we have serious trust issues, who knows, maybe something from our childhood, but the point is we always want to see proof of testing. We ask for copies of all the lab tests. You would be surprised at how many companies tell you their supplements are tested, but when you ask to see the tests, the companies disappear.

Is The Supplement Made From The Whole Food?

Supplement companies have this nasty habit of trying to improve on what Mother Nature has given us, which is a terrible mistake. Supplements should be as close to the fruits and foods that grow in nature as possible. We always look for supplements made from the whole food - not some extract of the food. If we are looking at Organic Acai supplements, we want to see that the supplement is made from the whole Acai berry fruit, not an extract. Without fail, extracts, while cheap, have very little of the nutrients that made the organic food so special.

Is The Supplement Freeze Dried?

We will get into this more in a future article, but we always ask how the food was dried into powder form. If you expose an ingredient to high heat for a long period of time to dry it, you will probably kill off the nutrients. It is the same when cooking vegetables. If you fry your vegetables, they will lose most of their nutrients.

The Best Organic Supplements will be made by freeze drying the ingredients. This is a process where the ingredient is frozen into powder form and all the nutrients are retained. We understand that while an Organic Ingredient may have incredible nutritional properties in nature, if it is processed in the wrong way when put into a supplement, it becomes a useless organic ingredient.

Is The Company Reputable?

In addition to researching the specific supplements, we also research the company that makes the supplement. We want to be sure the company is reputable and has a clean record. We only recommend supplements from companies that are BBB accredited and have a perfect record. In addition, we look to make sure the company has a physical address and a customer service phone number, where you can reach real live knowledgable staff!

Does The Company Offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee?

Simply put, if a company does not offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee, we will NEVER recommend their supplements. If the company is claiming to have the best organic supplements, they need to back up their claim with a 100%, No Questions Asked, Money Back Guarantee.

Sorry, we know that was a lot to digest, but while we like to have fun, we take the process of selecting the best organic supplements very seriously. Okay, grab a cup of coffee, stick your head in ice cold water – do what it takes to wake up – and let's move on to our next lesson…

Do Organic Supplements Really Have More Health Benefits