Ask The Expert

• Does glucosamine sulfate contain sodium?

  Yes, glucosamine sulfate does contain sodium. Glucosamine sulfate contains sodium salt as a stabilizer to prevent moisture absorption. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet you can use sodium-free glucosamine, which uses potassium chloride to reduce moisture problems.

• Why can't I buy your vitamins on your web site?

  As a manufacturer, WN Pharmaceuticals sells its products to retailers who value their customers. We do not sell or ship directly to consumers, and we don't set retail pricing. Webber Naturals®, Holista® , PGX®, and Sunkist® products can be purchased at most drug stores in Canada, as well as at grocery stores and large retailers with health sections. There are also online retailers who carry our products.

  If the WN product you want is out of stock, ask the pharmacist or store manager to special-order it for you.

• Why does the label on my calcium supplement say: ‘Take a few hours before or after taking other medications.’?

  The ‘Directions for Use’ statement you refer to is require by Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate for products containing calcium. This is to prevent any possible negative interaction with your medications. All products that contain calcium as an active ingredient will soon bear a similar statement. Nutritional supplements are basically foods and they can affect the rate of absorption and distribution through the body of other things you ingest. Taking medications and supplements hours apart allows your body to digest each without interference from the other.

• Why is the bottle so big when it only has 30 tablets in it? Isn't this a terrible waste of materials and energy?

  We share your concern. Here are the reasons behind, and the benefits of, consistent bottle sizes. Health Canada and the Natural Health Products Directorate regulate the information that must be on the labels of any Natural Health Product. This information needs to be readable in both English and French – this is especially important for products with cautionary statements. Getting all that information on the label is a challenge even with a regular-sized vitamin bottle as you can imagine. The label therefore dictates what size the bottle will have to be. While we sometimes get complaints about bottles being too big, we also hear from people with vision impairment who say our labels are too small to read. We do our best to achieve a balance.
  
  We produce huge numbers of supplements each year and by limiting the number of different bottle sizes we use, we are able to save the consumer money and reduce actual waste and energy consumption considerably. And all our packaging is recyclable.
   
  Webber Naturals® uses #2 PET recyclable plastic for most packaging. This material is accepted by recycling depots and municipal recycling programs. The bottles, labels, and caps are all recyclable.

• How much protein does a person need each day?

  Protein requirements vary from individual to individual depending on: age, weight, sex, activity level and overall health. For example athletes may need more protein than the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA.

• Is there a difference between whey protein concentrate and isolate?

  Yes. Whey protein isolate is the most pure and concentrated form of whey protein available. It contains 90% or more protein and very little (if any) fat and lactose. As the protein level in whey protein concentrate decreases the amounts of fat and/or lactose usually increase.

• Are your products gluten-free?

  Very few dietary supplements are likely to contain gluten and we do not add gluten to any products. Because of sensitivity issues for many people we avoid using gluten-containing ingredients in the manufacture of our products. If you are concerned about a particular product, call our Customer Service number with the product UPC code (bar code number on the label) to confirm if there is any gluten content.

• Does Acidophilus have to be refrigerated once opened?

  Some probiotic products do require refrigeration but many do not. New technology has permitted webber naturals to offer you many potent probiotics with billions and billions of active cells that do not require refrigeration. This makes it easier than ever to benefit from the use of these supplements that can improve digestion, immunity and overall health.

• How does whey protein compare to soy protein?

  Some differences include:

  • Whey protein is a nutritionally complete protein. It contains bioactive ingredients, like immunoglobulins and lactoferrin, that help support the immune system.
  • Whey protein is often preferred source of protein because it is abundantly rich in branched chain amino acids

  
  
  

• What is Whey Protein?

  Whey Protein a by-product of cheese manufacturing: supports protein synthesis and muscle development. Depending on the method of production, whey products can vary in the amount lactose, minerals, fat and proteins (including lactoferrin, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, glycomacropeptide, and immunoglobulins). Whey is a popular dietary protein supplement because it contains a full spectrum of essential amino acids and high concentration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins that are essential to human metabolism, growth and development. BCAAs-leucine, isoleucine, and valine are needed for the maintenance of muscle tissue, preserving muscle stores of glycogen (a storage form of carbohydrate) and helping to prevent muscle protein breakdown during exercise. BCAA are readily oxidized as an energy source during stress.

• What type of gelatin is used in your capsules?

  To clarify, all gelatin comes from animal sources, but we also use vegetable-based capsules made from cellulose. When these are used you can see on the product label the words ‘vegetarian capsules’. In general ‘softgels’ used to contain liquid ingredients are made from bovine (beef) gelatin and two-piece hard gelatin capsules used for dry powdered ingredients are made from both bovine and porcine (pork) gelatin.

• Is glucosamine really effective?

  Glucosamine is the top selling natural supplement for improving joint health. Glucosamine has been extensively studied, and much research indicates that glucosamine sulfate can speed the repair of cartilage, reduce the pain of arthritis and slow its progress.

• What is glucosamine sulfate made from?

  Glucosamine is generally sourced from the hard shells of shellfish. Those allergic to shellfish may be concerned over a possible allergic reaction to glucosamine. Very few cases of allergic reactions to glucosamine have been reported, probably because shellfish allergens are in the meat not the shells, and the extraction process removes any remaining meat.

• What is Soy Protein?

  Soy protein provides a healthy way to get non-animal protein into your diet. It is great tasting, natural and can have a wide range of healthy effects on the body.

• What do glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates do in the body?

  Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates work together to arrest cartilage deterioration by stimulating the production of collagen and proteoglycans, natural components of cartilage and joint fluids. They also appear to protect joints from the action of enzymes that can breakdown cartilage.

• What is the source of Whey Protein and how is it Manufactured?

  Webber Naturals™ Low Carb Whey Protein is sourced from pasteurized milk and is cross-flow ultra-filtered and micro-filtered at low temperature to create a high quality low fat and low lactose protein. The processing at low temperatures ensures that the final product is free of denatured material.

• How do you guarantee the safety and purity of your fish oils?

  Every ingredient we use as a raw material for our products is tested for purity, identification (so we know it IS what it is supposed to be), heavy metals, pesticides and other contaminants in accordance with Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate requirements and United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) guidelines. Our laboratories also test finished products for weight, disintegration time, uniformity, and verified potency. In-house testing facilities ensure that accurate test results can be obtained quickly and efficiently.
   
  All webber naturals fish oil softgels conform to, or exceed, the following purity standards:

  • Peroxide values: max. 5 mEq/kg.
  • Arsenic: < 0.14 µ/kg b.w./day
  • Cadmium: < 0.09 µ/kg b.w./day
  • Lead: < 0.29 µ/kg b.w./day
  • Mercury: < 0.29 µ/kg b.w./day
  • Total PCBs: <0.09 ppm

  (Note: this is not an exhaustive list. For more information on standards of purity visit the Health Canada website .

  For more information on the Meg-3 fish oils used in our Omega-3 products, please visit www.meg-3.com. Recent advances in distillation and testing technology in use for these premium oils mean that the standards of purity are much higher that what is required by NHPD regulations. For example, mercury levels are less than 0.005 ppm (5 millionths of a milligram per 1 gram of oil).

• Why do vitamins turn urine bright yellow?

  Multivitamins and other supplements that contain B vitamins (specifically B2 and folic acid) can cause brightly coloured urine because this is the actual colour of some of the nutrients. B2 is a water soluble vitamin and your body will absorb what it requires and flush out the rest.

• Is Webber Naturals Whey Protein Genetically Modified (GMO)?

  Webber Naturals™ Whey Protein is NON GMO.

• How much Omega-3 is in Cod Liver Oil?

  Not much although fish liver oils are excellent sources of preformed vitamin A and vitamin D, they contain only trace amounts of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs).  Cod Liver Oil is especially useful for individuals with digestive problems since they may have difficulty converting Beta Carotene (provitamin A) into vitamin A. If you tried to get sufficient dietary EFAs from Cod Liver Oil, you would consume too much vitamin A and D.  Excellent sources of EFAs include Webber Naturals™ Omega-3 Super Concentrate, Webber Naturals™ Flaxseed Oil and Webber Naturals™ Salmon and Wild Fish oil products.