Today it is more important than ever to know the source of products you use. This is especially true if you want non GMO vitamins and supplements. The proliferation of genetically modified foods in America and other places in the world has made it harder to get truly natural, pure products. If you care what is in your food, cosmetics, and health aids, you need to find manufacturers you can trust.

it's helpful to buy goods with an organic certification. Although there are many attempts to weaken the standards that control the industry, so far this seal means that there are no genetically modified substances in the product. All who care about getting truly natural and wholesome products should present their views to the FDA and the federal government.

It's never wise to depend on information that's really cleverly-disguised advertising. This is why the organic certification is important. It's a third-party seal to assure consumers of a product's quality. An all-natural claim is not the same. There is a push going on to include genetically engineered ingredients in 'natural' products; it has not succeeded as yet but probably will not go away any time soon.

Know your manufacturers. All reputable companies will post purity information on websites and display it on their labels. Never rely on advertisements, no matter how impartial or informational they seem. Few supplements are truly natural, anyway. Vitamins do not usually occur in nature in the concentration we have come to expect from our supplements. An orange contains 60 milligrams of Vitamin C; we want 500 to 1,000 milligrams in a single pill.

Be aware that many of the original and highly-regarded companies have been sold. Some of the best-known names in the industry now belong to huge, mainstream food and drug companies. Once a brand has been sold, consumers must do the research all over again to ascertain the level of commitment of the new owners.

Finding a non-GMO designation on the label is helpful, of course. More and more, manufacturers of truly natural products want customers to know that they are not including ingredients that have been changed into substances never found in nature. After all, the whole idea of alternative healing and health maintenance is that the body will take care of itself if given the right nutrition. If more companies keep their products 'clean' and advertised the fact, and if consumers learn to value truly natural products, the industry will correct itself.

Reports of research into the safety of genetic engineering are confusing for many. Industry-backed studies say these altered foods are safe. However, there's a lot of history in the food industry of unhealthy foods being touted as 'good for you.' Think of margarine, for instance. Once acclaimed as heart-healthy, it is now condemned - just as the health food people said all along.

Industry claims that genetic modification is safe are suspect because of conflict of interest and the history of the food industry using ingredients subsequently found to be harmful. Vitamin pills and other supplements that are natural are, of course, made from foods. The consumer who wants to be healthy and to live a natural life needs to shop carefully.