Why Is Shaklee Better?

Simply put, it’s because Shaklee supplements have always been sourced from organically grown fruits, vegetables, flowers, and grains. Because of Shaklee’s careful scientific product development and manufacturing stanbdards, they have ALWAYS contained the beneficial organic nutrients we just discussed. Shaklee is also unique in the supplement industry because they use an advanced laboratory technique called chromatography to help identify the presence and concentration of the chosen molecules in all raw materials. These same techniques help determine which manufacturing procedures can provide the most protection for these delicate molecules during the production of powders, gels, tablets, and capsules.

A perfect example of Shaklee’s approach in developing unique products is the story behind the creation of their Vivix Liquid Dietary Supplement. During their usual and ongoing research into the properties of various nutrients, they discovered that there was a very high concentration of 12 different polyphenols in a “super grape” grown right here in America, called the Muscadine grape.

However, no one had developed a natural method for safely harvesting these delicate compounds. Shaklee teamed up with scientists at the University of Georgia, and spent more than a year developing a low-temperature extraction process that both protected and concentrated these amazing compounds. Because their care and dedication always leads to producing superior products, Vivix rapidly became one of their leading products.

The Shaklee Difference

The Shaklee Difference has never been more profoundly expressed than by the way they create their soy isolate protein drinks

First and foremost, Shaklee does not use genetically modified (GM) soybeans. This is very fortunate, because recent animal studies indicate numerous health risks associated with GM food consumption, including infertility, immune disruption, accelerated aging, and bizarre changes in organs like the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal tracts of tested animals.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine’s scathing review of the health threats posed by GM consumption is most revealing. [43]

Shaklee developed an expensive genetic certification process called the Identity Preserved Program to guarantee that the soybeans they use are not genetically modified.

Shaklee also avoids using the industry-standard alcohol and hexane extraction method for soy processing, because it was found to eliminate the most important isoflavones, as well as creating cross-contamination with the other chemicals used in this process. [44]

Shaklee uses the slower and more expensive water-wash method, which retains high levels of genistein and daidzein. This is why Shaklee soy products can deliver ALL the potential health benefits provided by soy protein.

You can always rely upon the fact that Shaklee products are superior.

After learning about these unique phytoalexin compounds, it makes it even more evident why Shaklee products are so effective. Shaklee’s commitment to excellence starts with the conception of the new product, accelerates through review of the peer-reviewed literature on the raw materials, and concludes with clinical trials that demonstrate they are well absorbed, and deliver on their promise.

The Shaklee Ingredient Philosophy

When Selecting Ingredients, We Look to Nature First

Founded on the philosophy of offering products in harmony with nature and good health®, Shaklee adheres to the principles that were established by our founder, Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee. When we select ingredients for our products, we hold to two important principles. These principles set us apart as a company and are the basis for our advanced approach to product development and production.

First of all, our ingredients must be as natural as possible. Secondly, those ingredients must reflect the most recent scientific and technological advances. The superior quality of Shaklee products is a result of our respect for nature’s wisdom and our use of state-of-the-art research and production methods.

The Nutritional and Herbal Ingredient Glossary that follows (see below) is a testament to the principles and philosophy established by Dr. Shaklee. Information is the key to understanding. In their ingredient glossary, you will find a description of every ingredient found in Shaklee nutritional products. "We’ve included information about ingredient sourcing and processing, as well as the roles the ingredients perform in our products and in our bodies".

The Shaklee Difference — The Highest Standards

Shaklee's Nutritional and Herbal Products Ingredient Glossary is a reflection of the Shaklee philosophy and principles at work. Each ingredient is as natural as can be and illustrates the leading advances in science and technology. That’s the approach to making products that Dr. Shaklee pioneered, exacting the highest ingredient standards possible.

The ingredients, though, are only one part of the Shaklee Difference. Our unique blend of ingredients, ingredient delivery systems, and product forms, coupled with the cumulative power of the ongoing science behind our products, make Shaklee unique. Furthermore, as we constantly strive to make exceptionally high quality products, we place great value in being ecologically and socially responsible.

The Shaklee Difference is reflected in our research, in our product development, in the care we take to adhere to strict clinical testing and in our meeting the highest manufacturing standards in the industry, while minimizing our impact on the environment. That’s the combination that sets Shaklee products apart from all others. That’s the Shaklee Difference — demanding and providing the best and the purest — by setting the highest standards.

Natural Ingredients

Our number one priority is to use natural ingredients in our products whenever possible. In fact, when you look through the glossary, you will notice that the vast majority of our ingredients are naturally sourced and are categorized as natural. Ingredients in this category are primarily obtained directly from a natural source, or they may be obtained through simple chemical reactions such as acidification, basification, hydrolysis and fermentation. Such reactions do not significantly alter the chemical structure of the original natural ingredient. For example, beta carotene is harvested from specially grown algae, and vitamin E is obtained from soybean oil. We also include many plant-derived ingredients in our products as potential sources of other plant compounds that may be important to health but have yet to be identified by scientists.

The mineral ingredients that we use are also categorized as natural ingredients. Minerals are natural elements of the earth, and some are dietary essentials for good health. Sometimes, essential minerals can be sourced directly as they are found within the earth — for example, calcium from limestone. But more commonly, minerals must be purified and bound to specific carriers to enhance their bioavailability and digestibility. When a mineral source has a carrier, it is noted in the Ingredient Glossary. Mineral carriers include natural compounds like mineral salts, organic acids, and protein/amino acids.

Naturally Derived Ingredients

Although an ingredient may be found in nature, it may not occur in a concentration that is high enough for our high-potency formulations. Fortunately, such ingredients can often be derived from natural sources through a series of chemical processes, including many of those described for natural ingredients (e.g. fermentation).

Vitamin C is a good example. Rose hips and acerola are two of nature’s most concentrated sources of vitamin C, but they are not concentrated enough for high-potency vitamin C–containing formulations. Fortunately, vitamin C can be derived from the carbohydrate that is present naturally in corn through a multistep process that includes fermentation. Ingredients like these are categorized as naturally derived.

Naturally derived also includes ingredients originating from natural sources which undergo significant modifications so that their final form is structurally and functionally different from the starting material. Although properties of such ingredients have been changed, they are extensively tested for safety and efficacy. This subcategory of “naturally sourced” ingredients includes the ingredient hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Cellulose is a natural plant fiber, originating from wood pulp. In this case it is custom tailored by a series of chemical modifications so that it takes on different properties that make it functionally advantageous to certain products.

Scientifically Formulated Ingredients

Sometimes, a sufficiently concentrated source of an ingredient cannot be found in nature, nor can it be derived from natural sources. Because Shaklee does NOT use synthetic nutrients, they use advanced technology to craft bioavailable ingredients, formulated from biochemical building blocks. Whenever we use these types of ingredients, they are tested thoroughly to ensure bioavailability, purity, and potency.

The B vitamin, folic acid, is an example of a nutrient that is formulated from biochemical building blocks, and in clinical studies has been proven to be more bioavailable than folate found in our foods.

You can download "The Shaklee Nutritional Ingredient Glossary" (PDF) from here.