Life, Not Labs

Organic Vitamins, Organic Supplements

An interview with James Quinn

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What got you interested in the vitamin and supplement industry? 

I started out to raise awareness of super foods that are rich in vitamin content.  Chlorella and spirulina (my first two products) are two of the most protein-rich organisms on earth- more than beef, chicken or turkey. They both average slightly 60% protein and the remaining portion is extremely rich in vitamins such as beta carotene.  99% of vitamins are synthetic so my goal has been to provide food-based alternatives.  The fact that most vitamin D sold commercially is made by irradiating wool-grease really got to me so I wanted to provide options to consumers.  All of the D2 in my products comes from mushrooms and all of the D3 is from lichen.

What makes your products different from most others?

My products are different than most vitamins in that they deliver vitamin requirements using super foods rich in the respective nutrients.  For example all of my D3 comes from Lichen and is available in three of our products (organic multivitamin, vegan d, and our new zinc immune support vitamin).  All of the vitamin C in our multivitamin comes from organic acerola cherry extract and it contains many other food vitamins such as 100% RDA of iodine via kelp. 

Where are you located and where do you source your ingredients?

Life, Not Labs is in Woodbourne, NY, which is right where Sullivan and Ulster Counties meet.  I have been there for over 15 years and it is also next to two amazing reservoirs (Roundout and Neversink).  The water in my backyard has 8ppm dissolved solids which is five times cleaner than some national spring waters.  Every ingredient in our products is purchased from an American producer or distributor.  We have ingredients that come from within walking distance (beeswax from local beekeepers) and as far away as California (where we get our highest certified organic chlorella and spirulina tablets).  

Tell us about your most popular products/ingredients and how they benefit the body.  

Chlorella is the flagship product of our operation and the best example of how Life, Not Labs came about.  60 years ago, NASA declared it to be the world's most nutritious food and the one they would send astronauts into space with if they had to choose a single nutrient.  For me, the first change I noticed taking Chlorella a decade ago was its ability to reduce heartburn.  Chlorella is also extremely alkaline and very dense in antioxidants which makes it an effective natural immune support supplement. Chlorella has been shown in many studies to enhance immune response. It also exhibits strong anti-inflammatory properties which helps with pain and reduces soreness/turn turnaround between workouts.  Finally, as Earth's greenest food, Chlorella also contains the highest magnesium content found in nature.  Magnesium has been shown to bond to heavy metals such as mercury and remove them from the body.  Chlorella's combination of these qualities make it an extraordinary supplement.  I've also seen its popularity grow five fold in the past five years here in the U.S.  It has been popular in Japan for decades and over one third of that country takes Chlorella at least once a week.

What is your process for creating your products?

All of my supplements that are created via vegan/veggie capsules (most products) are made by me personally.  I keep my production amounts small which helps maintain consistency (equal balance of nutrients per capsule). All of my lip balms are also mixed, poured and packaged by me personally. Finally, I package my two tableted products (spirulina and chlorella) after buying in bulk from two California organic food companies that have CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certification.  California has higher standards than the FDA and other states so I prefer to get them from CCOF producers. 

How did you connect with Ed at Wellness Rx?

I walked in off the street and handed him and Dawn samples of my beeswax lip balm, Catskills Gold.  After that he was always interested in other products so the assortment of Life, Not Labs vitamins being sold there has increased over the last several years.  Ed has expressed more interest in my products and their functions than any other proprietor I have worked with.

Check us out in the Community Partners tab! https://www.wellnessrxllc.com/community-partners/life-not-labs