When Tanya Salituro founded CanPrev in 2005, she vowed to help Canadians have access to the powerful natural health tools and knowledge needed to be active participants in their own health. Now in its 13th year of operation, CanPrev continues to take this mission to heart, in the process gaining a stellar reputation with natural health care practitioners and fellow Canadians alike.

The following interview with Salituro provides a glimpse into how CanPrev has grown in recent years.

You must have seen many changes over the years. What trends have you noticed in Canadians and their relationship to natural health?

When we started, there was less understanding of how natural medicines work in the human body. The wealth of knowledge is expanding rapidly as interest and clinical studies on natural ingredients increase worldwide.

With more research, we have a clearer picture of natural medicine’s impact on physiology. That’s great news for companies like ours, which rely on evidence-based medicine to develop new formulations.

As a result of this new knowledge, increased educational resources, and online discussion, Canadians are savvier than ever, doing their own research and asking smarter, more detailed questions about how ingredients and formulations work. They’re becoming active participants in their own health plan.

And that’s the whole idea.

Has this shaped or influenced the way CanPrev has grown?

Absolutely. We’ve seen that Canadians want more options and greater customization in the natural medicines they take. They want to tailor ingredients and doses to match very specific health needs. Our Pro Essentials line addresses the fact that every person is unique, providing uncomplicated yet high quality ingredient-based products.

To give Canadians more control over how they take their natural medicine, we’ve just released a host of advanced liquid and powder products: liquid Magnesium Bis-Glycinate and Joint-Pro Concentrate, vegan amino acid powders, and K2 Drops.

We believe we have the best natural formulators in the country and are always encouraging them to use nature and research to the fullest.

You’ve acquired the professional brand Cyto-Matrix. What does that mean for Canadians?

We’re absolutely thrilled to be teaming up with Cyto-Matrix, a leading and complementary Canadian company with a long history of supporting naturopathic medicine in Canada, including educational institutes like the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine.

Like us, Cyto-Matrix’s foundation has always been keenly sensitive to the needs of Canadians. And both brands work closely with naturopathic doctors to produce health products that are high quality, safe, and effective.

So it was a simple decision. By working together, we’re growing a genuine all-Canadian natural health champion that can better serve the needs of Canadians and Canadian naturopathic practitioners alike.

Is it really that important to keep natural health companies Canadian?

A number of Canadian health companies have been acquired by large foreign entities in recent years, and that’s cause for concern. The draw of larger foreign markets and stronger Canadian natural health product regulations may cause foreign-owned businesses to be less inclined to develop and sell essential natural health products for the Canadian market.