Have you walked into a healthfood store, pharmacy or supermarket's vitamin section hoping to buy the best product? Have you gone online looking for a supplement to buy and were afraid of not getting the right quality? Well, you are not alone! There are so many brands out there, so many prices, so many strengths of the same vitamin, so many combinations, so many forms (liquid, capsules, etc). So, how do you know you are getting the best product? Here are a couple of tips:
1. Look for a Best By Date (not a secret code) that clearly tells you how long this product will be effective. Without the Best By Date, there is no guaranteed potency by the time of consumption.
2. Choose glass bottles whenever possible. Dark bottles are better because they provide the best barrier to sunlight and moisture, thus ensuring maximum freshness and potency.
3. Check for unnecessary additives and fillers when comparing supplements, especially synthetic fillers. Ingredients such as carnuba wax, artificial flavors and dyes are unnecessary, may hinder absorption, and in general are undesirable in dietary supplements.
4. Consider avoiding products containing artificial products or with gluten, because many individuals are sensitive to these ingredients and they do not add any value to your dietary supplement.
5. Ingredient sources are important. Generally the source follows the ingredient and appears in parentheses. This includes asking where the ingredients came from. Many come from China, be aware of these. Ask the store attendance for local brands that use local sources when possible.
6. Read the label carefully to confirm that the levels of the nutrients match what you need. For example, written either as IUs (International Units), mgs (milligrams), or mcgs (micrograms)
7. Before buying herbal supplements, make sure to consult with your doctor, especially if you are taking any prescription medication. Some herbs are known to have contraindications when taken with prescription medication.
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment2 Comments
Diane P, you asked a great question! The European supplements market for example has more controls over supplement manufacturing and there is a move to restrict the strengths even further with what is called CODEX legislation. This has found strong opposition in the United States and there is strong lobbying against implementing CODEX-like regulations in the manufacturing and sales of supplements in this country. Those who oppose it go under the umbrella of Health Freedom and include many physicians, supplement manufacturers, among others. Here is an example of their position if you are interested on learning more about this industry. http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/docs/Laibow_Dean_CODEX_act%5B1%5D.2005.11.169.pdf
The FDA has specific guidance on labeling supplements and you can learn more about it by reading the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act(DSHEA) on this website. http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/DSHEA.html
Since most vitamins and others are sold as "food" supplements (as oppose to drugs), people find themselves with a pretty tough task when buying them. This is why it is really important to find a trained professional that can suggest the type of supplements, their strength and also monitor results. Higher strength does not necessarily mean better. But in certain cases, for example CoQ10 which is great to support healthy heart functioning especially when there is a history of hypertension, a higher dosage of at least 800mg per day will be more beneficial than 100mg/day. Most multivitamins have small strengths of several vitamins and minerals, when taking these with a well-balanced diet, the product will supplement. But most of us buy supplements because we do not eat right therefore expect these supplements to give us everything our bodies need in lieu of good nutrition. This is not always the right thinking. However, there are those supplements such as glucosamine that are hard to find on food sources and we need to know what is the best strength. In those cases if you do not have a health professional helping you, the safest thing to do will be to follow the manufacturer's daily recommendation.
December 24, 2008 - 12:41amThis Comment
Virginia, what an awesome post!
You have answered many of the questions I've had about buying supplements or vitamins. I'm especially glad to know about the dark glass, as I'd wondered about that. I am going to ask you about something you mentioned but didn't address -- strengths.
I know that more is not usually better, and so I wonder why, for instance, the manufacturers make so many different strengths of Vitamin E, or C. I know in the case of vitamins, there are recommended daily allowances to go by. But with supplements (maybe chondroitin or glucosamine supplements, for instance), there doesn't seem to be a standard.
In general, do smaller strengths tend to be best? Are the directions on the bottle developed with the average person in mind?
December 23, 2008 - 9:58amThis Comment