The facts you need to know before you waste your money
When choosing a supplement to enhance your health, it can be very confusing and extremely overwhelming. Approximately 75% of the world takes some type of supplementation each day. With millions of products and thousands of brands to choose from, no wonder people get discouraged.
Eating a balanced diet is the best way to receive vitamins and minerals; however it is nearly impossible to maintain a complete nutrient rich diet. Modern farming has reduced the nutrient density of the foods found in our supermarkets today through mass production, high levels of food processing and the use of dangerous pesticides and growth hormones.
So how do you go about ensuring you get enough daily vitamins and minerals?
The purpose of this article is to look at several important factors when choosing a supplement.
The facts you need to know before choosing a supplement.
#1 Not all vitamins and dietary supplements are created equal.
There are three different grades of raw materials used to produce supplements:
-Pharmaceutical Grade – meets pharmaceutical standards
-Food Grade - meets standards set for human consumption
-Feed Grade – meets standards set for animal consumption
The difference between each grade type is one of quality and purity. No substance is 100% pure; there are always various added substances. Each grade varies on how much of these substances are present in each product. There are several criteria by which pharmaceutical grade are judged. The product must be in excess of 99% purity with no binders, excipients, fillers, dyes or unknown substances. Therefore, making pharmaceutical grade the obvious choice.
You should not settle for anything less than pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements. This will assure you that you are getting your money’s worth.
#2 Are you receiving proper absorption?
There are many forms that supplements take to transfer nutrients into your cells. As we age our enzyme bank depletes. It becomes more difficult for our bodies to breakdown the food and nutrients so we can properly absorb them. The delivery system is vital to be able to receive the benefits and enhance your health. Nutritional supplements can be purchased in tablets, liquids, powders and capsules.
Tablets are usually hard and consist of binders, fillers and coatings to maintain their shape. Binders and fillers can be invasive to the body, causing nausea or stomach upset. Coatings can prevent the tablet from dissolving and efficient absorption. Very few companies have been able to manufacture a tablet that gives proper benefits. You may have heard the stories of tablets found in sewers still fully intact. Obviously no absorption took place.
Capsules are more bioavailable. Bioavailability is the degree to which a nutrient is available to the body for use. Capsules will breakdown easier than tablets but that doesn’t say they are free of fillers. Capsules use fillers to make the capsule look full and act as a non-caking agent.
Liquids are easier to absorb but may require heavier dosing to achieve results. They can be cumbersome when traveling and often have an unpleasant taste if not disguised with a sweetener. Some sweeteners are harmful while others are perfectly acceptable.
Powders are easily absorbed and are bio available. Powders are mixed with water to make them easy to consume and palatable. When properly mixed they become isotonic or the “same pressure” as your blood and saliva. This allows the product to bypass the stomach and go directly to the small intestine where absorption takes place. You receive a higher degree of absorption which gives greater benefits. Making this a good choice.
Absorption is the direct result of an effective and beneficial delivery system.
When looking on the supplement bottle, you will see the dose of each nutrient contained. This number may be correct, but the amount that is actually being absorbed is an entirely different story.
For example; you look and see that your products contains 1000 mg of calcium. That’s great, but if that products literally travels through your body and ends up in the toilet without breaking down. How much of that 1000 mg did you actually receive?
The end result comes directly on how well and how much your body is absorbing.
#3 Expiration dates
Check the expiration date. Do not buy nutritional supplements that are expired or that may expire before you finish them.
The concern is that the product may be less effective or the dosage may vary.
Vitamin manufactures will increase their vitamins slightly to cover the time period that it may be kept on the shelf. A quality manufacture will be sure their vitamins are approximately at the listed strength at the time of expiration. Most products are safe for up to 1 year after expiration; they will start to age and break down over time.
#4 Fancy advertising
Companies will spend thousands of dollars on fancy ad campaigns and catchy slogans to convince, entice and lure the general public into buying their products. These are usually ploys used when their products are not high in quality or they lack results.
Our goal is to help educate you with information so you feel qualified to make an informed decision and not be swayed by gimmicks.
Look for testimonials and proof of results.
#5 Does Price Matter?
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
You get what you pay for.
Are you wasting your money? Here is another example; you find a supplement that you want to take, a sixty day supply for $20. You feel you have found a great deal. However it does not breakdown, it is only 10% bio available. You will only receive 10% benefit from that product, 90% is useless. You literally are flushing $18 down the toilet. Now was that such a great deal?
Vitamin quality is directly related to the price. Higher quality products simply cost more to create. Just like anything in life, there is no free lunch.
Don’t be cheap when it comes to choosing a quality supplement. If you’re going to take the time and spend the money, find a product that is actually going to give you benefits and results.
Most vitamins found in grocery stores are only food grade so be forewarned. Pharmaceutical grade supplements may be a little more expensive but you will receive a product that your body will actually utilize rather than waste.
When choosing a supplement to help with a challenge remember to allow time for it to work. It took time for the challenge to occur; it also will take time to see improvements. For example, you will not get a wash board stomach by doing just a few sit-ups. Keep committed and you will see results.
We here at Health and Nutrition Basics hope we have helped guide you when choosing supplements.
The only recommendations we will ever make are for proven quality supplements that are safe and have a history of positive results.
We have hundreds of testimonials on success stories. CLICK HERE for a recommendation on a high quality product line.
Have a Healthy and Successful Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment