What to know about buying supplements

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As with everything else, we need to consider the costs involved in buying supplements should we choose to use them, but there are potential hazards to buyer cheaper brands. Poor quality supplementation can come with hidden costs and can potentially be dangerous to our health. 

Here are a few things to consider:

Low-cost supplements often contain more fillers, binders, and additives that fill up the capsule or tablet but dilute the potency of the supplement. Also, many fillers can cause allergic reactions.

Cheaper supplements can have a lower bioavailability due to the inclusion of less absorbable forms of the nutrients they provide. Lower bioavailability means that our bodies are not able to utilize the nutrients which makes the supplement less effective. This can also cost more in the long term because you may need to take a higher dosage to get a therapeutic benefit.

To reduce production costs, some manufacturers can compromise on quality control measures which can result in contamination with bacteria, heavy metals, or other toxins that can be harmful to our health.

Labels on low-cost supplements can often be misleading. In some cases, they don’t list all the ingredients which can pose a risk for interactions with other medications.

The long-term health risks associated with taking poor quality supplements can cause cululative effects in the body and can exacerbate the very health conditions that you might be using supplements for.

Another consideration when looking at supplements is whether they are derived from natural or synthetic sources.

Natural supplements are directly derived from animal or plant sources, and they not only contain the primary active ingredient, but also other co-factors and compounds that are beneficial for our health. Natural supplements, much like whole foods, can work synergistically in our bodies and they also naturally have a higher bioavailability, so they are more efficiently absorbed and utilized by our bodies. Most natural supplements have limited side effects. The problem with natural supplements is that they can have a shorter shelf-life and they are usually more expensive due to the complex processes involved in extracting the active ingredients.

Synthetic supplements, on the other hand, are manufactured in laboratories. Their aim is to duplicate the structure of natural compounds so that they mimic natural compounds. While they may look similar in structure, our bodies receive and process them differently. Synthetic versions of minerals and vitamins often don’t have the same benefit as their natural forms. A benefit of synthetic supplements is that they are cheaper and often have a longer shelf-life, but they are not as bioavailable, and they do not contain the same co-factors and additional beneficial compounds that natural supplements contain.

When we buy supplements, we are investing in our health, so it is important for us to make sure that we choose wisely and get the advice of someone who can give you the proper information you need to make an informed decision.

Listen to my interview with Cliff Delmas from Radio Cape Pulpit on 11 April 2024 to learn more. Listen to my next interview on Thursday at 7.45am.