Subscribe Feed (RSS)7 Questions to Ask When Shopping For Effective, High Quality Health Supplements
July 2nd, 2009 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.If you’ve just decided to “get healthy” the vast array of available health supplements can be intimidating. Determining what health supplement you need is relatively easy; there are countless books and guides dedicated to this subject.
The difficult part of selecting the right supplement starts when you are standing in front of several shelves of product. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, even when you know what you need, because there are so many different brands and kinds to choose from.
For example, let’s say you are searching for collagen because you’ve heard that it can help your joint pain. In your left hand is a month’s supply of collagen capsules that costs $18. In your right hand is a month’s supply of liquid collagen drink that costs $40.
Both products mention joint pain. Both products contain collagen. Is there a difference between the two products? Is the difference big enough to justify the difference in the price?
The following seven questions are designed to help you find the highest quality product no matter what health supplement you are looking for:
Does the Product Contain Sufficient Levels Of The Active Ingredients? – When a certain ingredient becomes a trendy remedy for a certain ailment, many health supplement companies will add that ingredient into their formula. Usually they only put in a sprinkle of it so they can print “NOW WITH X INGREDIENT!” on the package.
With this in mind you should know how much of the active ingredient was used to get measurable results in clinical trials. Always make sure the product you are investigating contains at least that amount.
Are the Active Ingredients Bioavailable? – To ensure that your body absorbs the highest possible amount of the active ingredients in the least amount of time you want to buy the product that is the most bioavailable.
Many factors can affect bioavailability but the most important is the method of administration. When the same active ingredient is available in many different methods (capsules, powders, and liquids for example) it is usually the liquid form that is the most bioavailable because the human body can put it to work in as short as 20 minutes.
Another factor that can affect bioavailability is the chemical structure of the active ingredient. For example: Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are two different forms of calcium, but one is more easily absorbed by the human body in a faster amount of time.
Before buying any health supplement do some research to determine the most bioavailable version.
Does the Manufacturer Use Superior Extraction Methods? – The method used to extract the active ingredient from a plant, animal, or mineral for use in health supplements can have dramatic results on the effectiveness of the final product.
For example: the active ingredient in New-Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels must be quickly flash-frozen immediately after extraction in order to retain the highest levels of the joint supporting compound it is famous for. If the active component in Red Yeast Rice is not extracted correctly it may contain a toxic chemical that is a by-product of the fermentation process.
When investigating a health supplement, be sure to find out the best possible extraction method to ensure that the final product has high levels of the active compounds and no other harmful byproducts.
Is the Product a Proprietary Formula? – When looking for a high quality supplement be sure to get one sold by a company that formulates their own products and doesn’t sell the formula to other companies. These companies take a more active role in the manufacturing process and the result is usually a higher quality product.
Does the Manufacturer Use High Quality Ingredients from High Quality Sources? – Most consumers don’t know this but many supplement companies have no idea where the ingredients in their products come from. These companies leave it up to the manufacturer to source the ingredients for their products.
High quality health supplements start with high quality ingredients from reliable sources. Every active ingredient, be it animal, vegetable, or mineral has a most desirable source.
For example: In order to avoid traces of toxic mercury, the fish used to create fish oil high in omega-3 fatty acids should be low on the food chain and come from pure waters in remote locations. The leaves of the Gymnema Sylvestre plant have high levels of a compound used to promote lower blood sugar levels but many supplement manufacturers use the less-effective stems and roots in order to cut costs.
If you see two supplements that have the same ingredients in the same amounts but one is priced much higher, changes are the more expensive one is using higher quality ingredients from a higher quality source. Usually, if you look on the label, the source will be in parentheses next to the ingredient, or at least it should be.
Is There Social Proof from Regular People That Indicates The Product Actually Does What It Says It Will? – Although many consumers’ minds are persuaded by a celebrity spokesperson, the savvy consumer of health supplements looks for testimonials from regular people who have used the products and are happy with the results.
If the company does not display rave reviews from happy customers in their marketing materials then chances are they aren’t getting any!
Will the Company Refund Your Money If You Are Not Happy? – The last and perhaps the most important thing to look for when purchasing a health supplement its guarantee. If a company is not willing to back their product with a full guarantee then even they don’t believe it works. If they don’t believe in the product then you shouldn’t either!
Jim Caras is the founder of the premium healthdirectusa.com” target=”_blank health supplement company Health Direct and is also the author of the reshapebook.com” target=”_blank healthy diet plan “How to Completely Reshape Your Body.”
Tags: diet, mineral
