What makes us buy supplements? For me personally, I use supplements literally to supplement my diet and my body.
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If I can’t get it from food, can’t make it, or can’t get the therapeutic dose I need from my diet, that’s when I will supplement.
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I don’t supplement the same things all year round, with the exception of 2 specific items. Everything has a therapeutic purpose to mitigate a specific effect.
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And I pick my supplements very carefully. I’m talking about:
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1) Quality of the product; are high quality ingredients being used? Are they organic? Are they using the whole plant extract (where applicable), or just the root/leaves etc?
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2) What agents are they using to bind all the ingredients together? Do they contain gluten (yes, really)?
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3) What form are they in? Pill? Tablet? Capsule? Liquid? This matters, because this will give me an idea of how long it will take for the supplement to become activated in my body, and how likely I am to be able to absorb & release the ingredients (sometimes I want a slow absorption & release for some situations).
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4) What’s their chemical preparation?
For example, iron supplements can be extremely constipating in one preparation, and very gentle on the stomach in another preparation.
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5) What other nutrients are in there? Do they have a synergistic effect which help the function/absorption of one another? What combination is best for the situation at hand? For example, would I prefer a zinc + vitamin C, or a magnesium + vitamin C supplement?
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6) What’s the dose per serving? Is it providing me with the right amount I need for what’s going on? Is it good value per serving?
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It’s crucial that you consult a professional before you start taking supplements, because while supplements are not as immediately effective as pharmaceutical drugs, they do interact with medications, health conditions and other supplements, and you CAN make yourself sick and alter your biochemistry if you don’t know what you’re doing.
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Finally, it’s important to use supplements for what they’re intended to be – supplemental aids to a good foundation. They’re not there to correct a bad diet and/or poor lifestyle habits.
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