When shopping for supplements, make sure you read the ingredient labels carefully before you buy. The majority of multivitamins, individual nutritional and herbal supplements, and protein products contain 25 to 50 percent fillers, regardless of whether you are buying tablets, capsules, liquid, or powder. Fillers are chemicals used to help hold supplements together or to flavor, enlarge, or improve their appearance. They do not enhance the ingredients in any way and may actually provide health risks in some cases. More on additives to look for in supplements
You need to be a savvy supplement consumer. There are literally hundreds of supplements on the shelves and on the Internet and scores of manufacturers. Many companies take healthy nutrients and herbs and package them in ways that detract, interfere, even destroy their effectiveness, and perhaps harm consumers as well.
So when shopping for supplements, look for reputable manufacturers who do not use fillers, binders, and other additives. The product should have full contact information on the label or packaging that allows you to call or write for information about the supplement, as well as visit their website. A quality supplement will likely cost a little more, but a cheap product cheats you of what you bought the product for, and so it costs you much more in the long run.
The best strategy is to research those supplements that have the most clinical and research behind them for your specific concern, be it general wellness, prostate health, immunity support or whatever that might be. And then buy these products individually and in the best quality possible.
Tips on How to Buy Nutritional Supplements
Beware of fillers and additives
Shop for supplements that are free of fillers and other added ingredients. A list of fillers is usually separate from the list of added ingredients or the statement that says what is not in the supplement, such as wheat, yeast, milk, salt, soy, corn, starch, and sugar. People who want to avoid all animal products need to check labels for gelatin, which is made from animals. Capsules can be made from gelatin or a vegetable-base.
Consider the form
Nutritional supplements come in different forms, including tablets, capsules, gel caps, liquid, powder, and sprays. Herbal remedies are available as tablets, capsules, tinctures, solid extracts, fluid extracts, and teas. Choose a form that suits your needs and lifestyle. If you have difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules, for example, look for a liquid form or a powder that you can dissolve in liquid.
Read the warning statement
Supplements should have a statement that says whether it is not safe for people who have certain medical conditions, including pregnancy, allergies, or high blood pressure, for example.
Check the recommended use statement
The product should state exactly how to take the supplement—how much and how often. It may also include different doses for different ages or for children, men, and women.
For herbal remedies, choose standardized supplements
Herbal supplements are often labeled as “standardized” or “guaranteed potency extract.” This means that the product is guaranteed to contain a predetermined (standardized) amount of active ingredients.
Check for an expiration date
This should appear on the packaging. If you cannot find an expiration date, do not buy the product. An item on sale may be close to its expiration date. Also check when items may be selling as “buy one get one (or 2) free,” as they may be close to their expiration date and thus may lose their potency by the time you get to use them.
Look for the USP designation
The United States Pharmacopeia, or USP, is an independent, nonprofit organization that establishes standards of quality, strength, purity, packaging, and labeling for drugs and nutritional supplements. It is an indication that the product meets high standards.
Look at serving size
Take note of the servings required to deliver the stated dosage on the labeling. Some capsules may claim, for example, 320mg of saw palmetto but you may need to take 4 capsules to get the stated dose. This can be a problem for people who have problems taking capsules. Also, some “men’s health” or “prostate health” brands often throw in 20-30 ingredients thinking more is better when in reality, the active ingredients only have trace elements of the required herb or supplement and not enough to make a real difference.
