Supplement Tips: 5 Things You Should Know

As a pharmacist, I am often asked how to select supplements.  People will ask what is the “best” ____ (fish oil, folate, magnesium, etc.)  and the “best” often depends on many factors.  My training in pharmacology and experience shopping for supplements for my family (for more than 10 years) has made me a discerning shopper when it comes to supplements.  Here are some suggestions for picking high quality supplements.

Tip 1: Dosage form. 

Is the supplement a tablet or capsule?  Manufacturers can compress many more vitamins into a tablet than a capsule.  It is cheaper to make tablets than capsules, which translates to cheaper supplements for you. However, tablets have to be broken down by stomach acid and then absorbed (hopefully) in the intestines.  If you have any type of gut inflammation that may be caused by things like food allergies, lots of antibiotics, not having the appropriate pH in the stomach, it may be much harder to break down the tablet and extract the nutrients. 

In contrast, capsules hold fewer nutrients so you will have to take more capsules and it might be a bit more expensive.  Most capsules easily fall apart when they reach the stomach making it easier for the intestines to absorb the nutrients.  However, the same criteria about gut inflammation still apply to capsules.  Weighing these differences, as a general rule, I purchase as many supplements as possible in capsule form.

Tip 2: Sourcing.

Where does the product come from?  Is it made in a lab or is it derived from a food?  Reputable companies will highlight the steps they have taken to:  1) verify the authenticity of the product, 2) verify the product is organic if it’s a food based product or herb; and; 3) outline the testing they use to verify the product is what the manufacturer claims it is. This is important information to ensure you are getting the product that is on the label and that you do not take supplements that have been tainted by contaminants.

Tip 3: Testing.

These are all questions you should ask about the supplements you buy. Does the company do testing? What does the company test? Do they test their raw ingredients and their finished products?  Do they test for contaminants? Do they test their finished product to make sure that the quantity of product on the label is what they find? Do they do 3rd party testing on their final products? Do they test for stability? Can you call the company with the lot number and request their quality assurance testing summary?

Just as important as testing the source of their ingredients, it is also imperative that the company tests for mold, pesticides, rancidity (is something rancid, like fish oil?) heavy metals and other microbes in both their initial and final product. 

Testing is expensive and time consuming.  Companies that test their products are proud of the steps they have taken to test their products and will highlight it on their website.  These are all excellent examples of different certifications companies will obtain to ensure you are receiving a high quality product that contains what the label says.

NPA (Natural Products Association), NSF Dietary Supplement Certification Program, OTC (Over the Counter Drug GMPs), USP Certification, TGA  (Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration), ISO 9000, and the requirements of the FDA Dietary Supplement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

Asking these questions will help ensure you receive a high quality supplement from a reputable company.

Tip 4: Fillers. 

When companies make tablets or capsules, they have to add a type of filler to help the nutrients stay together and to provide a way to disperse the nutrient evenly in the capsule or with other ingredients.  Additionally, companies need to use a type of lubricant on the tablets or capsules to ensure they easily move through the machine.    When you look at the back of the bottle, look under “inactive ingredients” or “other ingredients.”

These are the types of ingredients you don’t want to see: Dyes (anything with a number after it) hydrogenated oils,  titanium dioxide, starch, stearic acid, vegetable gum, talc, and propylene glycol. 

I look for fillers and lubricants that have not shown to be harmful to the body:  Methylcellulose, Ascorbyl palminate, Vegetable sterate.

Reputable companies will have a very short list of “other ingredients.”

Tip 5: Ingredients.

There are many ways supplement manufacturers can cut corners to save money.  One way is they create “proprietary blends.”  In this way, they do not list out the individual amounts of the ingredients, they just lump them all together and give you a total mg.  In this way, you do not know how much you are getting of a particular ingredient, and they might put less of the costlier ingredient into the formulation.  Another thing to look out for is more detail about specific ingredients.  For example, a listing may include “Riboflavin 25mg” or “Riboflavin (from Riboflavin 5-phopshate 20mg, Riboflavin 5mg).”  The later example uses a more costly form of riboflavin (Riboflavin 5-phosphate), but they also share that they use cheaper form of Riboflavin and they tell you the amounts each Riboflavin contributes to the total mg. I like to buy supplements from companies that put as much information as possible onto the labels.  After you have done your research and found the companies that meet your criteria, and you feel they are reputable, then I would feel comfortable purchasing the occasional proprietary blend from them.  Most reputable companies have very few proprietary blends and the ones they create will uphold the same stringent criteria they use for their other products.

It is a great exercise is to start reading labels when you go shopping so you can begin to educate yourself on the different ways companies supply information to you.  Start looking at different companies and see what they advertise on their websites and what types of certifications and testing they highlight or do not highlight.  If you would like more information, you can check out Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements or https://www.crnusa.org/resources/one-dozen-tips-consumers https://www.crnusa.org/node/95

Still have questions? Contact us at info@toolboxgenomics.com