What I Tell My Patients About Supplement Quality
Your naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, or nutritionist has recommended you start taking supplements to give your health a boost. You’re on a budget and you’re trying to figure out how to get a good deal. You’re a bargain shopper, and think you could find a better deal on Amazon or another website.
Here’s why it’s important to have individualized supplement recommendations
Quality Control
You want to take a high-quality, professional supplement. Without third party or external verification, there’s no way to know for sure what you’re getting. At best, poor-quality supplements are filled with cheap fillers like wheat, corn, or soy. At worst, they’re filled with something that could harm you.
A popular choice for purchases is Amazon. If you’re going to buy from Amazon, you want to make sure you’re buying directly from the distributor to reduce the likelihood of counterfeit supplements. Even then, Amazon has no quality control of their supplements and don’t guarantee identity, storage, or efficiency.
Incorrect versions of the nutrients may not get the results you want
Certain forms of vitamins, like calcium and magnesium, are better absorbed in specific forms.
Some nutrients are harmful in high doses.
Here’s a few examples of where you can have “too much of a good thing”:
Iron: Too much iron is inflammatory—if you don’t need it, don’t take it! A quick blood test will tell us if you need an iron supplement.
Vitamin A: Can harm an unborn baby if mom takes too high of a dose.
Folic Acid: Can be harmful if you have a MTHFR gene variation.s
Here are some of the most common things you’ll hear me telling my patients about specific supplements and their quality:
FISH OILS
1. Since these are OILS, they can go rancid. Some people prefer fish oil in capsule form because let's face it, fish burps are the worst! But, if it's inside a capsule, it can be hard to tell if the oil has gone rancid. Do the whiff test--stick your nose inside the bottle, and if it smells like rancid oil/bad fish, replace it. If you’ve had it for over a year, it's expired.
2. Fish oil supplements will concentrate heavy metals and other contaminants. Make sure you are using a high-quality brand that tests for contamination.
VITAMIN D
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and has to be taken with fat in order to be absorbed in the gut. Are you taking your Vitamin D with meals high in healthy fats? If not, consider buying a Vitamin D already in a fat soluble base. Check the label and look to see if it already contains an oil- MCT is the oil most commonly used. And once again, smell for rancid oils!
MULTIVITAMINS
Are they a waste of money?
Well...it depends. If your health is great and your diet is rich in a variety of plant and animal products that are organic, local, and seasonal, and your digestion is on point, then you probably don't need a multivitamin.
If your diet is kind of healthy, you are vegan or vegetarian, you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or you have digestive problems that affect your ability to absorb nutrients--you may benefit from a multivitamin.
Cheap multivitamins (Centrum, Costco, TJs...) often have SO little nutrient levels in such poor forms--honestly, you're just wasting your money. Don't bother!
*Make sure your multivitamin has "methylated folate", and NOT folic acid. The newest research shows that many people have a decreased ability to utilize folic acid, and it may be harmful to have too much. If a supplement contains folic acid, it is generally poor quality. The reputable brands know to use folate (you may see it as MTHF on the label).
HERBS
Be careful when buying herbs. ONLY buy from high-quality herb companies.
You want to make sure you are taking the correctly identified herb in the right form that has been harvested at the right time and extracted in the right way that wasn’t grown with pesticides or herbicides. Phew. Some herbs are more potent or effective when in a certain form like a capsule, tincture, or tea. Talk to your naturopathic doctor about good quality companies and what forms of each herb are best for you.
I hope this info encourages you to take your supplement quality a little more seriously. Don’t waste your money, and get the most medicinal value you can out of what you take!
I give all my patients access to my online supplement dispensary, Fullscript, found here. Everything I recommend from this site is professional grade and high quality.
Meet Your Doctor
Hi, I’m Dr. Caitlin Fanning!
I help women who are struggling with hormone imbalances, fatigue, and infertility optimize their hormones and get their life back so they can feel like their best self.
If you're ready to take charge of your health and make real, lasting changes to your energy, your hormones, or your overall well-being, I would love to talk more!
