| Today's nutritional supplements customer is | | | | clear bottle or container. |
| looking for quality supplements at reasonable | | | | *Choose companies that make no claims of FDA |
| prices. However, in this quest, many people opt | | | | approval on their products or website. The FDA |
| for cheap supplements solely for the cost savings. | | | | does not approve supplements. |
| They assume that all supplements are basically | | | | *Choose companies that offer non-synthetic |
| the same and see no point in paying extra for | | | | forms of certain vitamins like Vitamin E and |
| so-called "premium" nutritional supplements. | | | | beta-carotene which are not only ineffective,but |
| The reality is far different. In many cases, cheap | | | | can be toxic. Avoid companies that either, singly |
| supplements are ineffective and may even | | | | or in a multi-vitamin formulas, list |
| potentially be hazardous to your health. Below are | | | | dl-alpha-tocopherol (synthetic E) and not |
| some of the major things to pay attention to | | | | l-alpha-tocopherol or natural mixed tocopherols; |
| when shopping for nutritional supplements: | | | | vitamin D2 and not Vitamin D3. |
| *Avoid supplements from discount stores and the | | | | *Choose companies that offer standardized |
| "big box" retailers. Wal-Mart and Target may be | | | | extracts of herbs that state not only the |
| great places to shop for consumer staples such | | | | strength of the extract like (4:1) but what it is |
| as paper towels and soda, but their generic | | | | standardized for like Milk Thistle Extract |
| brands of vitamins and supplements are of very | | | | standardized to 80% silymarin. |
| low quality. | | | | *Choose companies that offer forms of the |
| *Choose companies that provide detailed label | | | | vitamin that are most readily absorbed like |
| information on its contents: suggested use like | | | | capsules and liquids. Avoid companies that only |
| "take one soft gel per day with water"; full | | | | offer tablets. |
| product name; amount per serving like 100 mg, | | | | It's great that you choose to supplement your |
| % daily value if applicable; all ingredients such as | | | | diet with vitamins and other nutritional |
| fillers, binders, colors, flavors; lot number; | | | | supplements. After all, it's very difficult to get |
| company contact information; expiration date. In | | | | adequate amounts of the essential vitamins and |
| other words the more information the better. | | | | minerals through food alone. Many people also turn |
| Avoid companies with minimal information on the | | | | to herbs and other organic substances to further |
| label. | | | | bolster their health. We all are looking to save |
| *Choose companies that package their | | | | money these, but the great news is that you can |
| supplements to prevent degradation by light and | | | | have high-quality nutritional supplements without |
| moisture. Look for amber bottles with a desiccant | | | | breaking your budget. |
| pack inside. Avoid companies that package in a | | | | |