I still occasionally struggle with buying supplements and keeping what I need every month organized. I used to have the worst time remembering when I need to re-order supplements or if the website I am purchasing my supplements from is the best. I have developed three simple strategies that will improve your supplement buying experience.
1. Make a spreadsheet with all the supplements you take.
I recommend using Google Docs, but you can use any spreadsheet software. In the spreadsheet you should list Type, Name, Brand, Concentration, Form, Amount, What Time / Day the Supplement is Taken, and By Whom. You will be able to access this information from any device with an Internet connection.
2. Double check your dosages/brands with an expert or research before purchasing.
Some people will hear about a new supplement and will not check if the claims are based on research before purchasing. You have no way of knowing how a supplement will interact with anything you are taking. You should always find an expert you trust that can look at your list and make proper adjustments. I offer one-hour coaching sessions and would love to help you improve your regimen. Many times you can eliminate products or lower the dosages, which will save you time and money.
At a bare minimum research a supplement before adding it to your regimen. Here is a recommended book on naturopathy that people should use to help with deciding: Prescription for Nutritional Healing.
3. Some Pros/Cons to ordering supplements online.
In my new book, Fix Your Gut, I go into extensive detail about buying supplements online and give a breakdown of the popular buying options. I recommend buying them locally if all possible. Buying locally helps the local economy and ensures that you are getting the freshest product. Below is an excerpt of the book on buying from Amazon.
Buying on Amazon.com
Pros:
- Buying your supplements on Amazon can save you a lot of money.
- Amazon carries an excellent selection of supplements, many of which are hard to find.
- Free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership.
- Amazon itself has a great return policy on expired supplements.
- Amazon has multiple reviews and an established rating system for most supplements.
Cons:
- Some supplements may be more expensive than other websites due to market demand and distributors.
- Different distributors have different return policies which may cause issues in returns.
- Limited international shipping.
- Depending on what state you live in, you may be charged sales tax on every order.
Pros:
- Buying your supplements on Amazon can save you a lot of money.
- Amazon carries an excellent selection of supplements, many of which are hard to find.
- Free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership.
- Amazon itself has a great return policy on expired supplements.
- Amazon has multiple reviews and an established rating system for most supplements.
Cons:
- Some supplements may be more expensive than other websites due to market demand and distributors.
- Different distributors have different return policies which may cause issues in returns.
- Limited international shipping.
- Depending on what state you live in, you may be charged sales tax on every order.
If I have to order online, I use Amazon or Pureformulas to order most of my supplements. Amazon does an incredible job with shipping; my orders arrive in two days with Amazon prime. One of main concerns with ordering from Amazon is that I occasionally receive an expired product.
I once received expired ubiquinol, and had taken half the bottle before realizing it was expired. Ubiquinol does not have the best odor, but when taking it, I felt that the expired supplement was always a little off. The product was almost expired by a year. I was lucky, if it were a different product it might have made me ill. If you use Amazon to purchase your supplements try to buy directly from Amazon and not other distributors, unless they have a high rating. This way it is least likely you will receive expired product.
Here is a list of my three favorite supplements to buy from Amazon.com:
- Thorne Research Basic Nutrients V
- Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate
- Jarrow Formulas Ubiquinol Plus Pqq
What are some questions or stories you have about buying supplements?
Hello, I am in poor health right now. I “take a stab” at taking vitamins that are good for me. I have heart problems, diabetes, UTIs, a TERRIBLE constipation problem since my teens. I could go on and on. Too many antibiotics. I want to know how much you charge to get a person on the road to taking the right supplements. I just got a prescription from my cardio for FOLTX. After reading the ingredients, I am searching now for the right forms of B6, learning about NAC and folic acid. I am a vegetarian so I already take B12 the M version, not the C. The ingredients in FOLTX seem to be the wrong form and why three colors? Anyway, I know my gut needs to be straightened out before anything else works. I take cascara, have tried strong probiotic pills, yogurt, aged cheeses, kefir, sour dough…am trying to stay off of laxatives, have horrible reliance. Can you help?
your q10 link on amazon is the one without pqq; is this correct?
Both are acceptable. Pqq can help produce extra energy and increase mental function.
What are your thoughts on the Forbes article “the top 5 vitamins you shouldnt take”? The studies suggest that some vitamins can be very harmful and these vitamins are usually found in most multi’s. It makes you question the entire industry.
This article has a few truths, and a whole lotta of lies. First of all, yes large amounts of B6 can cause nerve damage (500 mg daily for months.) But if B6 wasn’t so helpful in treating neuropathy why would pharmaceutical companies turn it into the first vitamin / drug: Pyridoxamine? Also most studies that showed vitamin E in a negative light used synthetic vitamin E produced from petroleum (vitamin E DL.) The multivitamin study the author referenced also used all of the poorly absorbed, crappy forms of vitamins that can actually have a negative impact though ingestion. This Forbes piece comes straight from the propaganda machine known as the 4th branch of government the media!
I’m interested in a brand called seeking health… Compared them to others and it seems to have a good mix of vitamins and minerals in more easily absorbed forms… But it’s an online buy through a naturopathic doctors company/ lab. But actually you can buy through amazon and other places… But should the fact that’s it’s a doctors design especially since its formulated more for genetic mutations and thats his selling point,raise red flags?
Not, necessarily that doctors designed it persay. Jarrow Formulas has a counsel of doctors that help formulate and approve supplements. I would stick with more known companies like Pure Encapsulations, Thorne Research, Now, Life Extension, and Jarrow to be honest.