Can you trust the supplements you take? How do you know if a supplement is good or a scam? Somebody asked me this question and it was so good I felt it was deserving of this video review. In this short supplement review video, I'll share with you 5 things I look for, think about and do when I investigate a dietary supplement. Below the video I've listed other pro-tips too so be sure to read those as well.
Video Review: 5 Supplement Buying Tips
Other Things To Be Aware Of
The video provided 5 things to think about and watch out for when deciding if you will buy a supplement. Here are more things to consider.
6. Supplement Buzz Words
Most supplements have snazzy names. That's all fine a good but, when I see words like:
- Lipo
- Thermo
- Extreme
- X (X is in the name)
- Phen
I advise caution.
Often when I see words and prefixes like these, it means the supplement contains stimulants. I'm not a fan dietary supplements like fat burners. I believe the risk outweighs any possible benefit they might have. Also, their research is not as great as many think.
What do stimulants do? The hope is they will raise your metabolism, causing you to burn more calories. In theory, this is supposed to help people lose weight. But, what stimulants really do is
- raise your blood pressure
- raise your heart rate
- elevate your blood sugar
- squeeze your blood vessels together
Stimulates can interact with medications and may not be safe in people with health problems. For these reasons, I don't like them.
Fiber supplements have the strongest weight loss evidence.
7. Free Samples
I see a lot of advertisements saying “if you act right now” you can get a bottle of supplements for free. But is that free sample really free? Usually not, because you are still paying for shipping and handling. That's not a big deal because I don't expect a company to send out supplements for free.
The real problem with free sample offers is they often enroll you into an autoship program. This means you will automatically start getting supplements sent to you unless you cancel before a certain time. Sometimes companies will give you a month to cancel. Other times, you may have less time.
If you are going to try a free sample of a supplement, MAKE SURE you know when you need to cancel or you will be charged – sometimes a lot.
And NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give a company access to your checking or savings account! If you do this, the company can take what they want directly from your bank account! Always use a credit card. A credit card will be your barrier between you and the company.
8 The Hidden Price Scam
If you go to a website and are required to enter your email address in order to see the price of a supplement, don't do it! This is a scam.
Even if you decide to not purchase the supplement, the company now has your email. What will they do with it? Will they:
- send you emails?
- sell your email address to others?
If you give them your email address, they can STILL make money off of you even if you did not purchase the supplement.
If you do not see a supplement price listed, don't buy that supplement.
My Thoughts
There are some very good and honest supplement companies out there. The trick is knowing which ones are which. Hopefully the tips and advice I gave you here will help you find good supplements which you have faith in.
Any questions or comments?
Hi Joe,
What are your thoughts on micronutrient testing to determine what supplements, if any, we need, at the cellular level? We usually hear a lot about Vitamin D testing but not as much about other nutrients. There is a company that tests for 31 vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and metabolites. You can see the list here. spectracell.com/micronutrient-test-panel
In PA, the tests need to be ordered by a provider, and these are most likely not covered by insurance.
There are other companies that do this too.
A physical therapist who specializes in bone health had recommended micronutrient testing. She had it done herself a few years ago.
Judy, so one question I have about blood testing for nutrients is they only tell us what the levels are at rest. The test doesnt tell us what the levels are during exercise. Also, nutrient testing in the blood may not reflect what those levels are in the cells.
For example, I see they measure COq10. This nutrient works in the mitochondria of the cells. If our blood level was low, does that also mean the levels in the cells are low too? For somethings -like vitamins and minerals – the testing may be worth taking a look at. But for other things like amino acids- I’m not convinced.
If the test is costly and not covered by insurance, that would factor into my decision to try it or not.