Well-being 06/11/2024

Buying dietary supplements online: 5 tips for making the right choice

The dietary supplements market is booming. With hundreds of brands, formulas and products to choose from, it's not always easy to find your way around. Especially on the Internet! And that's where you need to be careful: dietary supplements are not strictly regulated, and many people are trying to cash in on this craze, with products of poor quality, even dangerous to health, and misleading promises.
Discover 5 tips to to help you choose quality food supplements online.

 

5 tips for choosing quality food supplements

1. Targeting your specificneeds
   It's essential to choose food supplements that are adapted to your specific needs. In fact, multivitamins and other general-purpose products are not suitable for everyone and are generally not very effective/dosed. While our bodies need vitamins, proteins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids and many other nutrients to be in top form, we don't all have the same needs. Also, trendy products such as probiotics can have undesirable effects, such as gas, bloating and difficulty concentrating, depending on microbiota and deficiencies.
   That's why we advise you to identify your body's needs and your health intentions, either by using the selection tools offered by certain brands, or by turning directly to your GP to assess precisely what you need.

 

2. Concentration of active ingredients
   The quality of a dietary supplement is also defined by the concentration of its active ingredients. This concentration is important, as it determines a product's effectiveness. However, it varies from one product and brand to another, with differences of up to 7x more active ingredients in one product, requiring 7 times fewer capsules.
   Make sure you find out the recommended daily dose of active ingredients for each product, and choose a dietary supplement with an appropriate, real and reliable dosage, based on scientific norms, legislation and quality and safety standards, toavoid overdosing and other health risks.
   Also, beware of the absence of any indication of the active ingredient content of a dietary supplement, as the actual concentration of active ingredients is likely to be low. Similarly, pay close attention to the recommended daily dose and make sure you don't exceed it.  

 

3. Detailed composition
   Opt for products with transparent, detailed compositions ofeach ingredient and its content, as the composition as a whole is important for health.
   Check ingredients and synergies for bioavailability, such as piperine for curcumin, but above all make sure there are no non-recommended ingredients such as preservatives or additives, e.g. talc, glucose syrup, (modified) corn starch, etc., which can affect the composition of active ingredients, and worse, be dangerous if consumed in high doses.
   Also, remember to check for allergens (gluten, lactose, etc.).

 

4. Product certification and safety
   Choose food supplements that are certified organic, labelled or grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Indeed, some producers cannot benefit from recognized organic labels (AB Bio, Ecocert, etc.), as they can be expensive or difficult to obtain in certain regions of the world. However, they can guarantee pesticide- and fertilizer-free cultivation. By choosing these products, you can be sure that they have been produced in an environmentally-friendly way, and that you are limiting your intake of chemical and potentially toxic products.
   You should also consult your doctor about any contraindications, as some supplements may interfere with medication or be unsuitable for certain medical conditions.

 

5. Naturalness and bioavailability
   Favour products based on natural ingredients, as they are generally better assimilated by the body and have a higher nutrient content than synthetic products.
   Another factor to consider is bioavailability, or the ability of nutrients to be absorbed and used efficiently by the body at the metabolic level. In fact, a nutrient may be completely absorbed but have only low bioavailability. The chemical form of an active ingredient will have an impact on its bioavailability and activity. This bioavailability can also be increased by combining it with other compounds acting in synergy. It is therefore important to pay close attention to the form in which active ingredients are presented, and to their bioavailability.

 

Conclusion: choose a quality brand and know how to read the composition

Fortunately, some brands stand out for their commitment to offering quality products. To recognize them and make an informed choice, you need to consider the transparency of the composition, the active ingredient content and the quality of the ingredients.

By following these tips, you'll be able to navigate the world of online food supplements with greater peace of mind, and make choices that are beneficial to your health.

 

Green Ethnies quality charter

At Green Ethnies, we are committed to providing high quality dietary supplements, with :

• Titrated, bioavailable active ingredients
• Real, reliable and safe dosages, based on scientific standards and in compliance with legal requirements 
• Organic or pesticide/chemical agent-free ingredients
• Transparent composition with no non-recommended ingredients
• No allergens, nanoparticles or GMOs
• 100% natural and vegan products