Health

You are the Judge – Supplements and Pure Substances

I frequently hear people asking about what is important regarding nutritional supplements. Basically, the most important thing is to use preparations that have been produced according to the pure substance principle. This way, one can be sure that there are sufficient health benefits.

Pure substances refers to active substances in the capsule shell. Dyes, pouring aids, additives, and binders are only necessary for marketing and are not essential. They can also cause irritations or allergies for some people.

So, use caution with colored capsules, high gloss pills, and the huge list of ingredients with many E numbers. Magnesium stearate, for example, is very popular with manufacturers for whom production levels are a priority. It sounds harmless and is nothing more than a lubricant.

Pressed products and tablets are not recommended because they need additives as binders and usually require coatings and dyes.

Good manufacturers of food supplements optimize formulations for human and nutritional purposes, not for their production machines and output speed.

Some sensitive recipes and raw materials can only be encapsulated by careful manufacture. Well-trained and experienced employees use special encapsulation machines to ensure a perfect product.

Quality nutritional supplements have a strong scientific basis and excellent product safety. The composition and purpose of a preparation must be developed on a scientific basis. A number of experts from the fields of nutritional science, medicine, and biology are necessary in this process. The product manufacturer should therefore be examined to determine if there is an academically trained scientific team behind the product. This is the only way to ensure that nutritional expertise has formulated the product and that the product is safe for use.

Quality manufacturers of food supplements use scientifically well documented branded raw materials and make this information available. This provides security and creates trust with the consumer.

The same importance relates to quality assurance, which should be prioritized. Quality manufacturers always use the same strict quality guidelines for their dietary supplements as for medications. Good quality assurance ensures that exactly what is on the outside of the label is inside the dietary supplement, and is well documented and traceable at all times.

Every reputable company should be able to present a certificate of marketability for your products on request, so consumers must be discerning in the interest of their health.

Furthermore, effective quality assurance ensures that impurities and cross-contaminations are not present. A good indication is if the manufacturer has several products on the Cologne List, which is a list of preparations that have been tested for prohibited doping substances and are therefore also suitable for professional athletes.

Many manufacturers, however, invest in huge advertising campaigns rather than in quality assurance, raw material quality, the scientific consulting. A colorful package, loud TV advertising, company headquarters on an island, and never getting a real person on the phone, should make consumers critical of their products.