Let me begin by confirming that I am not about to try to sell you a particular brand of supplements, as is usually the case with these kinds of articles!
As you might imagine, I get asked about supplements a lot. It can be quite a confusing area, and there are a lot of supplements out there which can and do help, but there are also plenty which are unlikely to offer any benefits!
It’s also worth considering the reason you’re looking for a supplement which can add another thing to consider. This doesn’t mean the benefit you’re hoping to achieve, rather the fact that we often prefer to ‘take a pill’ rather than taking the bigger and perhaps more difficult action. Of course, it’s almost always easier to buy and take the supplement, but in my mind, getting a good foundation in place is crucial if you’re to get the benefit you hope from your supplement. You may even find you don’t need it at all once your foundation is strong!
Let’s go back to the supplements themselves. There are several reasons there are too many poor quality and ineffective supplements available.
First up, the margins in selling supplements can be give-up-your-day-job amazing. There are some unethical people out there trying to make quick money by selling in what is a largely unregulated industry. This is where you see bold claims and crafty before and after photos.
Next, because of the opportunity to make big money, new research is being released nearly every day to keep up with the increasingly huge array of products available. This means that for every product, there is some research to prove its effectiveness – some research is great and useful, but sometimes it can be misleading too.
We can look at this further. Dosing is important. Too often, I’ll find look up some research on a supplement which has potential value to a client, and we’ll find that the dosages shown effective in a trial are very difficult to find in real-life products available to buy. Something I looked at the other day offered a dose of 10% of the researched amount needed for the benefits shown!
So, my advice is this. There might be some exceptions to this for things like multi vitamins, vitamin D or even omega 3, but in general, get your foundations in place and then reassess your need for supplements. If you decide you would like to try a specific supplement, then take care to check out the research, effectiveness and dosing before seeking out a brand with a good reputation and who are available and open to discuss their products with you.
I’d be happy to guide you in any of this, so if you’d like some help please get in touch.