Are You Getting the Biggest Bang Out of Your Supplements?

"What you pay for a certain amount of a nutrient or active ingredient in a natural remedy or supplement is not necessarily what your body is getting."
--- Natural Remedies and Supplements

Many of us buy our nutritional supplements based on cost, not on content. We assume that one bottle of echinacea is equal to another, even if one contains capsules and the other a tincture.

However, what you pay for is not always what your body gets. The latter depends more on your body's ability to adapt to the trace level properties it has available. This bio-availability is affected by both physiological and dietary variables.

For example, how much iodine your body can use depends on the level of selenium in your body. Here, iodine and selenium are co-factors in a physiological variable that determines how much iodine your body can use.

Natural Remedies and Supplements states that "dietary variables include synergistic relationships where two or more elements work more effectively inside the body. For example, citrate or histidine enhanced zinc increases absorption by maintaining and supporting the body's supplement transportation system and the mobility of the elements."

Antagonistic ingredients can also affect the body's ability to absorb supplements. Too much cadmium or copper affects zinc's ability to do its job.

Bio-Availability of Supplements

The form of supplements you take affects the amount of the nutrients your body can absorb. According to the Physicians Desk Reference #49, the bio-availability of supplements is broken down as follows:

If you take regular tablets, your body absorbs 5-10% of the nutrients
For gel caps, your body absorbs 15-20%
For citrate and chelated pills, your body absorbs 25-30%
For skin patches, your body absorbs 45-50%
With liquids taken sublingually (through the mouth), you absorb 60-70% of the nutrients
With patented fructose compound tablets, you absorb 80%
With skin injections, you absorb 70-80%
With liposome oral sprays, you absorb 90-95% of the nutrients.

Make sure that you are buying supplements in the best form for your body's use. A few easy steps are suggested to help you ensure that you are getting quality in the supplements that best address your needs:

Check the label for suppliers name and contact information.
Independent verification of the product.
Percentage of standardized extract.
Clear directions for use.

Don't let price be the guide to your supplement purchase. Erase the confusion surrounding nutritional supplements. Read Natural Remedies and Supplements to understand the dynamics of supplementation. Ensure that you get the best bang for your buying power.

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