A common question I get asked when prescribing in clinic and also on the shop floor is “why would I pay $50 for that when I get can it for $15 at chemist warehouse, or else where?” And believe me, I would be asking the same if I wasn’t in the know... ⠀
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The truth is there is a large variation in the types and quality of over the counter supplements. Here are some common things that can affect the quality and efficacy of supplements. ⠀
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1. Nutrient or herb levels are not in therapeutic range - The herb or nutrient levels are often too low to have a therapeutic effect at all. ⠀
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2. Incorrect plant part or adulteration -⠀
Mediherb are one of the few companies that produce herbal medicines that do comprehensive testing to ensure that the herbs they receive from suppliers are the correct herb, and that the levels of active constituents are within range. They use multiple tests to evaluate the levels of actives and to identify possible adulteration. It is unfortunate that there are a lot of dishonest suppliers of herbs across the world. There have been many identified cases of adulteration, where the supplier either uses a similar herb that is cheaper or adds chemicals to the herbal product so that certain colourations of markers are elevated. ⠀
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Read more about that here > ⠀
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3. Excipients - An excipient is a substance formulated alongside the active ingredient of a medication, included for the purpose of long-term stabilization. Certain excipients can impair absorption of the nutrients that the tablet contains. Other excipients can contain common allergens like gluten, soy and lactose.⠀
4. Poor bioavailability - The vitamin or mineral are presented in the wrong type. Nutrients are available in different forms providing different properties and different absorption rates. An example of this is iron. Iron is commonly prescribed in the form of ferrograd-C, this is a ferrous fumerate, which is very poorly absorbed in the intestines, leading to constipation and other GI related symptoms. This is easily avoided by using an amino acid chelate of iron, which aids absorption and typically comes with ascorbic acid for enhancement. ⠀
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5. Oxidation - Many nutrients and particularly oils are susceptible to oxidation and are not stable in supplement form.Fish oil is a classic example with huge price variations across the brands. When looking at spending money on fish oils ask yourself, if you saw two of the same car, one for $100 and one for $10,000, which one would you buy? Would you second guess the reason why one was so much cheaper. The same applies when selecting fish oils capsules. Producing 1000 fish oil capsules for just $30 comes at a price. Poor manufacturing practice leads to oxidisation of the product and can even end up causing greater levels of inflammation in the body, causing more problems for the consumer. ⠀
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These are the main reasons I like to prescribe practitioner grade and strength products when working with my clients. Because, to get a reliable and effective clinical result every time, we need to know what we are prescribing.⠀
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I also find that companies such as Metagenics have great customer care and if I do have to call and check a medication interaction or I’m unsure of Anything they will go above and beyond every time to ensure best practice and the safety of my clients.
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