Step by Step Guide to Choosing Dietary Supplements

Tips on how to properly choose supplements and get the best benefit for your health

Step #1: Determine your reason for needing a dietary supplement

* If it’s not broke then do not fix it

• No need of taking a multivitamin daily if your levels are normal, focus on obtaining your nutrients through the foods that you eat (real food is the best medicine)

* Are you not getting enough nutrients from the foods you eat?

*Do you have lab results showing your blood levels are low in Vitamin D, iron, vitamin c or etc.?

*What part of your health are you trying to improve (joint health, heart health, overall mood etc.)?

Step #2: Educate yourself to find out which supplement will help you with the health outcome you are trying to reach

* Your pharmacist is a great resource

*When browsing the internet try to find evidence-based suggestions

Step #3: Research the manufacturer

*Look for products that contain the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) logo or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) mark

• These logos indicate that these products meet additional testing standards so you can trust that these products contain what they say they do and are not contaminated

*Click the links below to view the USP dietary supplement standards

• https://www.quality-supplements.org/Verification

• https://www.usp.org/verification-services/verified-mark#:~:text=Seeing%20the%20USP%20Verified%20Mark,the%20declared%20potency%20and%20amounts.&text=USP%20Dietary%20Supplement%20Verification%20helps,a%20product%20they%20are%20purchasing

*Be mindful that some products may just contain the letters USP and that is not the same as having the USP logo

*Click the link below to view a list of USP verified supplements

• https://www.quality-supplements.org/verified-products

*Click the link below to view the NSF dietary supplement standards

• https://www.nsf.org/about-nsf/nsf-mark#:~:text=The%20NSF%20mark%20is%20your,certification%20organizations%20in%20existence%20today.&text=The%20NSF%20mark%3A,to%20established%20standards%20or%20guidelines

*Look at independent consumer testing companies

• ConsumerLab.com and Labdoor are two third party companies that perform their own analyses of different dietary supplements

*ConsumerLab.com charges a monthly fee for access to their information

• https://www.consumerlab.com/about/

*Labdoor’s information is free with an email sign-up

• https://labdoor.com/about

*Browse the company’s website to view their standards

Step #4: Select the supplement of your choice

*Watch out for side effects, drug interactions, and allergic reactions

*Add the supplement to your medication list

*Work with a professional if needed

*Follow label instructions

Step #5: Enjoy the process of getting to know your body during your wellness journey

*There is no one-size fits all approach to maintain your health

*What works for someone else may not work for you

*You got this!

“In youth we learn; in age we understand.” -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

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