Supplements Explained - Part 4
How to Find Great Supplements
In this section we’re going to be looking at:
How to spot a good supplement
Regulation/Guidelines in Canada, US, EU
Where to buy supplements
My favourite brands
I think the best way to dive into this section is with multivitamins. By looking at multivitamin supplements you’ll quickly see the difference between drugstore brands vs. health food store vs. more expensive brands
So let’s dive in :)
The 3 Levels of Multi-Vitamins –
Drug store brands –
These One-a-Day multis are very low quality and are hard to digest and assimilate.
These multis are hard on the body because:
They tightly press the tablets, making them easier to swallow but difficult for your digestive system
The fillers and coatings on the tablets contain waxes and dyes
They use cheaper forms of each nutrient, ones that are very hard to absorb
To be honest, you’ll barely get any nutrients from them, I don’t recommend these multis. It’s better to save your money than to stress your body with these multis.
Health Food store brands (lowest priced) –
Even the cheapest multi at a health food store is miles above the best pharmacy-brand. This is a great place to find a budget-friendly absorbable multi-vitamin.
These are better, because:
The tablets are less compressed, making them easier to breakdown
Many stores have lists of banned ingredients so filter out any products that use carcinogenic dyes or waxes
Usually, the types of nutrients they use are a higher quality/better form, making them much more absorbable
Generally, this is a great entry-level multi and a great option for most people.
Brands – there are many, like Progressive, Platinum, Sisu, and Natural Factors
Food-based multis (top end at health food store) –
Food-based multis got through a really interesting process where the nutrients are bound with food. This makes digestion and assimilation SO much better! You can even take these multis on an empty stomach, making it easier for non-breakfast eaters.
These are stellar multis because:
The nutrients are in the most absorbable form possible, making it easy on the digestive system or for anyone with gut problems
The tablets are easy to breakdown (and larger to swallow).
They’ll never contain any questionable ingredients.
To be honest, this is the only type of multi my body can digest after over-supplementing in the past. I’ve had great results from this type of multi, but it’s not very budget-friendly (so do what you can do :)
Brands – MegaFood, Earth & Sea (Natural Factors)
Supplement Regulation
This will just be a quick chat about supplement regulation. I wanted to touch on this because many people (including medical professionals, like doctors) aren’t aware of the strict regulation that supplements go through in certain countries.
I’ve heard from many med students that supplements can be legally sold as grass clippings in a bottle. That is 100% not true in Canada and the EU…but might be true in the US.
European friends – I’ve been in the Canadian supplement industry for almost 20 years and it’s the system I know the best. I know that the EU has great guidelines, similar to Canada, but I’m not as up-to-date with what’s going on as I am in Canada.
One thing I’d like you to remember is - There’s a HUGE difference in supplement regulation between the US and Canada. HUGE.
Canada has the strongest regulation of supplements in the world, the US is one of the more lax, and Europe falls somewhere in between (there are rumours that the EU is looking at Canada’s regulation system as a guide for theirs).
In the US, there is some regulation of supplements, but not a ton. What’s on the label “should” match what’s in the bottle, but there isn’t the same level of testing then there is in Canada.
This means, be very wary of supplement brands that are only sold in the US. Many high quality brands that are sold in both the US and Canada follow the strict regulation and testing required in Canada. But…there are many (mostly sold online) that haven’t been through this testing. Be wary of these brands.
I’ve done a few training tours for a Canadian supplement brand in the US and as soon as I say “all of the products are made in Canada and follow Canadian standards” all of the retail staff relax.
In Canada, all products that are on the shelves at any health food store, grocery store, or pharmacy require an NPN # (Natural Product Number #). This means they’ve gone the the most rigorous testing in the world. If you’re buying supplements through a Network Marketing company, always look for the NPN# to make sure it’s gone through the required testing.
I’m not going to talk about Naturopathic brands because they’re only available in dispensaries at ND offices. But, overall, they’re stellar brands that are always top notch. NDs are picky, so the ND brands are always top notch.
A note on “Pharmaceutical Grade” – Usually means that it’s a higher quality supplement, but really, it means the company that makes it thinks it’s a higher quality. There’s no official guideline for using the term “pharmaceutical grade”. It can be slapped on anything.
Where to buy Supplements
Pharmacy/Costco Brands –
These are budget-friendly brands, but aren’t always the best bang for your buck (although, sometimes they are).
Like with multivitamins, many supplements in this category either use forms that are harder to absorb (like Magnesium Oxide which is impossible to absorb), or use binders or fillers that are hard to breakdown.
One time I took a drugstore brand zinc tablet and it came out whole! Didn’t breakdown whatsoever! The next day I tried to break one up before I took it so it absorbed better, but I couldn’t break it with my fingers or even with a knife. It really opened my eyes up to the importance of tablets that can be broken down easily.
Test your tablet – can you break it with your fingers? If not, then it might be so highly compressed that your digestive system might not be able to break it apart either.
Okay supplements at the Pharmacy/Costco –
- B complex – if you don’t need a methylated option
- Vitamin D – unless you’ve struggled to absorb it in the past
- Protein powder – but…be aware that this will be a lower quality powder
- Magnesium – IF you can find a magnesium citrate or bisgylcinate form (stay away from mag oxide)
- Vitamin C – basic ascorbic acid will be okay for many of us (but a buffered version or a whole food Vit C can be more absorbable)
Don’t buy at the Pharmacy –
- Fish oil – usually their fish oil is pretty weak and you’d need to take 6 – 8 capsules to get a medicinal dose (1000 – 1500mg of EPA/DHA)
- Multivitamins – I know, they’re so much cheaper here! See the multi section above for more
- Calcium – calcium is very hard to digest and absorb without co-factors. If you need to take calcium, take it inside a bone building supplement. You’ll need less calcium and you’ll absorb it A LOT better.
Health Food Store –
I’ve had a close relationship with the supplement industry for over 18 years, and I really trust the products found in health food stores.
Why? It’s all about the staff :)
First, health food store staff are PICKY! They’re incredibly well educated and know their stuff. I’d argue that this is one of the most education-intense retail job around. They need to have a working knowledge of all of the supplements plus they need a basic understanding of most health conditions.
Secondly, they also see the results of each supplement every day from their customers. So, they quickly develop brand preferences and demand high-quality supplements.
And thirdly, supplement companies know that if their products aren’t liked and respected by the staff then they won’t sell. Over the years most companies have really upped their game re: testing and quality, all to appease the picky staff at health food stores.
This pickiness is to our advantage! We benefit from the quality they’ve demanded whenever we buy supplements. This is why I trust the brands that end up on their very crowded shelves.
Network Marketing –
My completely honest opinion about products that are sold through Network Marketing (otherwise known as MLMs) is that I’m not a fan.
To be completely frank, I know that this is also a very biased opinion. My experience has always been in the health food store brand supplement lines, not in network marketing. But, I have my reasons.
Reason #1 – They lack direct competition
I believe that the competition on store shelves makes products more innovative and better. When something is sold as a one-off, without any other options, it makes for an easier sell.
Reason #2 – They don’t have health food store staff pushing them to be better
Retail staff are our biggest allies in the supplement world. They ask questions that many of us don’t even think of and they keep supplement companies on their toes. I’ve done hundreds of trainings for staff, and they always hit me with very thoughtful and difficult questions.
Reason #3 – In many cases, you can find cheaper versions at the health food store
I find supplements sold through network marketing channels to be very expensive. Sometimes, that’s totally worth it…but not every time. Some of these supplement ‘systems’ can cost upwards of $1000/month!
Products priced at that sort of premium pricing don’t sell in stores, so companies are forced to keep their products at a much more reasonable price.
Some network marketing companies DO have a cool and innovative products that are totally worth the money…but it takes time and research to uncover that. All I’m saying, be wary with these lines, ask lots of questions, and do a bit of research before buying.
And please, if you disagree with me and would like to discuss this further (in a calm, fact-based way), please don’t hesitate to send me a message. I’m always happy to learn more :).
If you’d like to talk about this further, please note – over the years I’ve been approached by pretty much every network marketing company to sell their products (multiple times in some cases). This is not something I’m interested in, I’m open to talking about your experience, results, and passion about your product line but I’m not open to a sales pitch.
Great brands
I’m going to talk about brands available in health food stores. You’ll find there’s a huge range in price and quality at a health food store. I can’t talk about every brand, but here are some highlights :)
* These are all North American brands, with a couple that are Canada only (Botanica)
Budget-friendly and great quality - Natural Factors
This is my go-to company for almost everything when I’m looking for something that’s good quality & budget-conscious. They do a ton of safety and quality testing and can be trusted.
They’re amazing at nutrient supplements at great prices, like B complex and single nutrients. You’ll also find them in pretty much every category with a good mid-priced offering. They’re not always my first choice, but they usually make it to my top 3 in almost every category.
Protein & sports nutrition - Vega & Genuine Health
Both of these companies make good quality products at fair prices. They make great vegan protein options and Genuine Health makes a great high-end whey protein.
They also have a lot of whole food supplements and sports nutrition. Vega has an amazing electrolyte and Genuine Health has amazing collagen products.
Both are good choices when you find them on the shelves.
Green food powders – Botanica & Genuine Health
Genuine Health’s greens+ was the very first healthy thing I took/ate and made a huge difference in my health. I’ll always have a soft spot for them :)
Today I use Botanica’s greens because they’re stronger and don’t have any herbs. Both are really good (and highly tested) products.
Flavour-wise – Genuine Health’s greens+ are sweet and have a lot of flavour, great for those with really sweet taste buds. Botanica’s greens are unflavoured or lightly flavoured, better for those who find supplements too sweet sometimes
Medicinal Mushrooms - Host Defense
I think this is the coolest and most innovative supplement category today. I think we’re going to see a ton of mind-blowing research coming out of the medicinal mushrooms in the coming years.
When buying mushrooms it’s important to be REALLY picky. Mushrooms clean the environment of toxins…so if your mushroom supplement was grown outside of a pristine environment, then it might contain some of those toxins.
This is why my go-to mushroom company is Host Defense. This line is Paul Stamet’s line, who is the main mushroom expert in N. America (check out his TED talk here). He does amazing research and he’s very picky. He’s developed cutting edge ways of growing mushrooms and keeping the potency strong.
Probiotics - Flora, Genuine Health, and others
The probiotic section is HUGE! And there’s a lot of good stuff in there.
The probiotics that I’ve gotten the best results with my clients are Flora’s line. They’re budget-friendly and effective. Genuine Health’s probiotic line is my second favourite.
The most important thing about probiotic supplements is that they work for YOU! That’s all that matters, so keep trying different brands until you find one your gut likes :)
Liquid herbs – Botanica or A. Vogel
For liquid herbs and tinctures, Botanica and A. Vogel make great products. I’ve used both and they’re both strong and effective.
Naturopathic strength at the Health Food Store - AOR
If you’re looking for a REALLY strong product, like one you’d get from a Naturopath, check out AOR.
This company creates cutting edge and effective products that are available at the health food store. But, this means you also have to be careful when buying their products. Some of their products are so strong I don’t feel they should be available at the stores.
But, if you have a chronic health condition and you’re looking for the best, check out AOR :)
Did I miss anything?
Is there a type of supplement or brand you’d like my two cents on? Let me know and I’ll add it to the list! <3
Jump to our private Facebook Group or the Ask Lisa page :)