The Importance of Reading Labels: Making Informed Choices About Supplement Value
, by Genetic Nutrition, 6 min reading time
Supplement Label Knowledge: Making Informed Choices
Supplements can be a great asset for you especially if you are into health and fitness because they can help fill in nutritional requirements you might lack in order to help you meet your goals. But browsing through the crowded aisles of supplements is not easy. Resonant slogans and bright packaging fight for your attention, and end up winning.
However, you should be wary of that.
This is where supplement label information becomes your superhero power that can help to transform your body. Label reading ensures that you pick the right supplements that will meet your nutritional needs and unique body requirements.
Cracking the Supplement Label Code: Key Information
What should you be looking at on the label of the supplement that you want to take? Here's a breakdown of the crucial details:
- Serving Size: This is the foundation, and it is on this foundation that they will build everything else. Make sure to focus on the listed nutrients and ingredients as each of them refer to this mentioned amount. In this case, it is good to note that plural containers that might seem like single serving containers may in actual sense be more than one serving.
- Daily Value (%DV): This percentage signifies a portion of the nutrient from the serving against the 100 percent of daily recommendation. When you are trying to figure out if a certain supplement plays a great role in your body, it will be of great help.
Decoding Supplement Ingredients: Friends or Foes?
This is what is enclosed in the capsule or the powder as shown in the list of ingredients. Here's how to navigate it:
- Active Ingredients: These are the heroes – the vitamins, the minerals, the herbs, or any other component that the supplement is supposed to help in providing. Expect them to be listed by name as well as by quantity, preferably in a stand alone list.
- Inactive Ingredients: These are used as supporting roles in a recipe; to hold components together, preserve foods, or in assisting in the growth of foods. Apart from this, certain people may develop certain reactions to other additive substances such as fillers, binders, and colours.
Try to buy those supplements that contain the least amount of non-active components and those that use natural or organic materials in the preparation of fillers as well as binders.
Understanding Potency and Forms
In addition to the dosage, the matters of the actual strength of the active components and types of the preparations can highly influence the efficacy of the supplements:
- Potency: This is considered to be the concentration per tab of the food supplement or per measure of serving the food supplement. For example, a Vitamin D3 can have its strength stated to be 2000iu (international units) per capsule. More so observe the daily recommended dietary allowance of the specific nutrient and if the dosage is actually just enough to meet the body requirements of a day or not.
- Form: It is also important to note that at times the form of the active ingredient is very critical in its absorption into the body. For example, the body can more readily take up certain minerals when they arrive in chelated forms while some vitamins can be easily absorbed when their ‘companion’ is fats. To this end, it is good to seek supplements that use the bioavailable forms of the active substances in the preparations.
Beware of Red Flags on Supplement Labels
Not all labels are created equal. Here's what to watch out for:
- Proprietary Blends: These hide the exact amount of each ingredient, making it impossible to assess the true value of the product.
- Exaggerated Claims: If a supplement promises a miracle cure-all, approach with caution. Look for realistic claims supported by scientific evidence.
- Hidden Ingredients: Some labels might sneak in sugars, artificial sweeteners, or unhealthy fats. Be wary of supplements with a long list of unnecessary additives.
Fuel Your Wellness Journey with Informed Choices
When you choose to pay particular attention to the information that is displayed on the supplement labels, you make yourself a more informed customer. You are also able to select food items that have been recommended to work well for your health concern, reduce chances of consumption of unhealthy components, including specific drugs, and get the best value for your money.
Now that all of that is out of the way, would you like to up your supplement intake or supplement knowledge a notch? Take a closer look at the Genetic Nutrition range! Our supplements are readily available, third-party certified, and have clear and accurate packaging and formulation. You are welcome to visit our website and discover the right formula for you to become the best version of yourself.
FAQs
- Should I talk to my doctor before consuming supplements?
Yes. A medical practitioner can professionally advise on the best supplements to take, the amount, and whether there are possible clashes with any of the medications.
- Are all supplements the same?
They can differ greatly to a large extent in quality and efficacy. If you comprehend what is written on each label, you will be in a position to acquire good supplements that will provide the required boosters as indicated.
- Can supplements expire?
Yes. You should know that supplements’ effectiveness can diminish over time. The potency of certain ingredients might degrade, making them less beneficial. It's always best to follow the labeled expiration date and avoid consuming expired supplements.