the nutritional supplement buyer’s guide · source of calcium in nutritional supplements for...
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P 1AT H L E T I C G R E E N S . C O M
The Nutritional Supplement Buyer’s Guide
P 2AT H L E T I C G R E E N S . C O M
Choose The Right Supplement Every Time
So, you’re thinking about buying some nutritional
supplements to improve your health?
Good decision, there are many proven ways in which nutritional
supplementation can help you to improve your health naturally and
effectively. However, deciding on which supplement, which brand
and which store to buy from can range from a little bit tricky to
downright confusing.
When looking to buy nutritional supplements many people quickly
become overwhelmed and get a bad case of analysis paralysis. They
then proceed to either make a rushed decision and end up with the
wrong supplement. Or, simply throw their hands in the air and not
buy any supplements at all. Either way, their desired health outcome
is not achieved. Now, if you don’t want to end up in either of the
above scenarios, read on to find out how to empower yourself to
make the right decision every time.
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Not All Supplements Are Created Equal
Let’s say you’ve been told by your doctor that you should
start taking a calcium supplement to strengthen your bones
and protect yourself against osteoporosis.
Now, attached to your doctor’s office is a little drug store.
How convenient. You proceed to stroll on into the drug store and
head straight to the shelf that says in big shiny letters: CALCIUM.
However, your initial enthusiasm quickly begins to turn to uncertainty
and then confusion as you realise there are 10 different calcium
supplements on the shelf.
10 different brands, 10 different prices, and 10 different items
adding to your confusion...
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...You pick up the first bottle, all the way to the left, the cheapest
one. Because, why not, if calcium is just calcium: why not take the
cheapest one? That’s a good question.
So you pick it up and turn it over and the label says ‘calcium
carbonate.’
Now, just out of curiosity you pick up the highest priced calcium
supplement, wondering if there’ll be some kind of magic ingredient in
there. The label says calcium citrate, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2.
So what’s the difference?
The difference is in which form the calcium is delivered. And when it
comes to nutritional supplementation, how much does form matter?
Quite a lot actually.
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According to a study conducted by Harvey, Kenny, Poindexter
(yep, there is literally a researcher with this name) and Pak:
“It is concluded that calcium is better absorbed from calcium citrate than calcium carbonate when taken
on an empty stomach”
H A R V E Y, K E N N Y, P O I N D E X T E R A N D P A K
Calcium carbonate is cheap and abundant and has been the main
source of calcium in nutritional supplements for years. However, just
because it’s the most widespread does not mean that it is necessarily
the best.
Some people do reasonably well with calcium carbonate and are able
to increase their calcium levels without any noticeable downside.
Many others however, have experienced some unwanted side effects
when taking calcium carbonate over a long period of time.
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Constipation is a fairly common side effect of high dose calcium
carbonate. And, in more extreme examples, increased blood pressure
and even increased risk factors for a heart attack have emerged in
people who take high doses of calcium carbonate over a long period
of time.
Another side effect of high dose calcium over time is the increased
formation of bone spurs and kidney stones due to excess calcium
in the blood. So, how do we supplement with enough calcium to
protect us against osteoporosis but minimise our chances of any
unwanted side effects?
This brings us to the second product containing calcium citrate
along with vitamins D3 and K2.
Calcium citrate is a form of calcium that is much more closely related
to the calcium in our food. This means it is much easier for the body
to absorb. Which in turn means we can consume less of it and still
get the same result because we are absorbing more of every dose
we take.
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And what about those other guys,
Vitamin D3 and vitamin K2?
Vitamin D3 is the form of vitamin D that our own body makes when
exposed to UV light from the sun. And, among the many roles it plays,
it has been shown to help improve the absorption of calcium and
therefore improve bone health.
As for vitamin K2, it has been shown to help improve the absorption
of vitamin D3. So this second calcium product is already easier for us
to absorb, but even further enhanced by the presence of vitamin D3
and vitamin K2.
With product number two, you can take a lower dose than product
number one and achieve a much better result, while also reducing
the chances of any side effects.
Is it worth a few more bucks?
You betcha.
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Now, aside from calcium, how can you figure out which
form of each ingredient is the best?
There are some general guidelines, such as choosing powders and
capsules first, and trying to avoid tablets where possible.
This can make them difficult for many people to digest and absorb,
especially the elderly and anyone with weak stomach acid. As for the
specific forms: carbonate, gluconate, glycinate, oxide etc.
P O W D E R
Powder is easy to
absorb because there
is no barrier between
the ingredients and
your stomach.
C A P S U L E S
Capsules are fairly
easy to break down
as they are typically
made from gelatin
or, in vegetarian
capsules: cellulose
(plant) fiber.
TA B L E T S
Tablets on the other
hand are typically
tightly compressed
and contain “binding
agents” to make
them stick together.
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How can you find out which one is the best?
It does vary for each supplement type e.g. vitamin or mineral, and for
each ingredient e.g. calcium, zinc, magnesium etc.
Unfortunately there are no shortcuts and each supplement will
require you to do your homework. But a little homework can go a
long way.
I recommend you always stick to claims proven by science rather
than opinion. A great way to find studies on any ingredient is to visit
Google Scholar: https://www.scholar.google.com
The US National Library of Medicine & National Institute of Health is
an excellent resource too: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
A D D T O Y O U R S U P P L E M E N T C H E C K L I S T
Is each ingredient of the
product in a high quality form?
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Same, Same, But Different?
Now that we’ve covered forms e.g. carbonate vs. citrate,
what other factors influence the quality of the nutritional
supplements you are taking?
What if you saw two products on the shelf with identical ingredients,
yet there was quite a big difference in price?
If you were to check the source of their ingredients, it’s likely that
they are vastly different.
Getting an ingredient from China vs. getting it from the pristine,
glacier filled and green grassy mountainous areas of New Zealand or
Iceland typically has a huge influence on the quality of the ingredient.
It also plays a big part in preventing (or contributing to) the
contamination of the ingredient. Ask the company you are buying
from for more details about their sources.
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Now, adding even further to the confusion: A supplement that is
made in a certain country does not have to use ingredients only
found in that country.
Your vitamin product may have a big proud ‘Made in the USA’ logo
stamped on it and still be filled with cheap ingredients from China
and India.
So what can you do to protect yourself against potentially cheap,
nasty and ineffective ingredients?
You can pay close attention to the next point.
A D D T O Y O U R S U P P L E M E N T C H E C K L I S T
Check the product label for the
source of its ingredients
If the ingredients sources are not
listed, ask the company about the
quality standard of their factory
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A D D T O Y O U R S U P P L E M E N T C H E C K L I S T
Check the label or contact the manufacturer to find
out which country the supplement is made in
Does that country have high or low standards for
supplement manufacturing?
Who Makes The Rules?
A nutrition company is allowed to have supplements made anywhere
they like. God bless capitalism and international trade relations.
However, where these products can be sold is another thing. For
example, a nutritional supplement made in New Zealand or Australia
can be sold anywhere due to these two countries having the strictest
and highest standards of nutritional supplementation manufacturing
on the planet. A nutritional supplement made in China or India
however, is not allowed to be sold in many places outside of China
and India. So, if you want to guarantee by law that the supplement
you are buying actually contains what it says it does on the label, it
is best to choose supplements made in countries with the highest
standards.
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Y O U R S U P P L E M E N T B U Y I N G C H E C K L I S T
Is each ingredient of the product in a high quality form?
Check the product label for the source of its ingredients
If the ingredients sources are not listed, ask the company about
the quality standard of their factory
Check the label or contact the manufacturer to find out which
country the supplement is made in
Does that country have high or low standards for
supplement manufacturing?
N O T A L L
S U P P L E M E N T S A R E
C R E AT E D E Q U A L
S A M E , S A M E , B U T
D I F F E R E N T
W H O M A K E S T H E
R U L E S ?
Check the “form” or type of ingredient you are
buying, is it the best kind?
Can you find out the source of the ingredients, if so, where are
they from? If not, can you get an answer to the next question?
Who makes the Rules? Which country is the supplement made in?
Does that country have high standards or low standards when it
comes to the manufacturing of supplements?
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Things To Keep In Mind
The world of nutritional supplements can be a confusing and
intimidating one. After reading this eBook, I hope you no longer feel
confused, but instead feel empowered to go out and choose the
right supplements to take (and not to take).
And bear in mind, the world of nutritional supplementation is ever
changing and evolving, with new information released daily. The rules
change, so we highly recommend you keep your finger on the pulse
when it comes to nutritional supplements. A great place to start is our
blog, which you’ve already visited (it’s where you downloaded this
eBook). If you have any questions at any time, please don’t hesitate to
reach out to us at: [email protected]
I wish you all the best in your health journey.
Best regards,
Chris ‘The Kiwi’ Ashenden
& The Athletic Greens Team
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