Healths Dietary Supplement Methodology

The content of this methodology is for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding a dietary supplement.

Our healthcare mission is to inform and provide you with accurate, thorough and actionable healthcare information so you can make the best decisions about your health. As part of this mission, we provide you with research-based information on products that support and improve your health, including nutritional supplements.

We aim to be transparent and provide easy-to-understand information about why you might (or might not) need a dietary supplement, why we recommend certain options, and other things to consider when you decide whether or not to take a dietary supplement. right for you. according to their needs.

In general, dietary supplements are not considered necessary for most people who eat a varied diet and do not suffer from one or more medical conditions. However, in certain situations, dietary supplements can play an important role in your health, including:

Correct or prevent nutritional deficiencies
Provides additional nutritional support during a life stage such as pregnancy
The risk of undernutrition decreases with age
Helps manage a health condition or protect against future health problems
improve your well-being

We always recommend that you consult a physician before taking any supplement, even if it is just a vitamin or mineral. A healthcare professional can review your medical history, dietary needs, and underlying health conditions, and check for possible interactions with other supplements or medications you may already be taking.

To navigate the dietary supplement industry, our team of Registered Dietitians carefully reviews research, interviews experts, and uses unbiased scientific resources, including the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. Additionally, our methodology is medically vetted by a health expert from the Board of Health Medical Examiners to ensure accuracy.

As the name suggests, dietary supplements are made up of ingredients designed to supplement your diet, including but not limited to vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, amino acids, and enzymes. Other popular supplements include omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and protein powders.

It is important to note that dietary supplements are loosely regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is therefore up to the manufacturer to follow the labeling guidelines. Just because the label states that a supplement contains certain amounts of specific ingredients does not guarantee its accuracy.

We take our role of providing additional information and advice seriously. In order to be able to recommend the best products, we focus on the following features and certifications.

Research-Based Ingredients and Safety

Our top priority is to bring products to market whose efficacy and safety are backed by extensive, high-quality research. We know how confusing it can be to navigate the world of supplements. Manufacturers may make vague promises about the effects of their supplements on your body, e.g. B. they help you perform at your best or promote emotional well-being, weight control or the digestive system. These claims may sound promising, but they are often not supported by research.

We research the latest research on dietary supplements and their ingredients. We do not recommend supplements backed by a single study. We ensure that plenty of high-quality research backs up the recommendation. If we don't have enough research to know if a product is right for a particular group of people (or if it will be adopted within a certain timeframe), we'll let you know so you can make an informed decision. If we have concerns about the safety of a particular product, we will not recommend it.

In addition to research-based ingredients, we also evaluate nutritional supplements with little or no unnecessary ingredients, such as: B. added sweeteners. We prioritize recommendations that may meet a variety of dietary needs and let you know if there are any concerns about common food allergens or additional ingredients that may not benefit everyone (such as probiotics or prebiotics ).

Efficacy and Purity Tests

Third-party tested supplements are sent to a lab to ensure they contain only the ingredients they claim to contain and are not contaminated with specific high-risk substances such as heavy metals or germs. However, it is important to note:

Third-party testing does not confirm that a product is effective or safe for everyone, nor does it guarantee that a supplement will not interact with other supplements or medications.
Not all third-party tests are created equal. It's not uncommon for supplement companies to pay labs for certification, even if they do little or no testing.
Our most trusted third-party certifications are: ConsumerLab.com, NSF and USP. However, these certifications are difficult and/or expensive for manufacturers to obtain, so many companies choose not to have their products tested by any of these three organizations.
Sometimes the products tested by these three companies are more expensive to offset the costs incurred for certification.
Just because a supplement hasn't been tested by one of these three companies doesn't mean it's a bad product. We recommend researching the manufacturer's reputation and calling the manufacturer and their testing lab to determine their protocols and decide if you are comfortable using the supplement.

We prefer supplements that have clearly been third-party tested and are transparent about how they test supplements and what results they get. If a dietary supplement has not been clearly tested by a third party, we will mention this in our recommendation so that you can take this into account when making your decision.

Types of dietary supplements

Dietary supplements come in a variety of forms, including tablets, capsules, liquids, powders, lozenges, sprays, and gummies. We try to offer additional options in different forms according to your preferences.

Depending on the supplement, some supplement forms may have better absorption or other benefits than other forms. We outline the main differences between the different types of supplements and if there are any differences that can help you make an informed decision.

price

It is important to understand that price does not always reflect quality. A more expensive supplement does not necessarily guarantee a better product. Conversely, it may be wise to be skeptical of super cheap supplements.

Some supplements are more expensive to produce than others, and the price largely depends on the quality of the ingredients used, the quantity produced by the manufacturer, and whether or not the supplement has any certifications. Another consideration is that supplements with strong third-party testing may command a higher price than supplements without such testing.

While offering a range of price options without compromising on quality or safety, we strive to provide the best recommendations for the supplement category.

Availablity

We carefully select over-the-counter supplements that are widely available in the United States. Although some supplements are only available by prescription or subscription, for your convenience we only provide recommendations on supplements available at local or online retailers.

Additional regulations and safety

It is important to understand that a company can market a dietary supplement without providing any evidence that it is safe or that it actually provides the benefits claimed. Dietary supplements can only be restricted or taken off the market if the FDA proves they are unsafe, which often only happens when the damage has already been done.

Additionally, supplement labels do not require an expiration date, making it possible to purchase supplements without knowing when they will expire. However, if a company chooses to include an expiration date on a dietary supplement, the FDA requires that the information be accurate .

The FDA has regulations regarding the manufacturing process of dietary supplements. These rules are known as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) or cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) . These guidelines are designed to ensure that dietary supplements are manufactured in a safe and clean FDA-registered laboratory. Although these regulations are mandatory for any dietary supplement company, cGMP certification is an additional step that manufacturers take to ensure the safety and quality of their products. These certificates are usually displayed on other websites or labels.

As with everything, different people have different supplement needs. Not all dietary supplements are suitable for everyone. We do extensive research, interview experts, and dig into the details of what a supplement contains and how it's designed to come up with our recommendations. Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about choosing a dietary supplement. Finally, it is recommended to consult a doctor before taking any supplement.

Beware of dietary supplement claims and remember that the safety of dietary supplements is not well regulated. Other than correcting nutritional deficiencies, dietary supplements are not intended to replace medication or serve as a cure for physical or mental illness. Nutritional deficiencies are diagnosed by medical professionals using reliable laboratory tests, eg B. blood tests have been diagnosed.