The Nutritional Supplement Buyer’s Guide · source of calcium in nutritional supplements for years. However, just because it’s the most widespread does not mean that it is necessarily

P 1AT H L E T I C G R E E N S . C O M

The Nutritional Supplement Buyer’s Guide


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.

T H E N U T R I T I O N A L S U P P L E M E N T B U Y E R ’ S G U I D E


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...



...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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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?


P 1 0AT H L E T I C G R E E N S . C O M

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.



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.


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?

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.


AT H L E T I C G R E E N S . C O M

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?



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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The Nutritional Supplement Buyer’s Guide · source of calcium in nutritional supplements for years. However, just because it’s the most widespread does not mean that it is necessarily