Why It’s Important to Choose High-Quality Supplements

One thing I’m passionate about is good quality supplements and supplementing your body in the best way you can.  So I’ve created a supplement website just for you where I’ve hand picked my favorite professional quality supplements- because you and your family deserve the best. These are the same products I use for myself and my family and you won’t find this quality of supplement on the shelf of a health food store or your local drug store. 

I really love supplements. I think they are necessary for our modern world. 

I don’t love poor quality. And we need to be aware there is a big difference between good and bad supplements.

I want the supplements you choose for you and your family to be ones you know you can trust, take with confidence, and know that you are getting a good product.

As much as I wish we could get everything we need from our foods and meet every nutritional need, we can’t. Our food supply just isn’t what it used to be and we need to do some very specific supplementation for our body and that includes deeper healing. 

Remember with supplements, more isn’t always better. They are powerful and you don’t need more than what your body needs.

Two Ways to Shop Supplements through Dr. Meghan

When you shop the Just Enjoy Health Nutri-Dyn Supplement Store, the website is broken down into categories. It’s easy to use and doesn’t leave you feeling overwhelmed with too many supplements to choose from. My store includes everyday supplements, probiotics, children’s health, digestive health, and more. 

Fullscript is another website that you can order from. They have a wide variety of different brands and some that are very difficult to get outside of a brick and mortar practitioners office. I order from Fullscript a lot for myself and our family.

You always get 10% off on both websites (no code needed) and free shipping on orders over $49 and $59.

Types of Supplements

There are two different kinds of supplements. The first are over the counter supplements that you can get at any big box store or even health food store. 

The second type are called nutriceutical, pharmaceutical, or professional grade products. These supplements have a professional level quality not found in over the over the counter versions.  

Any over the counter supplement in a big box store is most likely not something you want to choose (think the big Costco fish oil for $8.99) . But you can find good products in some health food stores. There are also some good brands that are sold through doctors online. Seeking Health, created by Dr. Ben Lynch, is a great example. You can purchase them directly online through their website or through me on Fullscript (where you always get 10% off). I have quite a few Seeking Health supplements in my cabinet right now and always know I can trust their quality.  

There are other supplements that come from direct sales companies. Not all of them are of high quality, but some do meet standards and are backed by research. I would be cautious, remembering that although they are not necessarily bad – they may not be the best. I get asked a lot of questions about supplements from direct sales companies. And I can’t give an opinion on many because I haven’t dug into them myself. But make sure to do lots of research!

About ninety-five percent of the supplements I use are professional grade. I know them. I trust them. I have vetted the companies. Many of the companies I have done functional medicine training with as well.  

**You can purchase supplements from 2 different online stores through me. Just Enjoy Health Supplement Store and Fullscript. 

Why I Don’t Love Over The Counter Supplements

If you think over the counter supplements contain exactly what you see on the label, then you may need to take another look.  Studies have shown that only 21% of over the counter brand supplements actually contain the plants listed on the label. 

Yes, you read that right. 21% of the supplements don’t even contain the vitamin, mineral or herb that is literally being advertised on the label. How’s that for crazy? 

Quality: Consumer Labs have reported that 1 out of 4 over the counter supplements have quality problems. The most common problem is low potency. This means it contains less of the vitamin or herb than it says it does. The potency can also vary batch to batch. 

There is very little regulation in the supplement industry. I used to joke I could create a weight loss supplement by filling capsules up with salt and sell it. And that’s about the level of regulation in this industry. You can’t trust all companies or what is on a label and assume it is being carefully regulated to you as a consumer. 

You want to make sure that you find a company that is doing the proper testing for potency, to ensure that one bottle is the same as the next. It’s not worth your money to purchase low quality supplements.  

Price: I know that over the counter supplements are easier to find and are cheaper, but if what you are buying is not that potent, then you are actually paying more for less product. You simply are not getting your money’s worth with over the counter supplements. 

Absorption: A nutrient is only as good as its availability to be absorbed and used by the body.  Inexpensive forms of nutrients are not very available to the body so it is not going to be used well, absorbed well, or solve the problem you are having. 

Active vs. Inactive Forms: Bio-availability distinguishes the active forms and inactive forms of the nutrients your body needs. You want to make sure your supplements have the active form.  

If your supplement contains the inactive form, there is a good chance your body won’t be able to process it and you might even inhibit the ability of the active form to work. Overall this is not good for your body. 

An example of active vs. inactive form is folate vs folic acid. You don’t want a supplement with folic acid and can be a big issue with people who have MTHFR gene mutations and folic acid can actually be a toxin in our body vs a building nutrient. 

PS. Always choose folate (5- methyltetrahydrofolate is optimal). 

Fillers and Binders: The Supplement industry does not have very much regulation. A lot of supplements contain nasty fillers and binders. Not all fillers and binders are necessarily bad. I try to find companies that don’t use many or don’t use ones that are going to be dangerous for you. A company that does not have that same integrity is going to use things that are not great for your health. 

Contaminants and Allergens:  I don’t want to continue to mention the less-than-ideal things that can be lurking in your supplements, but, you need to know!  Up to 10% of supplements can be contaminated with lead. 

Many fish oils contain mercury. There was a study done in 2013 that said 59% of herbal supplements contained herbs and plants not listed on the label. That doesn’t mean it is dangerous, but if you are getting a certain herbal supplement you probably don’t want a bunch of random herbs and plants in your product. What if our body doesn’t like it or you react to it? You want to know that what is on the label is actually in there, in the quantities and forms they say it is. 

Some over the counter supplements contain common allergens like wheat, dairy, corn,soy, and even shellfish or nuts. Because so many people struggle with food allergies it can be tricky to find a safe supplement. You want a company that does quality testing. 

You want to make an informed choice when it comes to supplements and they are not all created equally. 

Professional Quality

Standards: They are developed and must meet certain standards. They have to certify and show the freshness of their herbs and vitamins are shelf stable and will not break down within a short amount of time. The products are going to stay at their potency throughout the length of their shelf life. They have a standardized potency as well. A lot of supplements have an expiration date on them and you should pay attention to this to insure potency. 

Nutrient Availability: They are formulated for nutrient availability. They are bioavailable to your body. They are going to work really hard to source great ingredients as well as provide the active form your body can use.  They have done all the research for you and given you a supplement that does what it says it is supposed to do utilizing the right vitamins and herbs. I love buying professional brands because they have dug into the research and have formulated products that are supported by research. 

Honest Labeling: They also have honest labeling and manufacturing standards. What is on the label is in the bottle. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

Certified Professionals: They are only available through licensed or certified professionals. You can buy products through my supplement store because I have a chiropractic license. I try to educate and talk about what supplements I use, how to take them, the forms, and how your body uses them.

Final Fast Tips:

• Do your research.
• Don’t use big box store supplements.
• Know that you can’t trust everything at a health food store or Whole Foods. Although, they do sell some good brands and they can be a resource if you need a supplement quickly. 
• Look for honest standards.

Quick Links:

• You can shop my Supplements here.
• Fullscript. They have a lot of great options and free shipping over $49
• Join the Just Enjoy Health Facebook Group where we talk about supplements regularly and you can learn more!  Click here to join.