Choosing the right supplement can mean the difference between improving your health or not making any difference whatsoever. Did you ever wonder why you can walk into a store and pay one price for a bottle of vitamins, but the same vitamin at a health food store is twice the cost? It has nothing to do with big box stores selling a larger quantity giving them the ability to charge a lower fee, and everything to do with the quality of the supplement itself. 

And what about physician-grade supplements that are only available through a chiropractor, or other healthcare provider, for example? What makes those so special? In this episode of Hands On Health, Drs. Frain explore the ins-and-outs of what makes one brand of supplements so different from another and how to make sure you get what you pay for.

There are seven main types of supplements: vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, amino acids, enzymes and probiotics. Each one has a different purpose to fulfill in keeping us healthy.

While the RDA (recommended daily allowance) tells us how much of a certain vitamin we should consume each day, the standards that were set back in 1940, falls short in three key areas:

• Preventing chronic degenerative disease
• Promoting optimum health
• Extending lifespan

The proper supplement will do one or more of the following for your health:

• Strengthen cells
• Protect cells
• Repair cells
• Regenerate cells

With over 100 million Americans taking supplements, it is important to make sure that you are getting all you can out of your supplement. So what is the difference between a supplement and a neutraceutical?

OTC, or over-the-counter, supplements only contain "some" nutrients. They are labeled as a "dietary supplement",  which is why they can be sold in stores. They may come in tablet, liquid, capsule, or powder form, and are considered "food grade".  Anyone can buy or sell a supplement online. There is no education or training required.

There are several concerns with OTC supplements. To begin, most come from third parties, making it hard to verify the ingredients. These supplements are lightly regulated, which means that inferior ingredients can be used and you may not know the amount of "active" ingredient in the product. Perhaps the biggest concern is the fact that the quality of these supplements are often so poor, that our body does not have the ability to digest them.

Neutraceuticals are "biologically active formulation" that make it easy for our bodies to absorb. Frequently paired with "helper molecules", these supplements ensure that our bodies are able to digest and absorb the nutrients into our system. Capsules are vegan as opposed to plastic.

The best way to ensure you are taking the right supplement for your body, is to consult a chiropractor or other healthcare provider. Chiropractors in the state of Wisconsin, who choose to provide nutritional support to their patients, are required to attend a 48 hour certification course and pass a rigorous state test.

To learn more about what supplements are best for you, schedule a complimentary consultation at www.frainfamilychiropractic.com.

Drs. Susan and Patrick Frain have a family wellness practice in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Their practice, which opened in 2003, focuses on helping families achieve better health through nutrition, exercise, and a balanced nerve system.

Drs. Frain are both graduates of Benedictine University in the Chicago area, and received their Doctor of Chiropractic degrees from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.

This podcast is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice.

For more information on any of the topics discussed in this episode, please email drsusan@frainfamilychiropractic.com.