Supplements — A buyer's guide
Here in the UK, we spend over £400 million on supplements every year. So how do you know whether you’re getting your money’s worth?
With huge variations in the quality and strength of products available, finding the best supplements to help you live a healthy life can be confusing. We’ve compiled some tips and devised an easy-to-remember guide to help you choose the best value for money food supplements.
From Kevin Leivers, founder and Pharmacist at The Naked Pharmacy.
Follow our S.A.M.E Guide to find the right supplements for you:
S is for Strength
Is there a minimum concentration of active ingredients in every batch?
Let’s use saffron as an example. According to clinical research, saffron needs three bioactives at the correct concentration to restore emotional balance and relieve nervousness — safranal, crocin and picrocrocin at 3.5% to be exact.
A is for Actives
Do you know what the active ingredients are and what weight is needed for them to be effective?
Some products state they contain 2000mg of turmeric, but it is the curcuminoid weight per capsule that matters as you need at least 380mg of curcuminoid per capsule. If a product doesn't list the active ingredients at an effective dose, don't buy it as it won't work.
M is for Manufacturing
How do you choose which products to trust from the thousands of options out there?
Look for the company's safety and quality registrations online, such as the General Pharmaceutical Council (they're our regulators) and The Health Food Manufacturers Association. You should also check each batch is quality-controlled for the correct levels of bioactives so that you can be sure each capsule works. Our founder, Kevin Leivers is listed on GPhC (2037681) along with other reputable Pharmacists.
E is for Evidence
Is there evidence to show your supplement or active ingredient has been clinically tested on people?
Evidence is fundamental is supporting a safe and effective supplement, trials will have been published in scientific journals. Evidence is fundamental in supporting a safe and effective supplement. Here is a selection of research papers supporting the effectiveness of the ingredients we use in our product range.
The Naked Pharmacy Promise
At The Naked Pharmacy, we meet the precise guidelines set out above.
We only sell products that are vegan friendly, cruelty free, gluten free and where possible, organic, so you can be sure you're buying supplements with ingredients that are clinically proven to work.
Take a look at our ranges to help support common health needs:
