Supplement Smart – All Your Questions Answered

The sea of supplements can be both bewildering and confusing. We cover in this series all your common supplement questions, and I hope by the end of this series, you will feel better equipped to supplement smartly.

The sea of supplements can be a bewildering display. It is no wonder people are confused when they try to look for the products that are right for them. I started this series as way to answer the common supplement questions we get asked regularly. Here are the answers to a few introductory questions that you may perhaps be wondering about.

Do we need to take vitamins every day?

In a perfect world, with an ideal diet, you would get all the nutrients you need. However, the reality is that we live in a multi-tasking world, where we are busy and where our diets are all too often full of processed, nutrient deficient foods. Therefore it is very important for general wellness, energy and to slow the aging process over the longer-term that you take a comprehensive multi-nutrient product that provides the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and other essential nutrients that we all need for optimum health. This is your nutritional insurance for your long term health.

What should you look for when choosing a comprehensive dietary supplement?

Choosing a product that is particularly targeted to your stage of life and gender is an important step in making sure you are getting the vitamins and minerals and other essential nutrients that are right for you. It is also a good idea to be aware of your nutritional ‘gaps’. For instance, if you are elderly, have a food allergy or are a vegetarian, you may be missing out on entire categories of food. Recognizing your ‘gaps’ will help you with your supplement choices.

Is it be okay for me to eat poorly so long as I take my supplements?

While supplements provide much needed nutrition – especially if your diet is poor – it does not counteract the intake of saturated fat, preservatives, additives and other chemicals you ingest when you choose to eat low quality, processed foods.

 

Remember - supplements should not replace healthy food. They should ‘supplement’ a healthy diet.

Do I need to blow my budget to ensure a quality supplement?

There are many supplements on the market and the prices and quality of the products do vary greatly. While there is certainly no need to blow your budget, it is important to remember that you will get what you pay for. Basically you need to be aware that if you go for the cheapest supplement available, chances are you won’t be getting good quality ingredients in that supplement (more to come on this subject in later blogs).

Quality supplements should not cost the earth, but they will cost you, as they do contain quality ingredients which are often rare, hard to manufacture and therefore expensive. Cheaper supplements often contain many fillers which are basically large amounts of unnecessary cheap vitamins and minerals, many of which have negative health consequences. Manufacturers use these to bulk up their product, allowing them to cover the costs and sell product to you cheaply.

Another thing to consider is what you are wanting out of your supplement. Are you someone who wants a product that ticks all the boxes or do you instead have an overflowing supplement cabinet? Supplements that contain a variety of different blends in one will cost more than a standard multivitamin.

It is important to ensure that you use a comprehensive supplement as a foundation, and then only add more targeted products for specific purposes. This can avoid overloading on certain ingredients, wasting money and having unintended consequences.

Learn to understand marketing jargon

Avoid marketing claims such as ‘all natural’ or ‘pharmaceutical grade’ on the label. ‘All natural’ is not an official term that is regulated by the federal government and does not offer any guarantee as to the product's safety. Instead learn how to read your supplement label and recognize forms of ingredients that you should look for. Likewise, there is no such thing as ‘pharmaceutical strength or grade’ for dietary supplements.

For more in the series:
Part 2 of 5: Will I ‘Overdose’ on Supplements?
Part 3 of 5: Why Do Vitamin Forms Matter?
Part 4 of 5: Synergistic blends or Flying Solo?
Part 5 of 5: Why Choose Xtend-Life?

I hope by the end of this series, you will feel better equipped to supplement smartly.  

In good health.

14 Responses

Hi Beong Seon Na,

Thank you for sharing your story with us. It is great to hear that you have got some good results with the mussel oil you are currently taking. I am hopeful that our Green Lipped Mussel Powder will provide you with even more benefits. This is because mussel powder is often more effective than the oil because it is comprised of 90% of the mussel, while mussel oil only represents 8-10% of the powdered form it is obtained from.

If you have any questions on our Green Lipped Mussel Powder or if you wish to place an order, you can contact us at customer.service@xtend-life.com.

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert May 12 2016

I feel I’m taking too many vitamins and getting no benefit.  These vitamins were recommended by a doctor to help support my immune system and I go cancer anyway.  What vitamins do I NEED to take to help me.  I’m 68

Thank you

 

Xtend-Life Expert February 23 2016

Debbie, Down load Barry Thompsons book on how he defeated cancer twice (do a google search). I followed this with my prostate cancer,,, and it works

Pedro February 25 2016

Are any of xtendlife ingredients synthesized? Or… do all xtendlife ingredients come out of the ground and/or ocean?

Bob James March 15 2016

Hi Edita,

It is great to hear that you are wanting to take a supplement.

We would recommend you try our Total Balance Women’s product. It is a 3-in-1 multi-nutrient system that contains a comprehensive multivitamin blend, anti-aging ingredients and a female hormone support blend. It is one of our most comprehensive products for overall health. We also suggest you make some changes to your diet and lifestyle for maximum results.

You can contact us at customer.service@xtend-life.com for additional advice and assistance. Our qualified team would be happy to recommend the most suitable supplement regime for your needs.

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert February 22 2016

I am 50, has poor eating habit, and does not exercise at all. What multi vitamins will you recommend to me? Please help me. Thanks

Edita Reyes February 19 2016

Hi Debby,

I would suggest you contact us with the full list of all the different types of supplements you are currently taking (including the brand names).

We will then be able to provide an in depth analysis of your situation and help put together the best supplement regime for you. 

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert February 25 2016

I am in my late seventies, exercise regularly at home and do water aerobics three times a day.  I eat relatively healthy (no junk foods at all).  Overall, my health is good, although I have been trying to get over a bad cold for the past two weeks.

I take flax seeds and chia seeds regularly.  I am not very good in taking my supplements regularly, such as Vitamin D3, B12, C, multi vitamin.  Haven’t taken fish oil lately.  You highly recommend "Total Balance for Women".  I would prefer taking just one product a day if, indeed, it will help me to stay healthy and fit.  How do I know what you claim in this product is true and reliable.  I am a skeptic. 

F Cooper February 26 2016

Hi Alger,

Thank you for your comment.

What I was referring to in the blog were supplement companies that promote their products as ‘Pharmaceutical Grade’, either on their product labels or within their marketing material – which is false advertising in my opinion. This is different from a manufacturing company that follows GMP standards. 

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert May 23 2016

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>I am a mother of a 58-year-old living in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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>I have caused a bit of a cerebral hemorrhage 17 years ago lived only 16 years left hemiplegia uncomfortable.
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>As a result I have been in pain, etc. Almost all the right hip joint and cause began taking www.BIO_MER LIMITED’s Green lipped Mussel Oil from the date January, 28 2016.
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>My take is that severe constipation was resolved from around 4 days after.
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>Gradually my experience has been that the joint pain decreased.
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>So I want to buy a better product by searching for the GREEN LIPPED MUSSEL POWDER XTENDLIFE
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>Try to buy those that would like to my acquaintance.
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>I have to keep taking without falling even once the 69 days Me Now GREEN LIPPED MUSSEL OIL also eat the drug to control pain, eating receive from my doctor.
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>But the pain does not interfere with my life anymore.
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Beong Seon Na April 06 2016

Hi Shelly,

Thank you for your comment.

We would recommend you try our Total Balance Womens Premium. It is the most superior supplement we have in our women’s health range and contains over 80 vitamins, minerals, enzymes, extracts and antioxidants. It is a 6-in-1 product that contains blends for anti-aging, hormone balancing, immune function, organ support, digestive health and metabolism. I am confident that it will meet and exceed your expectations.

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert May 12 2016

Hi F,

It is great to hear that you are taking care of your health and well-being through regular exercise and a healthy diet.

It can be tricky remembering to take a large number of different supplements daily, and that is why our Total Balance products are so great. They contain majority of the essential nutrients (in the right forms and proportions) needed to keep all your body systems in good health. The best thing is that this is all in one convenient bottle!

It is good that you have a number of questions about our products and our company. Many consumers today do not do enough research prior to purchasing a product and can often be left disappointed.

At Xtend-Life we pride ourselves on transparency with our customers. We provide in-depth information on our manufacturing processes and quality standards which can be found in our ‘About Us’ tab. We also provide Certificates of Analysis that are carried out for each batch of product so you know that what you get is exactly what is on the label. You can find these attached to each product page.

Each product page also has an Ingredient list which shows all the ingredients in our formulations. You can click on each ingredient to read more about it and understand its purpose in that particular formulation.

We would love to speak to you directly to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Our qualified team can contact you at a time that suits, at no cost to you. Simply email through your contact details and a time to customer.service@xtend-life.com to arrange this.

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert February 26 2016

Hi I’m 43

Non smoker-drinker

Trying to loose weight. Eat a lot of F and Veg.

So do I need a multi vit or one with the minerals Plus

I currently take Coconut supplement

Vit. D3 1,000

Fish and flax oil as well as ground flax 2T. daily

Drink lemon water daily at least 11 C. a day

shelly April 19 2016

How sure are you sure that there are no pharmaceutical grade supppements? How about those with gmp that follows pharma standard? Those does that DO NO HAVE THE NO APPROVED THERAPEUTIC CLAIMS LABEL?

Alger April 27 2016

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