Question about Supplement Brands

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Amberb
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Question about Supplement Brands

Post by Amberb »

Hello,

I hope I am posting in the proper place. I am new to this website :)

How do people decide on supplementation brands? There is a HUGE discrepancy between prices of supplements and I am wondering if the really cheap brands are going to be less quality so much so that they won't work as well as the more expensive brands. For example, the NOW brand usually has a VERY low cost. Any thoughts??
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by LindaSchill »

Amberb wrote:Hello,

I hope I am posting in the proper place. I am new to this website :)...
Hello Amber,
Welcome to the ApoE4 website! We are grateful that you have joined us. I think you will find you are in the right place to receive support and answers from a tribe of caring and well informed people.
I have found that seeking quality affordable supplements can be a perplexing endeavor. I realize that not all supplements are created equal. I think you will discover a wealth of expertise in this area from our members.
Since you are new to the website, you might want to consider scanning the Primer. It is an introduction to ApoE4, biochemistry, and possible prevention strategies. Another helpful resource would be the Wiki. It has an abundant amount of revealing topics to wade through. There is also an Our Story forum for newcomer introductions. Feel free to present yourself and express what brought you to our website.

We are delighted that you have connected with our forum and hope you find this a useful and encouraging meeting place. ;)
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Last edited by NF52 on Tue Apr 14, 2020 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Added Amberb' s quote to post at PM request of intern LindsSchill.
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by NF52 »

Amberb wrote:... I am new to this website :)

How do people decide on supplementation brands? There is a HUGE discrepancy between prices of supplements and I am wondering if the really cheap brands are going to be less quality so much so that they won't work as well as the more expensive brands. For example, the NOW brand usually has a VERY low cost. Any thoughts??
Welcome Amberb! You have a great question, with lots of possible answers from our diverse community. To help re-start some discussion of this topic, which has been quiet for a while, I'm taking the liberty of "quoting" two posts from the fall of 2018, from two people whose opinions i value:

Sara is a member of our Senior Support Team, and a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach:
Sara wrote:I have been compiling a listing of pharmaceutical suppliers which are often recommended in the world of Functional Medicine and they include... Pure Encapsulations, Cytoplan, Thorne Research, Designs for Health, Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, NeuroScience, Researched Nutritional, Epionce, Nordic Naturals, Emerson Ecologics, ProThera and Xymogen. When pricing is prohibitive I will research on consumerlab.com which identifies (sometimes) more reasonably priced supplements and indicates the level of compliance i.e., does the supplement contain the ingredients that it says it does. You do have to purchase a membership with consumer lab which is typically under $50 per year. Good luck!
TheresaB is a Board Member of Apoe4.info and a contributor to many topics on the forum and the Wiki
TheresaB wrote: Are you familiar with ConsumerLab.com https://www.consumerlab.com/ ? They are an independent lab. They provide test results and additional educational information on many things, including supplements. Some info is free, but getting test results requires a membership at a cost which is reasonable and worth it.

The only drawback is they can't test every single brand, but they have helped introduce me to new brands of certain supplements that offer what the the label says (not all labels are accurate) and a quality product at a good price.
Hope this helps. We have all learned from each other, so welcome your questions and your insights.
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by Amberb »

wow, thank you so much! this is tremendously helpful. I had not heard of that website before and I will definitely do my research. I am so grateful for this group! I have felt so alone in this endeavor for so long. I am only 35 and for the last 5 years I have gone from being quite healthy to really struggling. First it was PCOS and my body not producing any sex hormones and all brain hormones were low, leading to the bone density of a 60+ year old, then there was a diagnosis of 2 parasites (one which still won't go away). Since 2017 I have been trying to figure out a diet that I can eat (which seems practically impossible). I just got a Nutraeval done and despite the fact that I eat mostly vegetables, SO many of my vitamins were deficient, mitochondria low, gut disbiosis, ect. On top of it all, about 1.5 years ago I started experiencing really bad memory loss, brain fog, confusion, difficultly concentrating. I got my hands on "The End of Alzheimers," which has helped me identify problem areas. so ANY help is wonderful for me to hear. I am so glad I found this group!!!
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by Sara »

[quote="Amberb"]wow, thank you so much! this is tremendously helpful.

Hi Amber and ditto on the welcome to the apoe4.info site. So glad you found us. Congratulations for your knowledge and awareness and your ability to keep searching for answers. Based on the concerns you mentioned in your last post I think it might be of value for you (assuming you have not already done so) to seek out a practitioner with a background in Functional, Holistic or Integrative Medicine with additional training in hormones and cognition... at least for an initial visit or two. You are young to be experiencing so many issues and which may readily be addressed through nutrition and supplementation. Please don't hesitate to reach out for any help we can provide in the meantime. By the way, I do use some NOW supplements... and you can also add Protocol for Life Balance to the listing of acceptable supplement brands. Warm Regard
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by Amberb »

Thank you for your response. Yes, I am under the care of a bioidenical hormone expert who also practices functional medicine. We have been undergoing tests and attempting to optimize all the areas showing deficiencies. Thanks for your concern :)
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by SusanJ »

Amberb wrote:How do people decide on supplementation brands?
Welcome, Amberb!

Just to note that Xymogen should come from a medical professional - they don't sell to Amazon or vitamin sites, so it should be something your expert can help with. Otherwise I tend to go with Pure Encapsulations, Thorne and a couple from Jarrow for most of what I take. Generally I avoid buying through Amazon and go directly to the manufacturer or a trusted vitamin site like Pure Formulas or Pharmaca, two that I use. Hopefully others will weigh in on what sites and brands they have come to trust.
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by Jafa »

Interesting, would Iherb be considered a trusted vitamin site? They provide a very good service for non USA customers.
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by SusanJ »

Jafa wrote:Interesting, would Iherb be considered a trusted vitamin site? They provide a very good service for non USA customers.
I've used iHerb in the past. I think others here have also used them. For what I buy now, I mostly use Pure Formulas because they have what I take in stock.

I've read complaints about fakes on Amazon through 3rd party sellers. So, it's definitely buyer beware there.
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Re: Question about Supplement Brands

Post by floramaria »

Jafa wrote:Interesting, would Iherb be considered a trusted vitamin site? They provide a very good service for non USA customers.
I have ordered from iHerb for years. They have great customer service. I have not had problems with things I have ordered from them and my personal belief is that they are reputable. To me it seems like they have a pretty good selection at decent prices.
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