HERE ARE SOME TIPS...

It is well established that the use of supplements, if managed in the correct way and according to specific needs , is an important aid to our body. However, it is not at all easy to understand how to choose the right supplement.

In some respects, it is important to develop a good critical eye, to understand what might be the positive features of one product compared to another or what might be the flaws.

If a dietary supplement is essential to fill those nutritional deficiencies that we cannot cover exclusively through food, it goes without saying that it should be as natural as possible. Our bodies must be able to assimilate it as best as possible, and to do this it must not contain foreign agents.

People often mistakenly associate supplements with drugs, and think that like drugs, they should only be taken for short periods of time. Unlike what most people think, supplements are not drugs. Supplements are nothing more than "concentrated food," what does that mean? The purpose of these products is to provide the body with those nutrients that we usually bring in through diet. And as with anything, when choosing these, good quality is key!

There are three aspects to consider:

1) The price-you should always refer to the monthly dose, not the cost of the package. The quantity can be expressed in the number of pieces (e.g. 30 capsules lasting 30 days if the dosage is one capsule per day) or in the active ingredient (if I need to take 500 mg of vitamin C per day, I need to use 5 capsules of a supplement with 100 mg of vitamin C per capsule).

2) The quantity-the active ingredient, that is, the amount of substance having the indicated physiological effect, contained in the product. The term active ingredient indicates a substance possessing a certain biological activity, including all substances endowed with therapeutic(drugs), beneficial (vitamins, probiotics) or toxic (poisons) effect. Active ingredients can be synthetic , which is the case with most drugs , semisynthetic, for example aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), or natural, for example alkaloids and extracts from plants used in traditional medicine or herbal medicine. Active ingredients constitute the pharmacologically active part of medicines, which are also formed by excipients.

In fact, active ingredients are not present in the same amount in all products on the market. The titer is nothing more than the amount, expressed as a percentage, of the most significant active ingredient in that product; standardization ensures that there is the same amount of active ingredient in each capsule/tablet/tablet. It is important not to be misled by product prices and to check the amount of active ingredient contained. Often too low prices are an indication of low titration.
The amount should always be evaluated carefully. In fact, taking less than the amount needed for the requirement (e.g., indicated by the RDA) could diminish the beneficial effects of the supplement.

3) Ease of absorption --depending on the product, the active ingredient may be absorbed in a higher or lower percentage. A good dietary supplement contains the most bioavailable form of the nutrient to ensure its assimilation in the right concentrations. Often the synergy of several components facilitates assimilation and enhances therapeutic effects. Our metabolism works like a real machine, and as in any self-respecting machine, performance depends on the proper functioning of each of its parts. For this reason, it is essential that the supplement is well balanced and proportionate among its different components so that its effect is optimal.