Summary of our new newsletter: The quality of food supplements

The quality of food supplements

Vitamins and minerals must be taken in the form of chemical compounds. Good and less good compounds are available for this purpose, some examples are given below:

Vitamin C

Natural vitamin C, e.g. from acerola, is better absorbed by the body and is excreted more slowly than synthetic ascorbic acid. Tolerance is also important, which is rather poor with the very acidic ascorbic acid. It is better to take it in the form of calcium ascorbate, i.e. buffered, non-acidic vitamin C.

Folate

Synthetic folic acid is usually used in the manufacture of food supplements, but it only becomes effective in the body after being converted into 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5MTHF).
One in two people cannot convert synthetic folic acid into the active form for genetic reasons. Folic acid should therefore generally be taken in the form of 5MTHF. The enzymatic conversion step, which is problematic for many people, is no longer necessary.

Calcium

Calcium carbonate must first be converted by the body into calcium citrate. Stomach acid is needed so that it can be absorbed. People with low stomach acid (e.g. due to taking stomach acid blockers, many older people) should take calcium citrate instead of calcium carbonate, especially as it is generally better absorbed and can be taken independently of meals.
Other forms such as calcium lactate and calcium gluconate are less practical for calcium supplements as they have a lower calcium content.

Selenium

Selenium supplements mainly contain selenomethionine and sodium selenite, which have very different effects. Selenomethionine, which is also found in selenium yeast, has hardly any toxic effect on cells if the dosage is too high, but accumulates in the cell and has a damaging effect on genes in the long term.
Sodium selenite does not damage genes and is easier to control due to its short-term effect, but is toxic to cells when overdosed. It is therefore better to use sodium selenite as a source of selenium, whereby the dose recommended by the therapist must be strictly adhered to.

Conclusion

It is therefore worth looking at the list of ingredients to see which substances have been used before buying. If manufacturers avoid giving more precise details, e.g. if they simply state "vitamin C" instead of ester C calcium ascorbate, the reason is usually the use of the cheapest ingredients.
Naturally, products with better ingredients are also priced somewhat higher. In terms of the cost/benefit ratio, however, they are usually much "cheaper" in the sense of the word than cheap products of lower quality.