Supplements Explained - Part 4
Choosing High-Quality Supplements
Here’s the truth: not all supplements are created equal. Some are amazing and truly effective, while others are, well… not much better than expensive placebos.
The supplement industry can feel overwhelming, and unfortunately, a lot of low-quality products make their way onto store shelves. But, you don’t need to be a supplement expert to make smart choices—you just need to know what to look for and what to avoid.
This section will teach you how to read labels, spot high-quality brands, and avoid wasting your money on supplements that do nothing (or worse, could be harmful). By the end, you’ll feel confident picking the right supplements that actually support your health.
Start with the Basics: How to Read a Supplement Label
The label is where all the important details are—if you know what to look for. It’s also where sneaky companies hide weak formulations, fillers, and unnecessary junk. Here’s how to break it down:
Dosage Size Matters: Always check how many capsules or servings are needed to get the full dose. Some products might look strong, but when you check the serving size, you realize you’d need to take six capsules a day just to get the right amount!
Look for Active, Absorbable Forms: Not all nutrient forms are equal! Some are cheap and poorly absorbed, while others are highly bioavailable and effective. Examples:
Magnesium bisglycinate (high absorption) vs. Magnesium oxide (barely absorbed, mostly just a laxative).
Methylated B vitamins (like methylfolate) vs. synthetic folic acid (which some people can’t properly use).
For Herbs, Look for Standardized Extracts: If you’re taking an herbal supplement, it should list the exact amount of the active compounds. If it just says “Ashwagandha root” without mentioning KSM-66 or another standardized extract, it could be too weak to be effective. (see the label reading section below)
Check the “Other Ingredients” List: Flip to the “non-medicinal ingredients” section and scan for fillers, artificial dyes, or unnecessary additives. Stay away from ingredients like artificial colors, titanium dioxide, hydrogenated oils, and magnesium stearate in large amounts.
Herbs – How to Read the Label
Anytime you’re looking at a herb or herbal blend in a capsule, ALWAYS look for a standardized extract.
This means the medicinal component of the herb has been concentrated. This is important because it’s hard to get enough of a dry herb into a capsule for it to be effective. Concentrating it is important.
Here are two examples of elderberry in a capsule. We need to take about 5000mg or 5g for a medicinal dose when sick. This is hard to do in a capsule (you’d be swallowing handfuls), so a concentrated form is handy…and sometimes cheaper per dose.
Here are two labels:
Nature’s Way Elderberry (approx. $11 for 100 caps)
MEDICINAL INGREDIENTS
European Elder Fruit (Sambucus nigra) 460 mg
European Elder Flowers (Sambucus nigra) 115 mg
New Chapter Elderberry Force (approx. $40 for 60 caps)
Amount per 1 Capsule
Black Elder (Sambucus nigra subsp. nigra) fruit extract 64:1 QCE 21,440 mg | 335mg
Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) fruit extract 75:1 QCE 3750 mg | 50 mg
The New Chapter version is MUCH more expensive for what looks like a smaller dose of elderberry (335mg vs 460mg). But, look at how concentrated the New Chapter version is. It’s a 64:1 extract – this means that it’s been concentrated to 64x the regular potency and that equals 21,440mg!
If we want to take at least 5000mg when we’re sick, we’d need to take 10 caps of the Nature’s Way option, or 1 cap of New Chapters product.
Dose per dose =
Nature’s Way = $1.10 per dose (10 doses per bottle)
New Chapter = $0.67 per dose (60 doses per bottle)
New Chapter wins hands down!
Anytime you’re looking for a dry herb capsule, look for that XX:1 extract number, that’s what you’re really getting :)
If you’re getting a liquid extract or tincture, look at “dry herb equivalent” on the label to see how strong it is. It’ll say XX drops = XXXmg of dry herb. That will show you how concentrated it is.
Tinctures can vary widely in potency, and sometimes the cheapest option is so weak that it won’t give you a very good bang for your buck. Once I bought one that was ½ the price of my usual tincture…but I had to take 4x as much liquid to get the full dose. Not worth the savings at all.
The Red Flags: What to Avoid
Not every supplement on the shelf deserves a spot in your routine. Some are loaded with fillers, use ineffective doses, or contain ingredients that aren’t well-absorbed. Here’s what to watch out for:
“Proprietary Blends” Without Transparency: If a label lists a blend of ingredients but doesn’t tell you how much of each one is inside, be cautious. This is often a sneaky way to include a lot of cheap filler ingredients while underdosing the expensive, effective ones.
Too-Good-to-Be-True Claims: Supplements don’t cure diseases overnight. If a product claims to “reverse aging,” “eliminate all inflammation,” or “detox your liver in 3 days,” it’s marketing hype, not science.
Low-Quality Mineral Forms: Some minerals are almost useless because they don’t absorb well. Stay away from magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate, and zinc oxide, which are cheap but poorly absorbed. Instead, look for bisglycinate, citrate, or chelated forms, which your body actually uses.
Mega-Dose Multivitamins: While taking high doses of some nutrients might sound great, your body can’t absorb everything at once. More isn’t always better—stick to reasonable, well-balanced doses.
Supplement Regulation
This will just be a quick chat about supplement regulation. I wanted to touch on this because many people (including medical professionals, like doctors) aren’t aware of the strict regulation that supplements go through in certain countries.
I’ve heard from many med students that supplements can be legally sold as grass clippings in a bottle. That is 100% not true in Canada and the EU…but might be true in the US.
European friends – I’ve been in the Canadian supplement industry for almost 20 years and it’s the system I know the best. I know that the EU has great guidelines, similar to Canada, but I’m not as up-to-date with what’s going on as I am in Canada.
One thing I’d like you to remember is - There’s a HUGE difference in supplement regulation between the US and Canada. HUGE.
Canada has the strongest regulation of supplements in the world, the US is one of the more lax, and Europe falls somewhere in between (there are rumours that the EU is looking at Canada’s regulation system as a guide for theirs).
In the US, there is some regulation of supplements, but not a ton. What’s on the label “should” match what’s in the bottle, but there isn’t the same level of testing then there is in Canada.
This means, be very wary of supplement brands that are only sold in the US. Many high quality brands that are sold in both the US and Canada follow the strict regulation and testing required in Canada. But…there are many (mostly sold online) that haven’t been through this testing. Be wary of these brands.
I’ve done a few training tours for a Canadian supplement brand in the US and as soon as I say “all of the products are made in Canada and follow Canadian standards” all of the retail staff relax.
In Canada, all products that are on the shelves at any health food store, grocery store, or pharmacy require an NPN # (Natural Product Number #). This means they’ve gone the the most rigorous testing in the world. If you’re buying supplements through a Network Marketing company, always look for the NPN# to make sure it’s gone through the required testing.
I’m not going to talk about Naturopathic brands because they’re only available in dispensaries at ND offices. But, overall, they’re stellar brands that are always top notch. NDs are picky, so the ND brands are always top notch.
A note on “Pharmaceutical Grade” – Usually means that it’s a higher quality supplement, but really, it means the company that makes it thinks it’s a higher quality. There’s no official guideline for using the term “pharmaceutical grade”. It can be slapped on anything.
Where to buy Supplements
Where you buy your supplements matters. Some places are more likely to stock high-quality brands, while others are filled with cheap, mass-produced options. Here’s a breakdown of where to shop (and where to be cautious):
Health Food Stores: Your best bet for trusted brands and knowledgeable staff. These stores usually stock higher-quality supplements with better ingredient transparency. Many staff members are well-trained and can help answer questions.
Pharmacies: While pharmacies do carry some good options, they also stock a lot of low-quality, generic-brand supplements that use cheap ingredients. That said, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and some probiotics are usually fine to buy here.
Online: Shopping online can be convenient but risky. Always buy from reputable retailers (not third-party sellers on Amazon), and stick to brands that you recognize. If a supplement looks way cheaper than normal, there’s a reason.
Trusted Brands: Where to Start
If you’re not sure which brands are worth your money, here are some trusted options known for quality and purity:
Budget-Friendly Options: Natural Factors, Genuine Health, Sisu. These brands are widely available and offer great quality for the price.
Higher-End Options: AOR, Host Defense (for mushrooms), MegaFoods, Botanica. These are pricier but exceptional in purity and formulation.
For Probiotics: Flora, Genuine Health, RenewLife. Choose multi-strain options with at least 10 billion CFUs for general gut health, or higher doses if needed.
For Omega-3s: Nordic Naturals, Ascenta. These brands are third-party tested for purity and free of heavy metals.
What About Multivitamins?
Multivitamins can be helpful, but they’re not a replacement for a good diet. If you’re already taking targeted supplements, you might not need a multi. However, they can be useful for:
Busy or High-Stress Periods: If life is chaotic, a high-quality multivitamin can act as a safety net.
Chronic Illness or Recovery: When your body is under stress, a multi can help fill in nutrient gaps.
Choosing a Good Multi: Look for food-based options (like MegaFood or Earth & Sea) or high-quality capsules with absorbable forms of nutrients.
Network Marketing –
My completely honest opinion about products that are sold through Network Marketing (otherwise known as MLMs) is that I’m not a fan.
To be completely frank, I know that this is also a very biased opinion. My experience has always been in the health food store brand supplement lines, not in network marketing. But, I have my reasons.
Reason #1 – They lack direct competition
I believe that the competition on store shelves makes products more innovative and better. When something is sold as a one-off, without any other options, it makes for an easier sell.
Reason #2 – They don’t have health food store staff pushing them to be better
Retail staff are our biggest allies in the supplement world. They ask questions that many of us don’t even think of and they keep supplement companies on their toes. I’ve done hundreds of trainings for staff, and they always hit me with very thoughtful and difficult questions.
Reason #3 – In many cases, you can find cheaper versions at the health food store
I find supplements sold through network marketing channels to be very expensive. Sometimes, that’s totally worth it…but not every time. Some of these supplement ‘systems’ can cost upwards of $1000/month!
Products priced at that sort of premium pricing don’t sell in stores, so companies are forced to keep their products at a much more reasonable price.
Some network marketing companies DO have a cool and innovative products that are totally worth the money…but it takes time and research to uncover that. All I’m saying, be wary with these lines, ask lots of questions, and do a bit of research before buying.
And please, if you disagree with me and would like to discuss this further (in a calm, fact-based way), please don’t hesitate to send me a message. I’m always happy to learn more :).
If you’d like to talk about this further, please note – over the years I’ve been approached by pretty much every network marketing company to sell their products (multiple times in some cases). This is not something I’m interested in, I’m open to talking about your experience, results, and passion about your product line but I’m not open to a sales pitch.
Great brands
I’m going to talk about brands available in health food stores. You’ll find there’s a huge range in price and quality at a health food store. I can’t talk about every brand, but here are some highlights :)
* These are all North American brands, with a couple that are Canada only (Botanica)
Budget-friendly and great quality - Natural Factors
This is my go-to company for almost everything when I’m looking for something that’s good quality & budget-conscious. They do a ton of safety and quality testing and can be trusted.
They’re amazing at nutrient supplements at great prices, like B complex and single nutrients. You’ll also find them in pretty much every category with a good mid-priced offering. They’re not always my first choice, but they usually make it to my top 3 in almost every category.
Protein & sports nutrition - Vega & Genuine Health
Both of these companies make good quality products at fair prices. They make great vegan protein options and Genuine Health makes a great high-end whey protein.
They also have a lot of whole food supplements and sports nutrition. Vega has an amazing electrolyte and Genuine Health has amazing collagen products.
Both are good choices when you find them on the shelves.
Green food powders – Botanica & Genuine Health
Genuine Health’s greens+ was the very first healthy thing I took/ate and made a huge difference in my health. I’ll always have a soft spot for them :)
Today I use Botanica’s greens because they’re stronger and don’t have any herbs. Both are really good (and highly tested) products.
Flavour-wise – Genuine Health’s greens+ are sweet and have a lot of flavour, great for those with really sweet taste buds. Botanica’s greens are unflavoured or lightly flavoured, better for those who find supplements too sweet sometimes
Medicinal Mushrooms - Host Defense
I think this is the coolest and most innovative supplement category today. I think we’re going to see a ton of mind-blowing research coming out of the medicinal mushrooms in the coming years.
When buying mushrooms it’s important to be REALLY picky. Mushrooms clean the environment of toxins…so if your mushroom supplement was grown outside of a pristine environment, then it might contain some of those toxins.
This is why my go-to mushroom company is Host Defense. This line is Paul Stamet’s line, who is the main mushroom expert in N. America (check out his TED talk here). He does amazing research and he’s very picky. He’s developed cutting edge ways of growing mushrooms and keeping the potency strong.
Probiotics - Flora, Genuine Health, and others
The probiotic section is HUGE! And there’s a lot of good stuff in there.
The probiotics that I’ve gotten the best results with my clients are Flora’s line. They’re budget-friendly and effective. Genuine Health’s probiotic line is my second favourite.
The most important thing about probiotic supplements is that they work for YOU! That’s all that matters, so keep trying different brands until you find one your gut likes :)
Liquid herbs – Botanica, St. Francis, or A. Vogel
For liquid herbs and tinctures, Botanica and A. Vogel make great products. I’ve used both and they’re both strong and effective.
Naturopathic strength at the Health Food Store - AOR
If you’re looking for a REALLY strong product, like one you’d get from a Naturopath, check out AOR.
This company creates cutting edge and effective products that are available at the health food store. But, this means you also have to be careful when buying their products. Some of their products are so strong I don’t feel they should be available at the stores.
But, if you have a chronic health condition and you’re looking for the best, check out AOR :)
Wrapping It Up
Choosing supplements doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By focusing on trusted brands, reading labels carefully, and avoiding common pitfalls, you’ll know exactly where your money is going—and that your body is getting the best possible support. Your health is worth investing in, and with a little knowledge, you can make sure every supplement in your routine is doing what it’s supposed to.
Now, it’s time for the final step: putting it all together. In Part 5, we’ll create a supplement routine that actually fits your lifestyle—so you can feel confident, energized, and supported every single day. Let’s make it work for you!
Jump to our private Facebook Group or the Ask Lisa page :)