How are Professional Supplement Brands Different from Commercial Brands?

What makes professional supplement brands different from commercial ones?

Why do healthcare practitioners preferred professional brands over the other?

Simply because QUALITY MATTERS!

Better patient outcomes and efficacy depends on the quality of the supplements. And professional grade supplements excel in this, in terms of purity, potency and bioavailability.

There are a couple of differences.

1. The ingredients are tested for purity and potency

Quality supplement manufacturers put extra effort to make sure that their products do not contain unnecessary ingredients such as artificial colorings, allergens, additives, excipients, etc. They understand how these ingredients may hinder health progress and even present health risks.

The potencies of professional brands are backed with research that shows certain health benefits that commercial brands may not have. Even as you assess the amount of active ingredients versus the cost, the professional brand supplement may actually have better value on the basis of cost/ mg. You may need to take more pills of a commercial brand supplement to have its dose and effect equivalent to 1 pill of professional brand.

2. Professional supplements are formulated to have maximum bioavailability

In reality, ingredients in a supplement are not 100% absorbed by the body. Depending on its delivery system, forms and formulation, absorption can go from 0% to 100%. For the body to utilize it, it has to be in its activated form. An example would be Pyridoxal-5’ phosphate which is the active form of vitamin B6 versus the usual Pyridoxine which is still the Inactive form of vitamin B6. Another example would be folate (the better form) versus folic acid.

Why bother having these active forms? There are some people who are genetically predisposed and have difficulty making these types of conversions in the body and absorbing it, making the supplement useless. Using supplements with their active forms, decreases the risk of not maximized and not being absorbed. This is one of the criteria that can best evaluate whether a supplement can be efficacious. Companies may go beyond choosing a more expensive source for an ingredient due to its high bioavailability. 

3. It is prescribed and guided by a healthcare practitioner

Most, if not all professional grade products go through a trained healthcare practitioner. Why would supplement companies limit themselves in selling just through healthcare practitioners? Selling through pharmacies, health food stores or online would make more traffic and money right?

These companies believe that their products will have the greatest positive impact on a person’s health when managed under the care of a trained and qualified healthcare practitioner from physicians, pharmacists, nutritionists, health coaches and others within the same field. This will ensure that the patients are guided correctly and educated.

In Summary

1.       Consult with a qualified and trained healthcare practitioner for advice when choosing for the right supplement for you.

2.       Purchase supplements from a manufacturer that you trust. Research on their website and base your decision on their transparency and certifications instead of marketing and testimonials.

3.       If you have certain allergies and sensitivities, it’s better to look for a brand that is hypoallergenic.

4.       Always check the label before purchasing. You can get a lot of information by just looking at their label. Check for ingredients and excipients.

5.       Professional grade supplements may be more expensive due to their additional efforts to provide and ensure quality. But, weighing all the pros and cons, it may be an investment that is worth it to give you better health and peace of mind.