by a.b.
So after you’ve figured out which supplements you need, that still leaves you at the store standing in front of a wall of pills. I would advise getting your supplements from someplace reliable, usually not a big box chain store. If you can source the ingredients (know where they came from) you’re better off. One way to tell if it’s a good product is the inactive ingredients: the more junk in the hidden listings, the worse it is.
This is how I came to stand in Trader Joe’s staring blankly at three bottles of Vitamin “B” and two bottles of “calcium.” For me, the calcium was a no-brainer. One had zinc (which I’m allergic to) while the other did not. The “B” complexes were a little bit trickier; the dreaded math came in to play.
First I look at the price and number of tablets. Bottle “Q” was $9.99 for 120 tablets. Bottle “R” was $5.99 for 100 tablets. Bottle “S” was $3.99 for 100 tablets. Each bottle required only 1 tablet per day (This is one of the ways they get you. If you have to take four a day, that eats through a bottle pretty quickly.).
Now you figure out the actual differences. The difference between “S’ and “R” was that “R” was exactly twice the dosage of “S.” However, “S” was already more than the needed daily allowance as is, and I want to boost my system, not tax it. Bottle “R” was put back on the shelf. “Q” and “S” even had identical numbers, except “Q” also contained choline and PABA. I did a quick internet search on my phone to find out what in the world choline and PABA even were. Personally, I didn’t feel these two small substances were worth a double investment in vitamins, so I went with Bottle “S.”
Even though I went with “S,” I was initially drawn to “Q.” It was a nice big bottle and said charming words like “complete” on it. Such nice, comforting words. Even, “R” had nice round numbers on it that made it seem like the better choice. In the end, it was the humble, inexpensive little “S” that met my needs, pocketbook and otherwise.
In the end, I’ve been on my “B” and calcium for almost two weeks. My headaches are better and I’ve had some significant energy improvement. Best of all, I know I didn’t get suckered by the supplements in my cabinet.
