7 Fitness Supplement Purchasing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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Nearly 80% of Americans are now taking dietary supplements. Not all vitamins and minerals are made equally, though. If you plan on buying supplements online, it’s important to have a plan.

Otherwise, you might end up choosing low-quality products. The wrong supplements can do more harm than good. Instead, take the time to avoid these fitness supplement purchasing mistakes.

Learning to avoid these mistakes will help you prioritize your health and safety. You can avoid wasting time and money, too.

Here are seven mistakes to avoid when buying supplements online. Become a savvy shopper this year! Get started by learning how to shop safely with these tips today.

  1. Ignoring Your Doctor

One of the biggest fitness supplement purchasing mistakes you can make is to start shopping without a plan. Before anything else, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Consider consulting a nutritionist or personal trainer, too.

Working with a professional will help you choose fitness supplements based on your distinct needs. Otherwise, you might choose supplements that can hurt your overall health.

You might also neglect to choose supplements that can benefit your specific fitness or weight loss goals.

First, talk to your doctor about your specific fitness objectives for the year. Ask them which fitness supplements they would recommend. Consider asking about doses and specific brands, too.

Speaking with your doctor could streamline your entire search.

Next, ask your doctor if they can run a blood test. Bloodwork could indicate you have a specific vitamin deficiency. A vitamin deficiency might impact your ability to accomplish your fitness goals.

Don’t forget to talk to your doctor about any specific symptoms you’re experiencing as well.

For example, about 1 billion people worldwide have low blood levels of vitamin D. About 41.6% of Americans are deficient. Vitamin D deficiency can cause:

  • You to feel sick or get infections often
  • Fatigue and exhaustion
  • Depression
  • Bone loss
  • Hair loss
  • Bone and back pain
  • Impaired wound healing
  • Muscle pain
  • Weight gain
  • Anxiety

Vitamin D deficiency could help patients with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression.

Speaking with a doctor before you start shopping can help you avoid these mistakes in the future.

Buying at Random

Consulting your doctor can also help you avoid the mistake of shopping at random.

Work with a health professional to develop a customized supplement plan.

For example, you can outline your lifestyle choices, goals, and the systems you’re experiencing. You can also consider health conditions that run in your family. Choosing the right supplements could help you avoid future health problems.

Making purchases at random, however, could impact your ability to achieve specific goals.

Neglecting Interactions

Consulting a medical professional will also help you avoid interactions.

First, let your doctor know about any vitamins and minerals you’re already taking. Then, discuss the fitness supplements you’re interested in.

For example, if you have a future surgery scheduled, you shouldn’t take omega-3 fatty acids. Otherwise, your risk of bleeding could increase.

If you’re currently taking a blood thinner, you shouldn’t start taking vitamin K. Otherwise, blood clotting might occur.

Talk to the doctor about when you should take specific supplements, too. For example, you might need to take some on an empty stomach. Others require you to eat first.

  1. Never Checking Labels

Before buying supplements online, make sure to read the product labels.

Reading the product labels can help you differentiate the same supplements from different brands. When reviewing each label, make sure to ignore sales language. Don’t focus on any medical claims, either.

Instead, look for certifications from:

  • The United States Pharmacopeia
  • ConsumerLab.com
  • NSF International

Finding these certifications indicates the products meet manufacturing standards.

Neglecting the Ingredients

Don’t forget to check the ingredients list for each supplement as well.

Check the FDA’s list of tainted products and ingredients to avoid. For example, don’t purchase supplements that contain:

  • Contaminated l-tryptophan
  • Kava
  • Chromium
  • Bitter orange

Otherwise, you might experience adverse side effects, including liver damage.

  1. Neglecting Dosages

During your appointment with your doctor, ask them about which fitness supplement purchasing mistakes you should avoid. For example, they’ll remind you to check the dose for each product.

Don’t go over the recommended daily intake (DRI) for each supplement. Your DRI might differ based on your health status, age, and gender, too.

Otherwise, taking too much of one fitness supplement could prove dangerous.

  1. Ignoring Website Security

As you visit each fitness supplement store, review the website before making a purchase.

First, check the URL. Make sure you see “HTTPS” in front of the domain name to confirm the website has an SSL certificate. These websites are safe to purchase from.

Look for a privacy policy, too.

  1. Not Prioritizing Brands

Don’t forget to ask your doctor about the brands you should purchase from. If you find a brand no one has heard of, remove it from your list. Prioritize brands that already have a strong reputation in the industry.

Find the best brand for each supplement on your list. For example, you can find the best deer antler velvet here to start shopping.

  1. Failing to Check Reviews

You can also learn about each brand on your list by reading online customer reviews.

Reading reviews can help you determine which brands and products to avoid. Check for reviews about scams and hackers, too. Make sure to do your due diligence before you start buying supplements online.

Otherwise, you could put your health and well being at risk.

  1. Not Comparison Shopping

Take the time to look at more than one brand during your search. Comparing supplement prices can help you pinpoint the average price per supplement. If one price seems too good to be true, scratch it from your list.

Shop Safe: 7 Fitness Supplement Purchasing Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t make these fitness supplement purchasing mistakes while shopping online. Instead, remain diligent. Review your options for fitness supplements thoroughly first.

With these tips, you can have peace of mind that you’re shopping from a safe, reliable site.

Searching for more tips, tricks, and guides? You’ve come to the right blog.