Discount Nutritional Supplement: Nutritional Supplements that Do Not Break the Bank

You need not spend a fortune buying nutritional supplements and a more costly name brand may be about the same as a cheaper store brand. Tests performed by Consumer Reports have found both name brands and store brands to be reliable sources of vitamins and minerals. It may be cheaper to buy your nutritional supplements in bulk, and always watch for sales. Most vitamins can keep for a year. You may save money by comparison shopping. Find several supplements that meet your requirements, and select the cheapest one. Consumer Reports suggests supplements that contain vitamins A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folate, C, D, E, and K and the minerals calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc.

Name-Brand vs. Store-Brand

When buying nutritional supplements of vitamins and minerals, it’s best to stick to name brands and store brands. According to Consumer Reports, tests on both have found them to be reliable sources of vitamins and minerals. The store-brand supplements may cost $3 to $21 a year less than the name-brands. Look for a basic supplement with 100% of the Dietary Reference Intakes for most vitamins and minerals. Consumer Reports suggests finding several supplements that meet your requirements, and then choosing the cheapest one. Its list of vitamins a supplement should contain are A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folate, C, D, E, and K. Minerals the supplement should also contain are calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc. Try to buy your nutritional supplements in bulk, and watch for sales. Most vitamins can keep for a year.

Don’t Pay Extra For Super-Size Doses

You can save money by avoiding supplements with “megadoses” of vitamins or minerals. These tend to cost more, but remember that doses can be big enough to pose a threat to your health. The Harvard School of Public Health cautions against supplements that have greater than 200% or 300% of the government’s Dietary Reference Intakes guide.

You May Not Need Iron

But don’t spend extra for a supplement just because it has iron. In general, men, older people and most young adults don’t need extra iron. However, women may need it because of blood loss from menstrual cycles. Most people need either no iron or no more than nine milligrams per day.

Don’t Pay Extra For Special Claims

Don’t pay extra for a supplement because it boasts claims of special benefits, such as helping with weight loss or providing extra energy. Such claims typically aren’t substantiated. You also don’t want to pay more money for supplements that promise exotic extras, such as food extracts or herbal ingredients. Again, according to Consumer Reports, the amounts of exotic ingredients in multivitamins are usually so tiny that they offer little or no benefit.