Here at Supplement Reviews Lab, my primary goal is to review and promote high-quality supplements. I want to help you stop spending your hard-earned money on supplements that won’t help you and will likely hurt you in the long run.
One thing I realized is that most people do not know how to choose a good supplement. They don’t scrutinize the supplements they purchase enough and are left feeling frustrated when the supplements let them down later.
If I’m describing you, it’s not completely your fault. Supplement companies are very good at marketing and selling their products. They’ve figured out just what to show you and say, to make you buy their product.
Supplement companies will show you the handsome ripped fitness model that swears he uses the supplements. They will hire professional athletes and fitness models to promote the supplement, knowing most people want to be like them in one way or another.
The marketing and sales techniques are so powerful because they sell you hope. You really hope that the supplements will do what they promise. You hope you can look like or be like the people in the advertisements. This can easily lead to buying a bad supplement.
Think about the downside of buying a poor-quality supplement. First and foremost, you’re wasting your money on something that doesn’t work. On top of that, it probably includes questionable ingredients that can screw your body up.
It’s time to put a stop to buying bad supplements. Are you with me? If you follow the 4 steps I lay out below, I guarantee you that the likelihood of ever purchasing a bad supplement again will decrease dramatically.
These are the 4 steps (in order) that I take to make sure that every supplement I purchase is high-quality, effective and worth the money.
# 1-Check reviews
This is the most obvious one however, I find that people often fail to look at a variety of reviews before buying a supplement. They will look at one source, such as the reviews on the company website, and form their purchase decision solely off of that.
I advocate checking out reviews from a variety of places before making a decision. The first place I check for reviews of a supplement is Amazon. Amazon is a double-edged sword because some companies will flood their products with fake reviews, so you have to be careful.
If Amazon sells the supplement you’re looking at, there should be a good amount of reviews, both good and bad. One word of advice however, I have often found that one-star reviews on Amazon are wrong more than they are right.
The second thing I then usually do is a simple internet search for reviews of the supplement. I look for blogs (like this), forums and websites that discuss the supplement. I try to find someone that does a very in depth and thorough review of the supplement.
The third place I read reviews is the website of the company that produces the supplement. Usually this is where the most reviews can be found.
One thing almost every supplement company does is reward customers for providing a review of the supplement. They will usually offer a small amount off of your next purchase if you provide a review of your previous purchase.
While this may seem like the reviews wouldn’t be accurate, keep in mind that the person leaving the review did so because they want money off of their next order. They plan on purchasing again and are clearly enjoying the supplement.
I tend to look at the total number of positive reviews on a supplement company’s website as opposed to the specific reviews, as that tells me whether they have a lot of repeat customers. The more repeat customers they have, the better I feel about making a purchase, as it shows people come back to buy.
The last place I will usually check is YouTube. This is more of a personal issue for me as I’d much rather skim and read reviews than listen to someone blabber on and on.
Most YouTube reviews take too long to get to what you actually want to know. I’m far too impatient for that. The only time I will look to YouTube for reviews is when I cannot find enough reviews in the first three places.
After checking out reviews of the supplement, I then look to check out the company itself.
# 2-Research the company
It’s important to know about the company you are purchasing from. How long have they been around? What’s their philosophy? Where are they made? What market do they cater to? Have they ever been sued or faced legal issues for their supplements in the past?
These are all questions that I want answers to before I agree to send my money to a company. If I don’t feel good about a company, I have a very difficult time justifying purchasing their supplement.
At this point, I am able to figure out whether a company is solely in it to make money fairly quickly. There’s nothing wrong with making money but so many companies are just a flash in a pan. They make a bullshit supplement that they market well and after a year, they’ve made their money and are out of business.
I want to purchase from a company that plans on staying around for a long time. A company that is in it for the long haul knows that they have to take care of their customers and provide quality supplements if they want to survive.
To find out about a particular company, I do an internet search, look at their website and also check YouTube. I try to find negative reviews of a company if possible so I can understand what people are complaining about. It might be something stupid and small or it might be something more concerning.
If you have a hard time finding negative reviews of a company, that’s usually a good sign unless they are a brand new company.
If it’s a brand-new company, you have to do your best and decide whether you’re going to give them a shot. I tend to avoid very new supplement companies. I’d rather let a few people try them out before I send them my money.
# 3- Check social media
This is related to the first two steps but not as important. I always find it beneficial to check social media to see what people are saying about a company and their supplements.
I will check Twitter and Facebook see whether there are any complaints, reviews or discussions about the supplement. There is usually at least some commentary going on if the supplement is fairly popular.
People tend to be more honest on their personal social media accounts than other places than other places online which is why it’s usually beneficial to check it.
Just keep in mind when you do check social media, you may find ambassador accounts for people who promote the company. This is called affiliate marketing.
These individuals are paid a percentage of every sale after they drive a customer to the company’s website. It’s very common with supplement companies.
Ambassadors should be and often are giving their honest review of supplements but sometimes they are just trying to make sales.
# 4-Compare to similar supplements
I want to purchase the best supplement possible. One thing I do to ensure that I do that is to look at the available supplements for any particular supplement category.
When I am looking at purchasing a particular supplement, I will do a search either through the internet or Amazon to find similar supplements.
For example, if I was looking for a grass-fed whey protein, I would look at the top grass-fed proteins on the market and compare them against each other in areas like price, ingredients, reviews and flavors.
When you find a truly great supplement, it will be hard to find others that compare. Most supplements are in the mediocre category. There are very few supplements that are exceptional.
Once I am satisfied that I have found the best supplement available after comparing it to similar supplements, I usually make my final decision whether I am going to make a purchase or not.
Final Decision
After going through these 4 steps, the final decision will be whether you want to purchase the supplement or not. If you follow each of these 4 steps as I’ve explained them, the decision should be an easy one.
As long as I am still feeling good about the supplement after going through each step, I almost always decide to buy it at the end. Most supplements will not make it through this process, but the great ones will.
Now that you have my 4-step process to choosing a good supplement, you can have more confidence during your next purchase that you won’t be wasting your money.
Although this may not work every single time, it will work most of the time. There have been very few supplements that I have wasted my money on lately. If I did, it was because I was in too much of a rush to buy and skipped some of the steps.
It can be difficult to be patient when you really want to try a certain supplement, but it will go a long way to making sure that you made a good choice. You will thank yourself later on.
What process do you go through before you decide to purchase a supplement? I would love to hear your thoughts and questions below!
Yes Dan, you are speaking to me here. I have always just picked up a familiar supplement out of habit. This is the first time it is occurring to me that I could check it out from Amazon, reviews, social media etc and it wouldn’t take long. After all, I want the best for my money. Seems like I need to take my eyes off the package design and really do some research. Thank you
Hi JJ,
I’m glad I could help convince you do a little more research before you buy! I wish we could just trust the company’s word on their supplements but sadly that isn’t the case in many instances. I’m glad this article was useful to you. Thank you for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
With the supplement industry being under-regulated in the U.S. it’s hard to tell fact from fiction.I’ll admit, I am easily sold on potential health benefits of merely mixing a drink, or popping a capsule filled with…who knows what. Selling ‘hope’ is right on the money.I remember a news report from several years ago about the FDA buying random supplements from GNC, Walmart, and Walgreens and testing them. Nearly all of them had nothing that was described on the label. Mostly rice flour and other useless fillers. I’ve had a hard time trusting supplements since then.You do offer some great tips here, and I appreciate them. I’ll have them in mind before I decide on another supplement!
Hi Jerimy,
It can be very easy to be sold on supplements. I have fallen victim of it myself many times in the past. Sadly, many supplement companies have been caught up doing what you’re describing. It really can be quite scary. Once you have a bad experience, it’s difficult to trust supplements again. Thankfully, there are a few companies out there doing the right thing and producing some awesome supplements. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!!
Timely article for me. I have been wanting to add weight because I am a very lean person naturally and I have appetite issues and rheumatoid arthritis to. But I want to work out too . I have been advised severally to get amino supplements and take them along with food before or after work out. But there are so many out here fro. Casillan to mus-L. Can you pls reply this comment and help me out.
Hello,
There are some great amino acid supplements out there and they may be of help to you. I don’t have any specific ones to recommend right now as I haven’t been taking them lately however, I am looking at a few companies now that look to have some great ones to look for a few reviews of them in the future. Thanks for your comment and good luck!
Hey there again review lab…
Thanks for the article, actually it is always good to read through processes and make sure that your intuition is correct…
Me also, I always have difficulties in deciding which supplements to go for, and I always get lost in so much information, and so much misinformation.
Thats how I got to your page, and now I am following it!
I will keep following the hints to make sure to always find the right choice for me!
Cheers!
Hi Luiz,
Great to hear! There can certainly be a lot of information out there and it can be confusing. I’m glad this article could be of some help to you. Always do your research! Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by again.
I have been spending money buying good quality of supplements. I don’t mind the price as long as the product is of good quality and good potency, from a good and reputable company. You are right that we need to research on the whereabouts of the company and their philosophy. I have to admit, sometimes I forget to look at that, but I always check on the customer’s review. I also do my comparisons with similar supplement of different brands.
Thanks for a great post.
Hi Pecilla,
I feel exactly like you do. I don’t mind paying for quality but nothing makes me angrier than paying a quality price tag for a supplement that didn’t do what it said it would. Sounds like you already are skilled in conducting your research before you buy. Awesome Job! Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by.
How can I know if a supplement will be safe and effective for me? What a pretty and surprising review. It will very helpful before buying a supplement. I will follow your4 step when I will buy a supplement in the next time because of this 4 step has clarified me how can i make a good decision for buying a supplement. Final decision. Thank you very much for this post.
Hi Jafor,
It depends on a lot of things such as your current health and recommendations by the company that makes the product. They will often have warnings as to who should avoid their products. When in doubt, you should always discuss it with your doctor as well. I’m glad this article was useful for you. Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by!
Hello Dan,
Thanks for such a helpful, effective and informative post. Really, it is a big problem that which supplement should we choose. I think most of the men face the same problem. Now I have your tips and suggestions. So, I hope I do not need to be confused anymore. I am going to share your post with my friends and family members so that they also can apply your tips and become able to use the perfect supplement for them.
Thanks again for the nice post:)
Radeet
Hi Radeet,
You are very welcome! It can be very confusing and frustrating to find a good supplement for sure. Thank you very much for sharing it! I hope it will be of help to others as well. I have used these steps many times. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
Hi Dan, your post is well organized and I can tell you put a lot of time in organizing and researching the material. Personally, I am a 58-year-old male who has never used supplements, however, my son has a friend who became a personal trainer and he is very knowledgable about supplements. We have not used his business but I’m almost sure he’s promoting some supplements that he uses all the time.
I think if a consumer uses your 4 step system they should have a good idea about which supplement to purchase and to avoid scammers who make products that may affect your health in the long run.
Well written post!
Cal
Hi Calvin,
Thank you very much for the kind remarks! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment.
Thanks for this article. It’s annoying when you go for a product after you are made to believe it’s the best for you, I’ve fallen a victim so many times. I will have to show my cousin who always jump at any products with good adverts. Your tips will be so much helpful in selecting the next supplement I’m going to get. Thanks again.
I’m glad it was of help to you! It’s very easy to fall victim to it so don’t beat yourself up. Just go through these 4 steps the next time you buy a supplement and I’m sure you will find that it leads you to a good supplement. Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by!
To me the absolute number one choice is to look at the ingredients contained within supplements as you are what you put into your body. It does sometimes shock me to see what is contained within some of the supplements recommended by big supplement companies in regards to for example artificial sweeteners it contains, like acesulfame K, which I do not view as a healthy ingredient at all. When looking at supplements I would rather compromise on the taste and have no sugars added at all or a more natural healthier sweetener like Stevia. To me it defies the point in taking a supplement that is supposed to benefit your body, but it is ironic as when you look at some of the ingredients contained in certain supplements, you are more likely to compromise your health instead.
As you mentioned, good personal research is required, as today unfortunately we cannot believe everything we read on the internet and in the news anymore.
Hey Schalk,
I 100 % agree. It’s downright scary to see many of the ingredients some companies are putting into their supplements. Sadly, most people don’t even both to read the labels. Stevia is definitely my preferred sweetener of choice. Sadly, it can be very difficult to have trust anymore in today’s society which is why we have to spend time looking into these supplements and companies. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for this review on how to choose a supplement. I was wondering if you have any tips on what ingredients do you look for in a supplement. Is there any that should be avoided? Like let’s say we are looking at the whey protein is there any ingredients that should be avoided altogether?
Hello Geoffrey,
That’s a broad question and it depends on the supplement but I can give you some basic things I look out for. I look for supplements that are free of artificial ingredients such as colors, flavors, preservatives and definitely artificial sweeteners. Basically anything that is artificial, I’m likely to avoid. If it’s a whey protein, I look for a grass-fed whey protein that is processed with low-heat that does not contain any of the above artificial ingredients. If you just avoid buying supplements that have artificial ingredients with names you can’t pronounce, you are going to steer yourself in the right direction! Oh and I also avoid things loaded with caffeine. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
Amazing tips Dan I can relate your tips to myself. I think It is really important to do research before buying supplement, especially if you want to buy brand you don’t know! What would be the brand you would suggest to a consideration? Thanks for the tips!
Thanks Marius! It is so important. There’s a lot of brands that I would suggest and I can’t pick a specific one. If you look around at the reviews I’ve done, you will find the companies that I really like and suggest. Thanks for your comment!
Hello Dan!
You are so right about being informed before buying. I bet no one buys a car before checking every single detail of the car itself and the offers in the market. I seriously doubt that they do the same thing before buying something that could potentially harm their health.
To tell you the truth, I don’t intend to do any of the research you propose. It’s a “dirty job and you will have to do it for us” :-). I trust your expertise and knowledge on the subject enough to simply check your reviews.
One more thing. You say that if you find positive reviews this means that the product is good. Does the type of marketing used to promote a product affect the information regarding the actual quality of the product? It’s MLM schemes that worry me.
Hi Effie,
Very true! I wish people put the time into looking at reviews of supplements they buy that they put into looking for a car! I’m glad you trust me enough to do the research. I swear I will always do my best. If I find overwhelmingly positive reviews of a supplement I have found that it is generally pretty good. There are some major supplement MLM companies but it’s usually pretty obvious. I usually avoid these companies for that very reason. That’s the one exception to the good reviews although, a lot of MLM companies supposedly have great quality supplements. I wouldn’t know though. Thanks for your comment and thanks for visiting!
Hey Dan your are so right about Supplement Marketing & Selling using ‘fake’ images.
This is a such a helpful checklist you’ve supplied.
I was able to understand the difference between grass-fed and not grass-fed protein because of the the link you supplied.
This is a most informative post which as made me change the way I review supplements.
Thanks Dan
Hi Honor,
I’m glad you found it helpful! I hope it helps you in the future when you go to buy your next supplements. Thanks for your comment!
As someone who likes to be in the gym and is very fond of using supplements, I have found your 4-step process similar to my own. However, I’ve done the research in the sense of comparing products to their competitors through various websites but never used the actual company’s site to see how many recurring customers they do indeed have. I thought that was a very good tip! One thing I like to do as well is asking friends who may have used certain supplements their feedback as well.
Hi Frankie,
I’m glad you enjoyed the article! I like asking my friends as well but I can rarely find anyone who is taking the ones I want to try unfortunately. Sometimes I do get lucky and find someone though! Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
Great article. I have primarily made my supplement decisions based on what my trainer told me.
Granted, he might know more than I do about it, but it would do me good to do my research before purchasing. I had been using the same protein powder for years, because I was honestly afraid some of the others would taste horrible.
I think i will follow your advice and look into different brands and types before purchasing again!
Thank you for giving me some great ways of finding honest reviews before making a purchase (I wouldn’t have thought to check YouTube)!
-Darci
Thanks Darci! It never hurts to do your own research although, getting opinions from other people you know that use a supplement is good too. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for sharing this post. I learned something new from you and your post. This really is a problem for people and with this valuable post you are offering something new that I really appreciate. I will send this post to my friends so they also have something to read about choosing the right supplement.
You’re welcome! I really appreciate you sharing it. Thanks for your comment!
Great post. Your 4 tips make good sense and are useful for anybody looking to buy a supplement.
From personal experience I heave learned that you must take responsibility for educating yourself about supplements. Don’t just believe the marketing which these days is very clever and designed to stop you from questioning. No way, ask questions and learn how to read labels – For instance, why are there such big differences between product ingredients?
Thanks for the great info.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Very true! I had to learn that the hard way which is why I’m trying to help others avoid it. Great question to ask. You can never ask too many questions when you’re looking for a supplement. The more information you have to make a good choice the better. Thanks for your comment!
Because I have type 2 diabetes, I am constantly on the lookout for good quality supplements. I really like your 4 step approach and will be using it from here on out to determine the best supplement type and brand to purchase. I take several supplements currently, many of which I simply buy at a “big box store” because I am already there shopping for everything else I need. I know this is not the right approach to this so I sincerely thank you for your tips. Once question I do have is this: can good quality supplements be found at places like Walmart? Thanks.
Awesome to hear Karin:) I’m glad this was helpful for you. Yes, you will rarely find the best supplements at the big box stores although, it seems like most are getting better. I rarely go to Walmart so I’m not sure what they are carrying but I have seen some decent supplements available at places like Target and the grocery stores. Not the highest quality in many cases but they do generally have some decent stuff. Just do the best you can. Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by.
You did wow me with your strategies in checking through the right supplement to buy. I can’t vividly boast of ever taking my time to make research on products I intend to buy or even read through various reviews of consumers of such product. What a way of being misled by most marketers who averagely makes their products over exaggerated even beyond its standard. Its a good lesson and you article really makes a lot of sense.
Hi Peter,
I’m glad you enjoyed the article! It can certainly be very easy to be misled. Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by!
Hi Dan,Thank you very much for your advice on how to choose the best nutrition supplements.I recently started a program to lose weight, adjust my calories, start an aerobic exercise plan and I can say that to date I have been fulfilling my goals. However, I have also been thinking about how to achieve my ideal weight without injury to my muscles and my strength.Choosing the right supplement, however, has been a bit more complicated because with so many supplement options you can quickly get confused.But with these tips, I think that now the decision will be easier and smarter.
Hi Tommy,
Sounds like you’re doing great! I’m glad this article could be of help for you. Keep up the great work! Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by.