Buying Vitamins Online, The New Trend?

General Health | October 3rd | By J.S.Chang, RD

Buying vitamins online - could it be the new trend?

In the past decade, we usually bought our vitamins or supplements through a physical store, pharmacies and such. Never will we once think that shopping for vitamins online can be a thing, right?

But with all the innovative and technological advancement in place, they sort of already pave the way for the online vitamins market. And with more and more people relying on digital devices for their everyday lives, online shopping has been one of the most lucrative sectors, including buying health products online.

It is natural that all sorts of products are available to the consumers, and that makes consumers have a tough choice of choosing amongst them. That said, what should consumers be aware of when making their purchase of supplements online?

Getting enough vitamins in the first place?

We may not be sure whether we are lacking in certain vitamins or not, as usually the symptoms of vitamin deficiencies come much later, but even if we eat a healthy diet, sometimes we might still lack certain vitamins. It could be due to some health conditions or the environment we lived in.

For example, one may have absorption issues and cause them to lack that vitamin or mineral simply because the body is not utilising them well. Certain conditions like lactose intolerance may affect the body’s ability to absorb the calcium in the dairy products itself, and this type of people may need an extra supplementation of calcium to maintain good bone health.

Be aware of budget vitamins

Yes, it may be tempting to buy the cheapest supplements you can find online with attractive discounts, but at what cost? I am not saying that cheap vitamins are always bad, but we should be more wary when choosing those kinds of vitamins especially when accessing their genuinity. It may be cheap for a reason, that is, not using premium grade ingredients or mixing in unwanted ingredients which could make the product either not that efficient or even dangerous. 

Always look for things like artificial colours and flavours that may be added to the formula in the nutrition facts. Some of them when taken for an extended period of time can be bad for our health.
Look for trustworthy brands

As mentioned earlier, there are many brands and sellers that are already selling their products online, but it is pretty much up to us to determine which brand is the more trustworthy one. The thing about choosing them is you will have a sense of assurance that the vitamins you are getting are quality products. Try to look for brands that have scientifically-backed research, and better yet, have the support and recommendation of medical professionals. 

Look out for dubious claims

It may be tempting to listen to claims such as curing certain diseases, or they work better than drugs, but in truth supplements are just that, supplements. They do not cure any diseases and it is certainly against the law to advertise so. That is why as consumers, we should be smart not to fall into such traps, and pick only the ones that matter to us.

Be sure what vitamins you really need

Buying vitamins online means that most of the time we won’t have much of a consultation with healthcare professionals and have to rely on ourselves to make good judgement. Luckily, we have an online health assessment(HA) designed by a team of medical professionals to address your health concerns and recommend vitamins to you accordingly. Better yet, we have sourced only the best grade of supplements for you, so you don’t have to worry about the quality as well. 

All in all, buying vitamins online can be a breeze if you know where and what to look for!