3 Tips for Saving Money on Supplements

Vitamin supplements can be a useful addition to your wellness regimen. Unfortunately, the standard American diet leaves room for several nutritional deficiencies and promotes inflammation. Many people have difficulty absorbing some of the vital nutrients that you may actually be getting in your diet.

There are several disorders and conditions linked to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including fibroids.
The occurrence of fibroids and several hormonal imbalances have been linked to vitamin D deficiency and magnesium deficiency.

Heavy bleeding associated with fibroids can also cause low iron and/or anemia. So as you can imagine, sometimes supplementation may help manage fibroid symptoms.

Having said that, it’s important to note that supplements are just that – a supplement to a healthy lifestyle.

For the sake of this post, I’m defining supplements as any nonwhole food substances that are not included in your usual diet. That includes vitamin pills and capsules, adaptogen powders, and even protein powders.

Higher quality supplements that are easily absorbed and have high production standards are most desirable, but they can get pretty pricey.

Here are some ways to save money:

1. Figure out what you actually need.

   The best way to save money on supplements is to find out which ones might be right for your body’s needs. Don’t follow every supplement trend. Focus on what YOUR body needs. There are a few ways to figure this out:

   • Consult your healthcare provider and have them do comprehensive lab or bloodwork to determine if you have any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

   • There are also some testing kits on the market if insurance is an issue for you. At the time of publishing this post, I haven’t tried any so I can’t attest to their accuracy. It’s probably a good idea to ask your doctor about this.

   • Log your diet for a week or two to see if you typically get the essentials such as iron, vitamin D or probiotics in your diet already. You can use a simple tracking app such as MyFitnessPal and view the nutrition portion. This will give you a good idea of some of the basics.

   • It’s also a great idea to consult your healthcare provider and ask for comprehensive bloodwork to determine if you have any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

     Once you’ve identified gaps, you can then determine if simply adding more whole foods into your diet will be sufficient or if you may need further supplementation. This is where it helps to have a great doctor that can give you insight.

2. Shop discount stores.

   Stores like Marshalls, Home Goods and Ross always have different supplements in their epicure sections. I’ve seen everything from protein powder to turmeric capsules. It’s important to keep a few things in mind when shopping these types of stores:

   • Always check expiration dates. Only buy items with longer shelf lives that you can stock up on and store if you decide to buy multiple items.

   • Skip items that are “alive” or heat sensitive. I typically skip honey and probiotics because these items have probably been transported a few times and have likely been exposed to different temperatures.

   • Don’t go without a list. These sections can have so many treasures. It’s really easy to get sidetracked and want to try all the new items, but DON’T. Stick to what you came for.

3. Wait until an item goes on a deep sale and stock up.

   Sprouts and Whole Foods regularly do line drives or have really amazing prices on supplements, so if there’s something I really want to try and it’s pricey, I wait until it goes on sale. If it’s an item that I plan to use regularly, I go ahead and buy a couple. Again stocking up only works with items that have a longer shelf life.

Always remember to do your research. More expensive doesn’t always mean most effective, and most popular isn’t always the best for YOUR body’s needs. Here are some great multis that check off a lot of boxes: