Common Supplement Ingredients

Why you should know this?

• Before beginning on any fitness journey it is important to realize how your body reacts to various chemicals and additives to each of these supplements

• Whether you are losing weight, gaining weight, or increasing performance in any activity selecting the right supplements can make the world of difference

Supplements shouldn’t supersede diet

• No matter how great any supplement may seem it is important to realize you cannot out train a bad diet

• A good set of supplements are only there to help you get that extra edge, no supplement can make up for a bad lifestyle

• It is far better to spend money on whole food sources first and then supplements afterwards

Dextrose

• Basically sugar in its simplest form• Sugar can help you metabolize protein quicker

depending upon when you consume this in your training cycle

• Any supplement that is high in dextrose should be consumed after you have exercised to restore blood glucose levels

Whey Protein

• Whey Protein is probably the most widely used supplement on the market today

• It is easily digestible and cheap form of protein• Regardless if you are wishing to gain muscle or

lose fat this can help you• This is sourced from milk protein and has been

in use for many decades

Natural Orange Flavor Enhancers

• This is added to supplements to help with the taste as well as to mask the flavor of other ingredients

• This is safe if consumed in small amounts• Be careful to not consume too much of these

flavor enhancers throughout the day as some adverse side effects have been reported

• It is always best to use whole foods whenever possible

Citric Acid

• This is used to preserve the flavor of any food or drink

• You may see this often in pre and post workout shakes

• Those that may be allergic to natural fruit juices should avoid using any supplement with this as a listed ingredient

Carrageenan Gum

• This is a binder for many of the other ingredients on the label

• This has been used for years as a binder in many other over the counter products

• You may even find this binder on your natural food shelf as it can be used to help bind recipes for those who suffer from Crone’s disease

Creatine Monohydrate

• Another very common ingredient found in many supplements

• Supposedly this is meant to help you gain energy from your fat stores

• This is found naturally in the body and is produced naturally by the body

• If you are on a Vegan diet then this can be extremely helpful as many meat sources have this naturally

Creatine Monohydrate

• With continued use there have been some side effects such as kidney damage

• If you have kidney damage already it may be best to avoid this completely

• Many times some adverse side effects come from consuming this too often during the day. Carefully monitoring your intake of Creatine Monohydrate is essential to your overall health

Tartaric Acid

• This is meant to help with the flavor of your supplements

• You can find this in many supplements regardless of their purpose

• This is primarily a balancing agent to be used with other ingredients

• Failure to include this ingredient can result in a very chalky and unpleasant tasting supplement

Lecithin

• This is a very safe ingredient to use• Has been in use for decades• Basically the purpose of Lecithin is to make

your supplement to be fuller in flavor

Magnesium Oxide

• Used primarily as an antacid and to help with the digestion of the supplement

• If you have a weak stomach this can be very helpful for you to digest any abnormal ingredients

• Due to the fact some of the earlier supplements caused such a poor reaction to cause a trip to the E.R. this was later added as a mandatory ingredient to help make supplements tolerable

Lohan Fruit Extract

• This is a natural fruit extract that helps make any supplement taste better

• Basically this is a natural sweetener without adding a lot of extra sugar

Stevia Extract

• Stevia Extract is just like Stevia in that it is a natural sweetener that isn’t sugar

• You will see Stevia used in substitute of glucose or other sugars

• This is a perfectly safe ingredient and you can buy Stevia alone over the counter

Silicon Dioxide

• This is used as a preservative• Basically this is sand, however, this is nothing

to be concerned about as you can find sand in many of your natural supplements found everywhere

Acesulfame Potassium

• This is a calorie free sweetener• There is some concern that this may cause

cancer• However, over the course of at least 15 years

there have been no scientific proof of this ingredient as a cause for cancer

Beta Alanine

• This is supposed to help you power through your workouts

• You may experience a tingling feeling while using this ingredient

• Supposedly many have reported to perform better using this ingredient

Creatine Nitrate

• This is supposed to be a better alternative to Creatine Monohydrate

• No studies actually prove that this is better than anything else however, so you are not that much better off with this as part of your supplement

Arginine AKG

• This is helpful to metabolize Creatine no matter what form it takes

• No actual proof of any claims mentioned by any of the supplement producers, always be wary of unverified claims

Niacin

• This is a naturally occurring substance found in your body

• Supposed to have many health benefits including lowering bad cholesterol

• You can get random sweats from consuming this so keep that in mind

Many more ingredients could have been included

• The above list is just a brief list of what could be included in any supplement

• There can be many more ingredients and some of these could be proprietary names that hide what they really are

• Many times these supplement companies use great marketing to convince you to buy their products, buyer beware

• Of course it would be helpful if you have your blood tested periodically to see if you are lacking any key nutrients

• Never use supplements instead of actual food, and always consult your Doctor before consuming anything that may cause you to have an adverse side effect

Want to know more?

• Articles such as this can be found online at:• http://www.richardcallaby.com• As well this in depth article can be found at

the following location:• http://

www.richardcallaby.com/common-supplement-ingredients-and-what-they-do/