Baza Medical's: Position on nutritional supplements
Nutritional supplements are foundational to a well-designed restorative or a performance-driven program. It is nearly impossible to consume food that contains all essential nutrients in meaningful quantities given modern, industrialized agricultural and animal rearing practices. That being said, here are several guidelines to using nutritional supplements intelligently.
Food is king. You should eat the best diet possible. Supplements do not compensate for a bad diet, remember you are not what you eat - you are what you absorb. Much of what we absorb is harmful and can greatly impede progress.
Supplements must be high quality and devoid of contaminants. Remember, this is a completely unregulated industry - only the integrity of the manufacturer protects you from harm. Use medical grade, not food grade supplements made under good manufacturing practices GMP with third party testing of each lot for purity and potency.
Formulations matter. For example, minerals are better absorbed as chelates then they are as salts compared magnesium malate vs. magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia). One adds magnesium the other produces diarrhea.
Timing can be important. For example, fat-soluble vitamins should be taken with fats in a meal.
Demand for specific nutrients varies. Depending on deficiency states, physical and psychological stressors, individual goals, exercise protocols, genetics – one-size- never-fits-all.
Supplements can have different purposes. Some provide vitamins & minerals, essential fats, and other micronutrients. They could provide macronutrients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates. They could be ergogenic aids (performance enhancers) like creatine monohydrate, HMB or BCAAs. Your goals and desired outcomes determine demand.
Supplements can be abused and can cause harm. Consider the metals such as iron or excess fat soluble vitamins. Most things in biology follow a U-shaped curve, or too much or too little can be problematic - optimal is the sweet spot.
Choose your nutritional supplement wisely, just as you would pharmaceuticals. It's best to defer to an expert or specific testing rather than reading marketing literature.
