HEALTH

I bet you can't tell me why you chose the antiaging product supplement you're currently taking. Maybe it contains a certain ingredient. Maybe it's cheaper than others. Or maybe someone else told you about it. Unfortunately, these reasons have nothing to do with a supplement's effectiveness and overall value-for-money.

In this article, you'll learn how to evaluate supplements on a deeper level, so you'll know just where your current supplement stands. Or, if you're new to supplements, you'll start out the right way instead of wasting time and money like most people (including me).

Follow these 3 steps:

(1) Ingredient Quality

How can you as a consumer find out the ingredient quality in a supplement? Well, you have to contact the supplement company. I never said determining an antiaging product supplement's quality was going to be easy.

Call or e-mail the company. Here are 3 great questions to ask:

• Do you have a Certificate of Analysis (COA) on file for every raw ingredient you use?
• Are all raw ingredients tested prior to manufacture for microbiological contamination?
• Prior to releasing a batch of product, do you conduct further microbiological analysis and a heavy metal analysis?

The person at the company should answer "yes" to all 3 of these questions. And if they do answer yes, they should be able to document it with paperwork. You should be allowed to see the documentation; beware if they won't let you.

With these simple questions, you'll quickly find out if a supplement company is dedicated to excellence. Either they test their raw ingredients for purity or they don't.

(2) Absorption

How can you as a consumer find out if the supplement is absorbed in your bloodstream? There are a few factors that affect a supplement's ability to be absorbed. But I'm only going to list the most important one here---enteric coating.

Enteric coating protects the supplement as it passes through stomach acid. If your antiaging product supplement contains herbal extracts, enzymes, or phytonutrients, this is extremely important.

Without enteric coating, the most powerful ingredients in your supplement will be damaged or destroyed by stomach acid. The label of the supplement bottle will list enteric coating if it's used.

(3) Formulator

Someone formulated your supplement, but who? To answer that, you may have to contact the supplement company again. Reputable companies, however, will list their formulator's credentials on their website.

Who are the best formulators?

Biochemists with a pharmaceutical background. Look for someone with a degree in Pharmacology or work experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Remember, a supplement is only as good as the person who formulates it.

Getting the info in these 3 steps will make your decision a lot easier. You'll be able to narrow it down to only the best anti-aging supplements. Just remember to focus on...

1. Ingredient testing
2. Enteric coating for absorption
3. Expert formulator

If you don't take action on the info in this article, you may end up with a supplement that's contaminated or poorly absorbed or formulated by a sales and marketing team.

Be smart from the start - an antiaging product supplement is a long-term investment in your health.