Why Your Supplement Isn’t Working
How do you know if your supplement is going to work?
Most people hone in on ingredients and amounts. While these are important for measuring efficacy, they don’t tell the whole story. A supplement can contain excellent ingredients in meaningful amounts and still fall short if those nutrients aren't delivered in a way the body can absorb and use.
The best supplements consider what happens after you take them. At Global Healing, we’re a little bit obsessed with making sure you get the most benefits possible from our supplements. That’s why we formulate with absorption in mind, from the formula through utilization.
Keep reading to learn why absorption matters more than just the list of ingredients and where they come from.
What Happens After You Take a Supplement?
Taking a supplement, absorbing its nutrients, and utilizing those nutrients are three different things.
Intake is what you swallow, and it’s the amount you’ll see on the label. If a supplement contains 500 mg of an ingredient, that's the amount you take if you take a full serving.
Absorption refers to the nutrients that make it through digestion and into your bloodstream.
Utilization happens after absorption. The nutrient has to reach the appropriate tissues and, in some cases, be a form that your body can recognize.
A supplement that contains more of a nutrient isn’t necessarily better than a supplement with less. Increasing the amount doesn't correct poor absorption or an inappropriate nutrient form. Effective formulation accounts for the entire journey.
What Affects Nutrient Absorption?
Before you can benefit from a nutrient, it has to survive digestion, be absorbed, and become available in a usable form. Its bioavailability can be influenced by several factors.
Nutrient Delivery System
Oral supplements have to contend with stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and the physical barrier between your gut and your bloodstream. Some compounds remain stable throughout this process. Others require more protection or specific conditions for effective absorption.
A supplement's delivery system affects how its nutrients are released and exposed to the digestive environment.
Here are the most common delivery systems:
- Tablets and standard capsules typically break down in the stomach or intestines.
- Enteric-coated capsules are designed to delay release until they reach the intestine.
- Standard liquid supplements deliver nutrients in a pre-dissolved form.
- Liposomal supplements encapsulate nutrients within lipid-based structures designed to protect their contents and support delivery.
At Global Healing, we took liposomal technology and created a new kind of delivery system called MicroSomal® Technology. Our revolutionary approach encapsulates nutrients in ultra-fine particles that can penetrate tissue and cells more easily than liposomes. MicroSomal® makes our ingredients more effective without increasing the amount we use in our formulas.
Nutrient Form
Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients can exist in multiple forms with different properties that affect stability, solubility, absorption, metabolism, and utilization.
Some forms are already close to what the body can recognize and use, while others require additional steps or co-factors. Certain forms may be more stable during digestion or better suited to a particular delivery system. Pairing the right form with the right delivery system is just as important as choosing the nutrient itself.
A supplement label will tell you which nutrients are present and what form they are in, but it may not give you any information about how thoughtfully the product was formulated. At Global Healing, we take responsibility for creating the most effective supplement, which means we obsess over the nutrient form and how well your body can use it.
Nutrient Amount
A nutrient has to be present in a meaningful amount, but more isn't automatically better. At one extreme, companies can put an ingredient on their label, but most of the formula is actually non-beneficial fillers. On the other end, large doses can make a Supplement Facts panel look impressive without addressing poor absorption or utilization.
The amount swallowed and the amount available to the body aren't necessarily the same. Good formulation is about balancing the effective amount with an effective delivery system and nutrient form. At Global Healing, we formulate using clinically effective amounts as a guide. We’re not guessing or stretching ingredients to increase profit margins. Every amount on the label reflects our effort to deliver the most effective formula.
"Other Ingredients"
The "Other Ingredients" section deserves the same scrutiny as the Supplement Facts panel. Capsule materials, coatings, binders, carriers, stabilizers, and other excipients (inactive substances) are still part of the formula. Excipients aren't inherently bad. Many serve legitimate functions. What matters is whether each ingredient serves a purpose and meets the same quality standard as the rest of the formula.
We are committed to using only ingredients that support a healthier, more effective formula. Our ingredient lists are fully transparent. If there is an ingredient that you don’t recognize or if you are curious about why it’s in a formula, our customer support team is happy to give you a complete explanation.
Conclusion: Choose Supplements Built for the Body, Not for Profits
A supplement isn't effective simply because it contains quality ingredients in meaningful amounts. Those nutrients still have to survive digestion, enter the bloodstream, and become available in forms the body can use. Delivery system, nutrient form, amount, ingredient quality, and “Other Ingredients” all go into how well a formula accomplishes that.
At Global Healing, we formulate supplements with the entire process in mind. A good supplement puts nutrients in a bottle. A great supplement considers what happens even after you take it. That's what it means to make supplements for the body, not for profits.
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
Posted in: Nutrition > Supplements,
Dr. Edward Group, DC
FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATEDr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.
