Supplements

This category contains food supplements in tablet or capsule form. You'll find loose vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D2, the mineral magnesium in combination with the amino acid taurine, and raw materials such as Pine Pollen, Chlorella, Creatine and Ashwagandha. Pine Pollen is pollen from the pine, Chlorella is a freshwater alga, Ashwagandha is the root of Withania somnifera and Creatine is a compound that also occurs in meat and fish. Each product starts as a powder that is then filled or pressed.

Tablet or capsule

The difference lies in the form in which the powder is offered. A tablet is compressed under high pressure into a solid disc. This requires pressing and lubricating agents, otherwise the powder sticks in the machine. A capsule is a casing filled with loose powder. That casing is usually made of HPMC, a plant cellulose type, or of gelatine. A capsule therefore often contains less excipient than a tablet. The packaging states which material is used, so you can recognise a plant-based variant.

Fillers and excipients

Fillers are neutral substances that make up the volume in a tablet or capsule, so the contents stay equal per unit. Excipients ensure the powder flows well through the machine and doesn't clump. They are always in the ingredient list on the packaging. Commonly used names are:

• microcrystalline cellulose, a filler from plant fibre
• rice flour or rice extract as a plant-based filler
• magnesium salts of fatty acids, also known as magnesium stearate, as a lubricant
• silicon dioxide as an anti-caking agent
• HPMC or gelatine for the casing of a capsule

What's on the label

Fixed labelling legislation applies to food supplements. On the packaging you'll therefore always find the designation food supplement, the names of the substances, the amount per recommended daily portion, the number of units or the net weight, the best-before date, the batch number and the details of the responsible company. There is also the legally required statement that a supplement is not a substitute for a varied diet and that it should be kept out of reach of young children. Store the packaging dry, closed and out of direct sunlight.

We have a laboratory analysis made of every batch. It states, among other things, the identity of the raw material and the measured contents. There is a batch number on the packaging. Give us that number and we'll send you the analysis report of your batch.