Why a Barcode Scanner in a Supplement Management App?

At a nearby local high-end grocery store, the nutritional supplements aisle is larger than the dairy, coffee, baking, and self-care aisles combined. The breakfast cereal aisle is quite large, but the nutritional supplement aisle is twice its size. This highlights how lucrative the supplements business is for both manufacturers and retailers. With millions of products competing for attention on retailers’ shelves, dedicating such large real estate to nutritional supplements must be highly beneficial to end consumers or extremely rewarding in monetary ROI to the deal makers.

Unfortunately, the supplement industry suffers from many shortcomings.

Unsubstantiated Claims

Manufacturers can make bold health benefit claims on their labels without needing to prove anything. Unless a supplement is caught making false claims and forced to issue a recall, most of these claims will go unnoticed for years. We have seen supplements that promise users will never get a cold, reverse wrinkles, regain the sexual vitality of their 20s, or even extend their lifespan. When not held accountable, companies can make any claims that will sell their product.

Dangerous Ingredients

While some supplements advertise the potency of their claims, they often neglect to warn users about the dangers hidden within their listed ingredients. An end-user, excited to find a "miracle pill," might end up taking something extremely detrimental to their health or specific existing medical conditions. Even worse, supplements may contain traces of unlisted ingredients. How many times have we heard of athletes being banned from professional competition due to taking a pre-workout supplement with unlisted banned substances in detectable quantities? These aren't just banned substances but potentially harmful ones.

Contamination

Surprises can sneak into your new bottle of natural diet pills. For more details, read our post on the subject: The Hidden Dangers in Your Supplements: A Deep Dive into Contaminants.

Meeting Claimed Dosages

When tested, many supplement brands fail to deliver the amount of active ingredients they promise. Some contain none, others include trivial traces, and many contain much less than the promised quantities. Labs that test different brands include this measurement to compare the quality of vendors. Some vendors use cheaper forms of active ingredients that technically meet the ingredient requirements but are not as potent or effective.

The Role of SupplementMD

By using SupplementMD and scanning the barcode of a supplement bottle, the app will access an ever-growing database of supplements and provide you with lab results that address all the above-mentioned issues. Additionally, the app offers the following services:

Conflicts, Warnings, Latest News, Pairing, Schedule Preview

When the barcode is scanned, the app populates with all the necessary data from the supplement manufacturer. The app will show you a preview of your supplement stack schedule, indicating which supplements can be paired together or should be taken separately. It will flag any conflicts with your current supplements, warn you about incomplete off-cycles, provide details about best practices and uses, and display any recent warnings.

Flag Conflicts with Your Personal Conditions

If you have set up any medical conditions or health goals, the app will inform you if the supplement supports or hinders your progress in addressing those conditions or achieving those goals.

Rest assured, by having SupplementMD in your pocket, you will have access to vital information that can help you make the best choices regarding your health. Take this information to your doctor and validate your need for such supplements.