Food Supplements

Food Supplements gathers the vitamins, minerals, omega oils, collagen, protein drinks, herbal formulas and specialist supplements in this store — mostly imported from the USA, the UK and India, and mostly bought for a specific reason rather than in general.

Buying Supplements Sensibly

This is a category where a little scepticism saves a lot of money.

• Supplements fill gaps; they do not replace food. The word is “supplement” for a reason. Nothing in a bottle does what a reasonable diet does.

• Take a blood test before you take a guess. Vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron deficiency are all genuinely common in Bangladesh and all worth correcting — but you find that out from a test, not from a symptom list on the internet.

• More is not better, and some of it is harmful. Vitamins A, D, E and K are stored in the body rather than passed out in urine, so very high doses accumulate. Iron in particular should not be taken without a reason.

• Check the elemental amount, not the compound weight. “500mg calcium carbonate” is not 500mg of calcium. Good labels state both.

• Interactions are real. Several common supplements interact with blood thinners, thyroid medication and diabetes drugs. Tell your doctor what you take.

Getting the Most From What You Buy

• Fat-soluble vitamins with food. Vitamin D, A, E, K and omega-3 absorb far better taken with a meal containing some fat.

• Iron on an empty stomach with vitamin C, and away from tea, coffee, milk and calcium, which block it.

• Give it eight to twelve weeks. Almost nothing in this category shows a fair result sooner.

• One change at a time, so you know what did what.

Genuine Products

Much of this catalogue is imported, and imported shelves are where fakes and repacks appear. Whoever you buy from, these are worth checking:

• The seal. An intact shrink wrap or safety ring is what tells you a product has not been opened.

• The batch number and expiry printed on the pack itself, not on a sticker over it. A sticker covering the original printing is the commonest sign of a repack.

• A price far below everyone else’s is information — sometimes a genuine clearance, often a fake or something close to expiry.

If what arrives does not match its listing, tell us. We would rather take a return than leave a wrong description standing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a multivitamin?

Most people eating a varied diet do not. A multivitamin is reasonable insurance if your diet is genuinely restricted, and specific supplements are worth taking for specific, tested deficiencies. Between those two, a general multivitamin is mostly harmless and mostly unnecessary.

Can I take several supplements together?

Often yes, but check for overlap — many multivitamins already contain what you are buying separately, and doubling up on fat-soluble vitamins or iron is where problems start. Read both labels.

Are supplements safe during pregnancy?

Some are essential and some are not safe. Folic acid, iron and vitamin D are routinely prescribed; high-dose vitamin A and several herbal supplements are specifically avoided. Take supplements in pregnancy only on a doctor’s advice.

How do I know the product is genuine?

Check the seal, the batch number and the expiry printed on the pack itself rather than on a sticker over it. Everything we sell is sourced to arrive sealed and within date, and if what you receive does not match the listing we will put it right.

How much shelf life will it have?

We stock to arrive well within date and do not knowingly ship anything close to expiry. If you need a specific minimum for a particular order, ask before placing it and we will check the batch.