What’s better? Combination or Single Ingredient Supplements?
Have you ever wondered why we formulate single ingredient supplements at Rare by Nature?
Well, this is a deliberate and decisive choice, based on a range of clinical research and proven health effects.
In this article, we’ve outlined where combination and single ingredient supplements differ and if one really is better when it comes to boosting your wellness.
- POTENCY & EFFICACY
There was a time in the wellness realm where a daily multi-vitamin was marketed as (and widely considered to be) an ideal daily companion to supplement a wide range of health concerns.
These included a promise to cover a range of the below potential benefits, such as:
- Providing you with energy for your day ahead
- Supporting immunity
- Aiding brain/cognitive function
- Promoting heart, liver and colon health
- Aiding digestion
- Improved skin, hair, nails
- Reduced anxiety/stress…
Although a supplement that contains many different ingredients often seems more capable of improving overall wellness in a range of areas, the fact is this:
The more ingredients added to a supplement, the less potent each becomes.
That’s because when more ingredients are added, each becomes increasingly diluted and thus less effective than if it was provided at its optimum concentration as a single ingredient supplement.
Rather than having a diluted quantity of several ingredients in a supplement, a single ingredient supplement means:
- A higher concentration of that particular ingredient, enabling it to “work” more effectively and efficiently in your body (than a combination supplement)
- Generally, single ingredient supplements offer improved bioavailability – meaning the core/hero ingredient will be properly, and quicky absorbed
- Sometimes a combination of different ingredients is okay in theory, but don’t mix wonderfully when ingested. This can also be influenced by individual factors such as genetics, diet, pre-existing conditions and your lifestyle.
- PURITY & TRACEABILITY
Purity
Multi-ingredient supplements have the added task of ensuring that the array of varying ingredients remain pure and untampered during the formulation and handling processes.
It’s actually quite a challenge, and some of the potential risks in this process are:
- Trying to avoid cross contamination
- Maintaining the same level of purity across multiple ingredients.
Often, ingredients are grown/sourced from various locations and factories. Each can have differing processing temperatures and handling requirements to meet in order to preserve key, core ingredient benefits
Purity is an integral component to get right, so the integrity of each ingredient is maintained.
The same goes for handling and processing, as this ensures each ingredient is provided at an exact quantity for optimum intake and health benefits.
As you can imagine having read the above, single ingredients offer enhanced purity, as there is only one ingredient which reduces dilution.
Traceability
When it comes to traceability, the most reputable combination supplements on the market should be able to share details of where each ingredient comes from.
However, the more ingredients added to a supplement (and higher chance they come from differing locations), the more difficult and less reliable or likely this will be.
Single ingredient supplements guarantee the traceability of the sole ingredients.
As a consumer this is not just a nice added detail, but an essential one!
Rare by Nature’s wild marine collagen capsules are sourced from a single species of fish (Arctic cod) from a single location – the pristine glacial waters of the Norwegian Sea. These free-living fish grow on a natural and varied marine diet and produce the world’s finest collagen
Balance and control
Single ingredient supplements are more likely to be “clinically relevant” than if the ingredient is part of a combination formula.
What that means is it won’t just be in an insignificant quantity that’s included for “marketing oomph” only, but won’t make a meaningful difference to your health.
That’s often not the same for combination supplements, because:
- The percentage of each ingredient included is lower
- You might end up needing to take a range of supplements to meet your daily needs
- Many combination supplements have not been clinically tested
For many individuals who choose to supplement their diet, there may be additional considerations to take into account when choosing the right supplement.
This might be:
- a specific dietary intolerance
- restriction
- sensitivity (gluten, dairy, etc.)
In these instances, an added advantage of single ingredient supplements is that you will generally know upfront if that ingredient is suitable for you. This gives you peace of mind that it won’t have a particular negative reaction (such as an allergy).
If you aren’t exactly sure because you haven’t tried a particular ingredient before, it will still be easier to establish which ingredient is working for you/having the desired effect or side-effect.
From here you have better balance and control over adjusting your supplements and dosage to better suit your needs.
This can be much harder to ascertain when there are multiple ingredients in a combination supplement!
Further to this, single ingredient supplements are guaranteed to not contain any additives or other chemical nasties.
Additives are often used in combination ingredients to bulk out or to stabilise a forumulation. Single ingredients supplements are 100% pure.
THE RARE BY NATURE DIFFERENCE
100% pure single ingredient supplements, with traceable origins.
Rare by Nature go further than natural and organic – they go to the wild to source their single origin ingredients.
That means the core single ingredient in each capsule grows free of human interference. No farming or cultivation and no artificial inputs.
Wild ingredients develop natural resilience to survive and flourish in some of earth’s toughest conditions. This resilience is passed on when you take the supplement for maximum benefits and nutrients.
Single ingredient supplements they can also address specific wellness concerns in a concentrated, potent and pure form.
OUR FAVOURITES
Wild marine collagen has superior bioavailability and greater benefits compared to other forms of collagen.
Collagen is naturally produced by our bodies but this diminishes by around 1% on average each year once we reach our early-twenties. Factors like genetics and lifestyle can impact this also. Collagen is considered to be the most powerful age-defying protein.
It helps preserve youthfulness, skin health and prevents skin damage and deterioration (such as sagging, wrinkles, dryness/loss of hydration, etc).
Benefits of collagen include:
- Improved skin elasticity
- Increased moisture and hydration
- Plumping out fine lines and wrinkles
- Healthy skin and thick, shiny hair
- Strong nails
- Healthy teeth and gums
Rare by Nature Wild Marine Collagen is formulated ethically using healthy sustainable Norwegian Artic Cod. They live freely in crystal clear, clean ocean waters and feed on a diverse, natural marine diet.
- The catch is fully traceable; back to the exact fishing boat, skipper and date of the catch – unlike many other collagen brands.
- Small batch production - Rare by Nature adopt a slow and exacting process. Its the antithesis of mass-production.
- Marine collagen capsules are an easy daily ritual. You get the perfect dose every time – no need to mix messy collagen powders.
What you’ll get:
120 Wild Marine Collagen Capsules from the pristine deep sea waters of the Norwegian Sea. 100% pure with nothing added or taken away.
Kakadu Plum is a superfood that contains the highest natural concentration of Vitamin C in the world!
It also has very high level of antioxidants, fibre plant-based Omega 3 & 6 oils and key micronutrients.
As a single ingredient, natural, organic vitamin C powder, it provides an excellent way to enhance your immune system function, support collagen health and increase your vitamin intake.
Vitamin C is best absorbed in a natural form, and our plums are sustainably harvested from the wild bushlands in Australia’s Northern Territory.
Kakadu plum is an incredible vitamin C powder that is clinically proven to provide real results, which include:
- Supports natural collagen synthesis
- Reduces oxidative stress & protects against free radical environmental damage
- Contains copper (which is used to form red blood cells, bones, connective tissue, important enzymes & support proper immune system function)
- Source of dietary fibre to support colon & bowel health
- Promotes gut health & blood sugar control
- Contains thiamine, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc & calcium, which are essential micronutrients for great health
- Aids iron absorption, heart health & cognitive functions (including memory)
What you’ll get:
90 x capsules of 100% pure Kakadu plum – a powerful organic vitamin C powder.
Boost your skin health with this incredible collagen boosting duo
This pair of wild sourced, single origin nutrition capsules will enhance your body's ability to produce collagen naturally.
Add our signature marine collagen and Kakadu plum capsules to your routine and boost your collagen production from within.
Wild marine collagen is clinically proven to plump fine lines, improve skin elasticity, and boost moisture and hydration.
Kakadu plum is rich in vitamin C which is essential for the body’s natural collagen synthesis.
THE WRAP UP: KEY FACTS ABOUT SUPPLEMENT HEALTH
Clinical studies have shown combination/multi-ingredient supplements to be:
- Less effective
- More likely to contain incorrect quantities of one of more ingredients
- Have a higher chance of contamination due to additional processes/handling
Whereas single-ingredient supplements are:
- Pure and undiluted, without unnecessary fillers or additives
- Brimming full with nutrients in their most bioactive & bioavailable form
- Carefully preserved so the active properties are passed on to you
- Proven by clinical research
- Easily traceable and trusted