Why is it important to stay healthy
As the saying goes, health is wealth. A health body and mind allows you to pursue the activities and lifestyle you wish. Without a healthy life, there are limitations to what you can do and eat.
Besides the obvious fact that staying healthy reduces your risk of getting diseases or certain medical conditions, such as heart diseases or obesity, it also benefits you emotionally. By eating the right food and exercising regularly, this helps your body to stay strong and combat any potential illness or stress.
A healthy lifestyle in the early stages of your life also helps you to stay healthy in the later term.
Should your diet include health supplements?
One of the first steps to adopting a healthy lifestyle is to have a balanced diet. However, most of the time we are tempted by sweets and snacks that are laden with trans-fats and sugar. Coupled with the fact that Singapore is a cosmopolitan city whereby people tend to get so caught up with work, this leaves little time for exercise.
Health supplements then become the quick-fix answer to a “healthier” diet and weight loss.
What are health supplements?
Health supplements refer to a broad and diverse group of products that are commonly consumed for the purpose of supplementing a person’s diet and enhancing their health. This could include taking health supplements for weight management purposes, weight loss or to boost one’s diet with a particular nutrient such as cod liver oil for omega-3 fatty acids.
Health supplements typically contain ingredients that are obtained from natural sources. While health supplements are meant to enhance your health and diet, it is not meant to prevent, treat, alleviate or cure the symptoms of any medical diseases or conditions.
Most health supplements come in dosage forms such as capsules, soft gels or tablets. This allows you to monitor the amount of the particular vitamin or mineral that you are taking.
Are health supplements regulated in Singapore?
Health supplements in Singapore can be imported and distributed without seeking prior approval from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). This means that it is entirely up to the manufacturer, distributor and seller to guarantee the quality of the health supplements.
While this may sound extremely dubious, it is not all bad news. Health supplement dealers, which includes the manufacturer, distributor and seller, have to ensure that their products meet the safety and quality standards as stipulated by HSA. Concurrently, they will also need to ensure that the health labels on their products are not false or misleading. Their product advertisements should also be factual and do not make claims for treatment or prevention of diseases.
What should you take note of when buying health supplements
While there are some safeguards in place when selling and distributing health supplements, you should also practise personal caution when purchasing health supplements.
Given the power of the internet and international shipping, one can easily purchase health supplements for health or weight management from an overseas dealer. However, this may not guarantee the quality or even effectiveness of the health supplement.
When purchasing health supplements, here are some tips to take note of:
Exaggerated claims and overpromises
Health supplements that promise “fast results” or “quick cures” are typically not backed by any scientific evidence. Some unscrupulous health supplements dealers may produce and sell health supplements that contain undeclared ingredients to achieve that “quick cure” effect. These health supplements may end up being harmful for your health and result in nasty side effects, particularly if taken in combination with other health supplements.
If you are unfamiliar with the health nutrients and ingredients, you may not know how to verify the medical credentials of the health supplement. Hence as a rule of thumb, always read through the product ingredients thoroughly and do your research if there are any ingredients that sound unfamiliar to you. The longer the ingredient list, the more wary you should be.
Dubious marketing strategies
It is difficult not to be lured by claims of guaranteed results. Health supplement dealers may advertise claims of guaranteed results in order to entice you to purchase their health products. However, you should know how to spot unverifiable information or phrases in order to avoid falling into the trap of purchasing unreliable health supplements.
Phrases such as “100 percent effective” or “new secret formula” tend to simply be gimmicks used by these health supplement sellers to influence decisions. Do also take personal testimonials and reviews with a pinch of salt as what works for others may not necessarily be effective for you.
Purchase from reputable sources
To be on the safe side, always purchase your health supplements from a pharmacy or an established retail store. Avoid purchasing from online sellers that seem dubious or even from friends or family.
If you intend to purchase your health supplements from an overseas online store, look for products that have been certified or endorsed by an international health body such as ASEAN Alliance of Health Supplement Associations (AAHSA) or ISO 22000. While they may not be able to guarantee results or effectiveness of the product, at least this suggests that the health supplement product has undergone some degree of quality testing.
Seek medical advice
If you are unable to decide which health supplement to take, it is best to check with your doctor or pharmacist. These medical practitioners should be able to do an assessment of your overall lifestyle and provide some advice as to which health supplement will suit you.
When purchasing health supplements, always bear in mind that these health products should not replace your meal or any prescribed treatment from your doctor. Health supplements are not meant to treat your medical condition and they only aid to supplement your diet or health.
Where can you buy health supplements in Singapore?
If you are looking to purchase health supplements in Singapore, here are some of the top reputable stores that offer an extensive range of health supplements.
Health Supplement Store | GNC |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | |
| Address | View store locations here |
Contact | View store contact details here |
| Operating Hours | View store opening hours here |
Health Supplement Store | VitaminMall |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | |
| Address | 18 Kaki Bukit Road 3 #02-12, Entrepreneur Business Centre Singapore 415978 |
Contact | 65 6742 3116 |
Operating Hours | Monday to Friday:12noon to 7pm Closed on Public Holidays |
Health Supplement Store | Healthstore.sg |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://healthstore.sg/ |
| Address | Online store only |
Health Supplement Store | Vitadeals |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://vitadeals.sg/ |
| Address | 30 Loyang Way, #05-06 Singapore 508769 |
Telephone | 65 6542 2348 |
Health Supplement Store | NutriFirst |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | |
| Address | 694 Geylang Road #01-01 Singapore 389614 |
Contact | 65 6744 0600 |
Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 8am to 5pm Saturday: 8am to 12noon (Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays) |
Health Supplement Store | Pure & Well |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.pureandwell.com.sg/ |
| Address | View store locations here |
Contact | View store contact details here |
Operating Hours | View store opening hours here |
Health Supplement Store | Raffles Health Singapore |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | |
| Address | 585 North Bridge Road, Level 1, Singapore 188770 |
Contact | 65 6311 1108 |
Operating Hours | Check online for operating hours |
Health Supplement Store | The Supplement Warehouse |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://tsw.com.sg/ |
| Address | Circuit Rd, #01-345 Block 64, Singapore 370064 |
Telephone | 65 62846550 |
Operating Hours | Monday – Sunday, 12:30 PM – 8:30 PM (except Tuesday) |
Health Supplement Store | 4WN Supplements |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | |
| Address | #04/24, 100 Eunos Avenue 7 S(409572) |
Telephone | 65 8480 1044 |
Operating Hours | Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Health Supplement Store | HealthPro |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.healthpro.com.sg/ |
| Address | 37 Jalan Pemimpin, #06-09 Mapex, Singapore 577177 |
Contact | 65 6353 5560 |
Operating Hours | Monday – Friday : 9am to 6pm |
Health Supplement Store | BYOP |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.byoprotein.com/ |
| Address | 18 Kaki Bukit Road 3, #02-13 Singapore 415978 |
Telephone | 65 8776 6850 [email protected] |
Operating Hours | MON-FRI: 09:00 – 17:00 |
Health Supplement Store | Supplement Shop |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | http://sg.suppsshop.com/ |
| Address | 35 Kallang Pudding Road, #03-05 Tong Lee Building A, Singapore 349317 |
Contact | 65 8891 6788 |
Operating Hours | Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
Health Supplement Store | iHerb |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://sg.iherb.com/ |
| Address | Online store only |
Telephone | Contact here |
Operating Hours | 8am – 8pm (Your Local Time Zone) |
Health Supplement Store | Healthystars Singapore |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.healthystars.sg/ |
| Address | Online store only |
Telephone | Contact via form here |
Health Supplement Store | Watsons |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.watsons.com.sg/ |
| Address | View store locations here |
Contact | View store contact details here |
Operating Hours | View store operating hours here |
Health Supplement Store | MyProtein |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.myprotein.com.sg/ |
| Address | Online store only |
Telephone | Contact via form here |
Health Supplement Store | HealthSupplements |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://healthsupplements.sg/ |
| Address | 67 Ubi Road 1, Oxley Bizhub #08-09, Singapore 408730 |
Contact | 65 9147 3230 |
Operating Hours | Monday – Friday: 10am – 6pm Public Holidays: Closed |
Health Supplement Store | Ocean Health |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.oceanhealth.com/ |
| Address | 16 Tai Seng St, Level 4, Singapore 534138 |
Contact | 65 6288 6810 |
Health Supplement Store | Eu Yang Sang |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.euyansang.com.sg |
| Address | View store locations here |
Telephone | View store contact details here |
Operating Hours | View store operating hours here |
Health Supplement Store | Nutri-ForeFronT |
Speciality |
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| Pricing | Check website for individual retail prices |
Website | https://www.nutri-forefront.com/ |
| Address | Online store only |
Telephone | 65 9682 9455 |
Editor’s Note:
While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore, we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information.
If you are a service provider and wish to be featured in this listing (MediaOne reviews are read by hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans), please contact us at [email protected]. There is no charge! Please allow us up to 3 working days to review before adjusting the information or including your entry.
Author Bio
Tom Koh is widely recognised as a leading SEO consultant in Asia who has worked to transform the online visibility of the leading organisations such as SingTel, Capitaland, Maybank, P&G, WWF, etc. Recently he was instrumental in consulting for a New York-based US$30B fund in an US$4Bn acquisition. Tom is a Computational Science graduate of the National University of Singapore. In his free time he performs pro-bono community work and traveling.
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