Ibiza

The Supplements Guru: An Interview with Ben Law

L’Officiel’s wellness editor Kim Pearson speaks to dietary supplements expert Ben Law about his tips for navigating the confusing world of supplements, what supplements you should probably be taking, as well as Ben’s favourite healthy hang-out in Ibiza.

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Tell us a bit about yourself Ben…

I’m a self-confessed health, fitness and primal living fanatic. I’m a qualified Advanced Dietary Supplement Advisor with a passion for helping people achieve optimal health. This passion led me to start Love Life Supplements back in 2012; a supplement company dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements possible, with no unnecessary or 'nasty' ingredients added.



You lived in Ibiza for years, what is your favourite healthy hangout on the island? 

I really like Passion Café in Santa Eularia. It has a great selection of smoothies, green juices, health shots and a good mix fresh and healthy meal options, like salads with organic chicken, grass fed beef burgers and omelettes. Nothing is highly processed or cooked in seed oils and they cater for a variety of diet options, like keto. Plus, as a bonus, it's right on the sea front.


As the owner of a supplements brand, what have you been surprised to learn about the industry? 

Just how many dodgy supplement companies there are out there selling poor quality products. Unfortunately, the supplement industry is not well regulated, which opens the door to anyone being able to put almost anything they want into a capsule and selling it to the public. You really need to do the homework on the company you are buying from and the supplements they produce before making a purchasing decision. Look for third party verified reviews and demand to see rigorous testing documentation.



What supplements do you consider to be important for most people to take and why? 

I think most people should be taking magnesium as it is involved in over 300 enzymatic processes in the body and many people aren’t getting enough. Vitamin D3 (supplemented with vitamin K2) is another nutrient many people are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is vitally important for optimal health, playing a crucial role in the immune system for one. A good fish or krill oil is also important as omega 3 fats have wide ranging health benefits and again, many people are not getting enough via diet alone. Finally, I'm going to throw collagen peptides in there, as collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, playing a crucial role in skin, hair, bone, joint, ligament and tendon health, but starts to decline from late 20s onwards. 


What should people look out for when buying a supplement? 

I mentioned this briefly before but check the company reviews from high authority third party review platforms like Trustpilot. If they don't even use such platforms I would avoid. Don't rely on Amazon reviews as these can be fake. Demand to see a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each supplement and make sure the batch number on the certificate matches the batch number on the bottle/tub. Make sure the COA contains heavy metal and microbiology test results at a minimum. At LLS, we now provide a QR code on each tub with a direct link to the COA PDF. Ideally, you would also want to see third party test results verifying the supplement contains the amount of active ingredients stated on the label (or more). We also provide this at LLS. 


You're very health conscious, what advice would you give someone around staying consistent in maintaining healthy habits? 

It sounds obvious, but I would pick habits that are sustainable for you. Don't choose overly restrictive diets or extreme exercise programs. Examples would be very low-calorie diets as you will be left hungry and craving foods. Make small, incremental changes, so that it's not such a shock to the system. There are no quick fixes in this game - you want to be thinking of changes you can make for life, not six week ‘belly buster blasts’! I also find it helpful to give myself breaks from time to time and eat whatever I fancy. This approach is called the '80/20 rule', where 80% of the time you are super strict with your diet and 20% of the time you're not.



Find out more about Ben’s company, Love Life Supplements.

Follow Ben on Instagram.

Kim Pearson is L’OFFICIEL IBIZA’s wellness editor. A qualified nutritionist, with almost two decades’ experience, she specialises in weight loss, metabolic health and longevity. In addition to heading up her UK team of nutritionists, Kim is the clinical director of RoseBar Longevity, based within Six Senses Ibiza. 

Follow Kim on Instagram  

Visit her website 

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