Americans are investing in their health more now than ever before. Globally, the dietary supplement market has grown from $115 billion to $151 billion in sales each year. We are using vitamins, protein powders, probiotics, fish oil, and more to support our health. But not all supplements are created equal. In fact, regulations for these products are not adequately enforced and the burden falls on the supplement company to develop and test a quality product.
Do you trust the company that makes your fish oil or your probiotic? If you don’t know them from Adam then take a look at the recommendations in this blog to shop for high-quality supplements for you and your family. Consumers and clinicians need to stay informed and work together to select safe, quality supplements. After all, we take supplements to improve our health, not harm it.
Thank you to our sponsor, DaVinci Laboratories, for making this blog possible.
When looking for high-quality supplements, you can trust DaVinci with almost 50 years of experience and leadership in the supplement industry. Innovative, evidence-based, and a family company, I have been using and recommending their products for over 15 years.
Are You Buying Quality Supplements?
Supplements can contain toxins, they can be cut or laced. They might be fake. Or they may have none of the active ingredients that they claim on the label.
Recent Headlines from ConsumerLabs, a Third Party Testing Laboratory, Read:
- “Problems with Supplements on Amazon”
- “Not All Quercetin Supplements Contain What They Claim”
- “USDA Organic Seal Does Not Guarantee Free of Heavy Metals”
- “50% of Red Yeast Rice Supplements Fail Tests”
In an analysis of 30 immune supplements for sale on Amazon, 17 were inaccurately labeled; 13 were misbranded, and 9 had additional ingredients that were not stated on the label. Even if a product is made with 100% organic ingredients, it can unfortunately still contain heavy metals because testing of ingredients and finished products for heavy metals is not required for USDA Organic products. In over-the-counter brands of red yeast rice, testing showed that they didn’t contain the active ingredient to lower cholesterol and/or they contained high levels of a possible kidney toxin, citrinin.
Toxins in supplements are not always due to malicious intent. Some toxins are naturally occurring in plants. For example, arsenic is naturally occurring in rice and apples. Cadmium is found in chocolate. These plants take them up from the soil they are grown in. Toxins can be introduced with the manufacturing or processing of the materials, even before they have been bottled.
If a supplement is high in arsenic, it doesn’t mean that the supplement company is trying to poison you. They just haven’t tested the supplements or selected better sources of the product. Herbs and spices are prone to these same issues as well as ashwagandha root, Echinacea, and green tea leaves.
Whether you are a clinician or a consumer, supplement quality issues can leave your head swimming.
How can you buy supplements safely? It all comes down to the company and if you can trust them. Third-party testing of supplements helps you figure that out.
