Part 2 of this three part series highlighted how looking at the label and learning more about the form of vitamin E used in a product, as well as how the fish oils are processed, can give you significant clues about the quality of your supplements. This final installment will provide you some additional resources where you can go for more information.
Resources
There are several organizations and databases that report the results of supplement testing; here are a couple places to look to find out more about the supplements you are considering:
- The United States Pharmacopeia’s verified supplement list: www.usp.org.
- The Natural Products Foundation: www.naturalproductsassoc.org.
- Consumer Lab, which is an independent watchdog group: www.consumerlab.com
- NSF International: www.nsf.org.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that the slogan “buyer beware” is a fact of life in today’s supplement industry. The research indicates that you are more likely to buy a poor quality product than a high quality product over-the-counter. However, you can use the information in these posts to determine if the products you take, or are considering, meet the grade. The other option is to look for health care providers that have done this research for you, as their jobs often depend upon providing the best quality products that can help their clients get and stay healthy.
