Dirty Secrets About Supplements
Are you buying your supplements from Amazon, Wal Mart, or Costco?
You might be surprised to learn that the supplement industry is largely un-policed meaning, nearly all of the supplements you find online and in big box stores are unregulated.
While I am definitely not in favor of big Pharma regulations and control, it is concerning that the supplement industry is a $32 billion industry that allows pills to be sold on the market unless they have been proven unsafe.
As consumers, we need to be diligent when it comes to purchasing supplements. A bad supplement can either be a waste of money or, in the worst case scenario, cause serious health issues.
Think about this: You do your best to workout more days than not, to eat cleanly 85-90% of the time, and get enough sleep every night. One week at work, you discover there are three co-workers out due to illness and your work load just got a lot heavier. In an effort to fit in your work and the added work load, you opt to have lunch delivered so you can eat something quick at your desk while working. You’re also stressed out and teetering on exhaustion so you stop to pick up dinner for the family on the way home. Once the kids have been fed and put in bed, you get back to the work you didn’t finish. How long do you think you could keep this up before feeling the ill effects? Remember, everything you put in your body makes a difference and either supports or hinders your body from working optimally. The cleaner the food, the more nourished your body, and the fewer problems you will have as you age. Everything you you put into your body makes a difference. If you’re taking cheap supplements that are expired or contain more fillers than vitamins and minerals, you are not supporting your body or your health.
Cheaper is not better.
If something is discounted, ask why. Discounted = flaw in my mind. If something costs less, consider that you will pay less for the supplement but you will pay with your health. Would you rather supplement your body with a meal from McDonald’s or a chef prepared dinner with organic ingredients and grass fed and finished beef? Quality matters. Quality is rarely the cheaper option.
When you make the choice to take a supplement, it’s usually to support or promote health. Yet big box stores like GNC, Wal Mart, Target, Costco, and Walgreens have repeatedly been caught selling supplements filled with non-labeled ingredients. Here are a few findings from the NYC attorney general’s report:
A ginseng supplement sold at Walgreens contained only powdered garlic and rice.
Six herbs sold by Target tested negative for the herbs listed on their labels. Instead, these supplements were made up of rice, beans, peas, and wild carrots.
GNC had supplements with ingredients missing from their labels. These hidden ingredients included peanuts and soybeans, which can be very dangerous for anyone with allergies.
Many of the sellers on Amazon are individuals and not companies. These individuals sell supplements that are counterfeit and/or expired. Many of the products come from China which has very few regulations on safety and product integrity. You can read more about the dangers of buying supplements from Amazon here.
The bottom line is this—neither Amazon nor big box stores are sources you can blindly trust when it comes to supplements.
5 Tips for Avoiding Fake Supplements
1. Buy Directly from Reputable Manufacturers
Once you’ve found a reliable manufacturer of a particular supplement you want to buy, you can go right to the manufacturer’s website and purchase directly from them. This is the number one method you can implement to ensure your supplements are not only real, but high quality.
It may be a bit more expensive because you might not get the free shipping that comes from your Amazon Prime account. However, you’ll have the guarantee of product coming straight from the manufacturer without passing through any unnecessary and potentially dangerous third parties.
Keep in mind, it’s often possible to buy directly from a manufacturer using Amazon. Many manufacturers recognize how convenient it can be for the consumer to use this e-commerce platform and set up an account to sell from their site.
2. Buy Directly from Reputable Sources
This strategy differs slightly from manufacturers in that there are many doctors, nurses, and wellness leaders who sell their own private label products. These are often blends of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, or herbs that have been developed from their personal clinical experience and research. There are actually many successful blends that were developed by health professionals to support their own patients in their practices.
3. Check the FDA Tainted Product List
Check the FDA’s tainted products list. This is a running list of potentially hazardous products but is by no means complete.
4. Check for Red Flags
Major red flags include:
If the product seems fake or too good to be true
Supplements that are very cheap
If the seller has no contact information
Reviews that seem overly curated
5. Check for Signs of Credibility
Signs of credibility include:
Trusted certifications
Third party lab testing
Choose trusted brands that have been around for many years
With supplements you should be vigilant and spend a little extra time researching, along with a few extra dollars to ensure you are getting exactly what you’re looking for—it pays off in the long run.
To learn more about which supplements I use and recommend, you can download my FREE Roadmap To Wellness here. You’ll find my practitioner code to order high quality supplements at a discount directly from my dispensaries, Doctors Supplement Store, Fullscript, and Wellevate.