* Full disclosure - if you purchase anything using the links, i earn an small affiliate fee (5%)
I made this to help demystify the language behind product labelling, which in many cases is obfuscating the manufacturing and sourcing of certain products
For what it’s worth, a lot of the companies on your list are 2nd and 3rd generation family run businesses with good intent to help people live healthier and feel good.
For example: Blue Bonnet Nutrition, Buried Treasure, Now Foods.
One question, why do companies get a badge of approval with undisclosed sources? As a consumer, I would be really interested to discover companies who are transparent about where they source their ingredients from.
I will always disclose when we reach out to companies and if they were/are transparent whilst highlighting when they aren't. I definitely believe this is valuable to consumers.
Regarding the badge of approval: Am reaching out to these companies clarify their sourcing now. However, each product on the list though is a brand i've regularly taken for 5-10 years.
The page states that Amazon or iHerb referrals are used depending on which price is the lowest. Amazon is known for counterfeiting- I would never by a supplement from there. Stick with iHerb, which is effectively a first party only store but has reliably fast and cheap shipping of supplements.
Besides ingredient sourcing, if you are interested in this site you may be interested in whether the supplement contains what it claims- consumerlab.com regularly tests supplements to verify the contents and also look for toxic impurities.
I understand that it is vital to provide this information on the process. This will be on the website. Thank you
Brenda Watson sold Renew Life to Clorox a few years ago and was missing something in her life after. They called it “sellers remorse”. She is back with a new line of probiotics called Vital Planet. If you don’t know who that is, she is credited as being the person who brought awareness to the public around gut health, probiotics, and the microbiome in the 90’s.
it is something ensure the quality of the supplements if it is certified by GMP or cGMP.
Current Good Manufacturing Practice is a good thing but in the supplement industry is mostly an attestation. Unlike drugs, supplement manufacturers are usually not evaluated by the FDA unless they have collected evidence of problems at the facility. It requires people designated as quality control officers, written practices, and storage of samples, but, unlike drugs, nobody checks this stuff before a supplement is sold. The supplement industry has had some powerful congressional allies, and it is possible that too much regulation would cause congress to revoke the FDA's authority over supplements entirely. (My speculation).
Another standard is USP. This standard includes GMP and goes beyond it, with verification of potency, vehicle breakdown/release of ingredient, and measurement of contaminants.
There are several well-known brands that are consistently on-target with their supplements, and others that are frequently off target. I haven't reviewed the data recently so I won't list them here.
https://www.consumerlab.com/ https://www.usp.org/dietary-supplements-herbal-medicines https://www.quality-supplements.org/
My short-term plan is to provide consumers with information on companies that have either failed FDA cGMP/GMP tests - . The point regarding adulteration is concerning indeed, definitely I'd say it is a need more than a like to do regarding my own independent testing...
Other's are welcome to reply with your own situation and thoughts!
There are currently no search results for Centrum Adults, which is the "Amazon's Choice" multivitamin (at least for me).
Some even seem outright dangerous. One my girlfriend takes recommends 2 tablets per day (of Vitamin D I think) which equates 1000% of the daily recommended amount…
