Supplement products contain nutrients and other compounds, including vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals, amino acids, fatty acids, and fibre. They may be taken in capsules, gummies, powders or liquids for easy consumption.
Healthy individuals can typically meet most of their nutritional requirements through diet alone; however, supplements may be necessary in certain instances due to nutrient deficiencies or certain stages of life and conditions.
Look for a Third-Party Seal of Approval
With so many supplements claiming to be supplements, customers need the confidence that whatever product they purchase will live up to its claims. Third-party product certification can give customers this peace of mind. Companies such as BSCG, NSF International and USP Dietary Supplement Verification offer quality assurance programs designed to reduce the risk of purchasing subpar products. These organizations provide evidence that a supplement has passed quality tests, including verifying its ingredients listed on its label; safety tests to ensure it does not contain harmful levels of contaminants (like heavy metals, microbes, or pesticides); and performance tests to make sure its contents will release over a specified time period.
Testing ensures that companies manufactured supplements according to current Good Manufacturing Practices established by the Food and Drug Administration using sanitary procedures and controls. This is essential since dietary supplements do not need premarket approval from FDA; thus limiting its oversight over this industry.
Check the Label for Claims
Supplements may contain vitamins, minerals, probiotics, herbal extracts, amino acids and enzymes. As the FDA does not oversee the quality of supplements like it does drugs, it’s essential that users read labels thoroughly.
Search the label of any supplement product for an “Amount per Serving” section; this indicates how much of each ingredient is contained within a single dose and can be measured in either micrograms (mcg), milligrams (mg) or international units (IU).
Be wary of claims that seem too good to be true; certain supplements may cause allergic reactions, and exceeding recommended dosage can have adverse long-term effects or contribute to certain medical conditions.
Third-party organizations certify products that adhere to specific nutritional standards. Companies who meet this standard typically display a verification seal on their labels, and you can usually find a list of certified products on the organization’s website. You could also ask an integrative healthcare practitioner for recommendations of high-quality supplement products.
Beware of Over-the-Counter Supplements
Supplements may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. They can also harm key organs over time if taken in large doses – including kidneys and livers. It is always preferable to get nutrients through food sources rather than supplements.
Due to the widespread popularity of supplements, it is crucial that individuals understand the difference between these products and medications. While supplements offer nutritional support for overall wellness, medications treat diseases or conditions through chemical intervention.
Since dietary supplements aren’t considered drugs by the FDA, they don’t go through the same rigorous premarket testing that medicines undergo. Once a supplement hits the market, it may take consumers until they become sick to detect issues like heavy metal contamination or bacteria contamination; to safeguard yourself against this possibility, when purchasing supplements it is important to seek GMP pharmaceutical grade or certified professional grade products from GMP pharmaceutical grade and certified professional grade vendors – the Tainted Products Database lists those which have been recalled by this body.
