Supplements are used to supplement or enhance a healthy diet, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes. While supplements aren’t regulated like drugs or food items are, they may contain contaminants like bacteria and heavy metals which could negatively impact their quality.
Choose from single ingredient supplements or combination packs touted to offer synergistic advantages.
Choosing a Supplement
Vitamin and mineral supplements can play an integral part in improving overall health by providing missing nutrients from diet alone. But it’s essential that you select the appropriate product based on your personal circumstances, so before purchasing anything consult your physician first so it doesn’t interfere with existing medication or cause unwanted side effects.
Although supplements are regulated by the FDA, they do not undergo rigorous testing and approval processes like pharmaceutical drugs do – which could expose consumers to contaminants, inaccurate labeling and poor-quality products.
Always rely on third-party testing and avoid exaggerated claims like “miracle cures” or “totally safe.” Instead, look for supplements with US Pharmacopeia-Verified marks; this certification verifies that their manufacturer has followed Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) set forth by the FDA, while providing an accurate list of ingredients. Following these tips can help you find an ally safe and effective supplement suitable to you. (48)
Third-Party Tested
Supplements are unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which means they could contain harmful components like pesticides, toxins, or heavy metals that are potentially toxic to human health. Third-party testing ensures a supplement is free from contaminants while simultaneously verifying purity and potency of each ingredient in its formulation.
Tactical athletes can reduce the risk of adverse events and positive drug screens by only consuming supplements that have been third-party tested and verified. To identify such supplements, look for logos indicating third-party verification.
Make sure the company you buy from is committed to quality by looking for third-party testing and proudly displaying the “third-party tested” stamp on its product labels – this ensures that you receive high-quality products such as Three’s line of third-party tested supplements here.
Legal Issues
Supplement manufacturers must abide by several legal requirements, such as current good manufacturing practice standards and labeling regulations. Consumers should purchase supplements from reputable companies and avoid those which have received FDA warning letters; any adverse reactions should also be reported directly to the FDA.
Congress should push for reforms that strengthen Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of dietary supplements to safeguard consumers. Pew supports mandatory product listing as it would enable FDA to detect potentially problematic ingredients as well as ensure all products are appropriately advertised.
Federal laws that regulate the marketing of dietary supplements, foods, drugs, devices and health-related products and services can be complex. FDA and FTC both share jurisdiction over claims made in advertising; one or both must rely on one of two theories in order to successfully bring a deceptive advertising action: either that the message conveyed by an advertisement is false; or that there is no reasonable basis upon which to assert its truthfulness.
MLMs
MLMs sell everything from clothing and toys to essential oils, protein powders and weight loss supplements. Many MLMs claim their products can provide miraculous health and wellness results; this claim often proves false. AdvoCare operated as an MLM for 25 years with celebrity athlete endorsements before finally being found out as a pyramid scheme by the FTC and shut down by them.
One of the major concerns with these companies is that participants may purchase wholesale products to advance in the marketing program rather than due to actual consumer need for these items. This practice is known as inventory loading.
If you’re thinking of joining an MLM, be sure to request their refund policy in writing. Those operating legally must offer an option for returning any unused products; pyramid schemes don’t need one but doing so may give an idea if their representatives truly care about selling you their product or not.
