How to Choose Safe, High-Quality Dietary Supplements

Most people are surprised to learn how little oversight there is in this industry. In fact, the FDA expects the supplement manufacturers to police themselves when it comes to the purity and quality of their products. (More on this later.)

This presents a significant risk for consumers who are left to research these products on their own, and many would be wise to enlist the help of a healthcare professional when choosing nutritional supplements.

When researching supplements, the two most important factors to consider are the product’s preparation and quality.

Supplement Preparation

First, a little lesson from baking. If you’ve ever made cookies or muffins from scratch, you know that some recipes call for baking soda while others call for baking powder. And, if you’ve ever tried to substitute one for the other, you know it just doesn’t work.

But why is that?

While both ingredients make your baked good rise, there is a distinct difference in the chemical reaction that takes place in order for each of them to work. Baking soda requires some sort of acid in order to become activated. Baking powder, on the other hand, has the activator built in. So, in order to know which to use in your recipe, you have to analyze all of the other ingredients and understand how they will interact with the baking soda or powder to get the desired result.

It’s the same way in our bodies. When adding a nutritional supplement to your diet, it’s important to understand the entire list of ingredients in the recipe.
• What is in the supplement?
• What role does each component play?
• How will the supplement interact with other supplements or medications that you take?
• How will that supplement interact with the overall chemistry of your body?

Here’s an example of the importance of the ratio of nutrients (or ingredients) in a particular supplement.

A few years ago, I had a functional medicine patient come in who displayed all the signs and symptoms of copper deficiency, which is pretty rare. During his health history, he told me that he takes a multivitamin. Now I was intrigued, because someone who takes a multivitamin should have more than enough copper in their system to avoid any problems. Copper is a trace mineral, meaning your body only requires a small amount of it.

I asked him to bring in his vitamin bottle so I could examine it. The vitamins had come from a health food store, and he had spent good money on them. But when I analyzed the label, I saw that the supplement had high levels of zinc in it.

Zinc and copper compete for the same absorption sites in your GI tract. The zinc levels were such that they prevented his body from being able to use the copper that was in the very same multi-vitamin! In fact, the levels were so high that they prevented him from absorbing any copper from his entire diet.

So, it was his multi-vitamin that was making him ill.

In this case, two ingredients in the same pill were in conflict with one another. Now, imagine what could happen when you start to mix and match different supplements.

Nutrients Come in Different Forms

Another aspect of preparation has to do with the different forms of nutrients that make up a supplement. In many cases, there’s an inactive form of a vitamin and there’s an active form of the vitamin.

For example, Vitamin D has three different forms: D1, D2, D3, – but only the D3 form is active. Likewise with folic acid – the form in most supplements is not the activated form that your body actually uses. The activated form is L-5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate, or L-5-methyl-THF. So if you take the folic acid that’s found in many vitamins, assuming that your body can actually get it in, absorb it, and utilize it – your body still has to activate it. And guess what? Our bodies don’t do that very well.

In the case of Vitamin E, there is a natural form and a synthetic form – you can probably guess which of these is better for you.

Why would a manufacturer choose a lesser form of a nutrient? In some cases, it comes down to cost and/or availability. In other cases, the lesser form may take up less room in the capsule or tablet.

As you can see, there are a lot of factors in how a supplement is prepared that will impact its effectiveness. Some supplements will do what you’re expecting, some might not do anything at all, and worst-case scenario: some can actually make you sick.

Dietary Supplement Quality and Purity

The second important aspect is the quality of the supplement.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there’s very little regulation in the supplement industry. At the very least, that creates a situation where consumers are wasting their money on pills that don’t live up to their labeling. I’ve seen studies that claim anywhere from 25% to 75% of the supplements on the market are complete waste of money for one reason or another.

At the very worst, this lack of regulation can pose very serious health concerns.

Purity is of vital importance. You may be shocked to learn that it’s not uncommon to find contaminants in supplements. These can include mold, lead, mercury, pesticides, insecticides, and other toxic substances.

In many cases, what is listed on the label is not even what’s actually in the pill.

So how do you assess the quality and purity of a dietary supplement?

Manufacturing Standards for Nutritional Supplements

First, do not rely solely on price as an indicator of quality. Marketers are smart. They know that consumers often equate price with quality. I’ve seen many high-priced supplements in attractive packaging that fail to meet even the minimum quality standards.

One baseline indicator of quality is whether the manufacturer follows the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) guidelines. These standards were put out by the FDA as a benchmark to help ensure the quality of dietary supplements. But you have to remember that the FDA doesn’t actually go back and test these supplements. Also, the CGMPs for supplements are not as strict as the CGMPs for drug manufacturing. In my opinion, this is the bare minimum level of safety.

Independent Lab Testing of Vitamins and Supplements

A reputable manufacturer will send their products to independent labs to test them for purity and quality. The best manufacturers may also enlist third-party inspectors to evaluate their production processes.

Since government regulation is lacking and there is no universally accepted seal of approval, it is up to you to look at the individual manufacturers and assess their quality standards.

Supplements from Your Neighbor or Social Media

Supplements and peptides are a hot trend on social media, and are often sold by people you know as a “side hustle.”  Most of these people have the best of intentions and genuinely want to help others feel better.

However, what credible education do they have in nutrition, supplementation, or how these substances interact with medications and health conditions? Their training likely consists of short courses, webinars, or brand-sponsored events.

While their advice may be well-meaning, it’s not the same as working with a licensed healthcare provider who understands the science behind how your body functions. It’s also difficult to know the true quality and safety of the products being sold. 

High-Quality Supplements from Innovative Health

If you’re taking a vitamin or supplement, you’re doing it to try to be healthier. But, as you can see, choosing the right supplement can be complex. There’s a science behind how the best supplements are prepared, and quality is not always easy to judge. Its equally as important to understand how supplements interact with one another and any medical conditions. Finally, just because you can buy something over the counter or online, does not mean it is safe.

For guidance you can trust, turn to qualified professionals with the training to support your health safely and effectively. The doctors at Innovative Health in Weston can help you to determine what supplements you should be taking and recommend a quality brand that you can trust. Contact us to learn more.