With the popularity of alternative medicine including nutritional and botanical supplements comes the onslaught of companies trying to make a profit in a growing market. But consumers need to be aware that quality may not always be at the forefront of a manufacturers priority list.
While many products may claim to contain an active ingredient, they may not have the amount listed on the label. There is little control or quality assurance for most nutritional supplements and companies are left to self monitor. Many nutriceutical companies that sell vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements do have quality control mechanisms in place that monitor products. And the best companies will have third party monitoring, meaning quality control is conducted by a party with no financial interest in the company.
Still consumers should beware of small, usually low-cost companies that do not provide a seal of quality control. For example, an online company, ConsumerLab.com recently conducted a review of more than 14 products that contain Valerian, a popular herbal supplement used as a sleep aid and stress reducer.
In the review only 4 of 14 products contained appropriate amounts of the active compounds in Valerian that have been clinically proven to be effective. Other products contained amounts too low, which cannot produce clinical results. Some products contained contaminants, including dangerous heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.
This product review can be found online at www.consumerlab.com/results/valerian.asp. It just shows that many companies are not looking out for the consumer, and perhaps are saving money on quality control to make extra money from the consumer.
For those wanting to be sure their products are legit, look on the label for a seal of approval from a third party quality control agency. If that is not available, look for some information about internal quality control or standardization of active compounds. If product companies make any claim on the label about a certain percentage of active ingredients, they must carry that standard for all products shipped.
Also there are many supplement companies that are for professional use only, meaning that healthcare providers must purchase them and then prescribe them to their patients. These supplements are usually of the highest quality with rigorous testing to insure purity and clinical effectiveness.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on September 11, 2006 04:39 PM
