The large selection of brands and products available today can make purchasing supplements a daunting task. As a result, there are a number of important factors to consider when selecting and purchasing dietary supplements.
Quality standards are especially important to consider when purchasing supplements as they help ensure a product’s safety and effectiveness. Consulting a healthcare practitioner and understanding supplement labels can help you choose the supplements that are best suited to your individual needs. Additionally, purchasing supplements from a trusted source can help ensure you are always getting safe, accurately labeled, and high-quality products.
Understanding dietary supplement regulations
Quality standard regulations help to ensure that the quality and integrity of ingredients and products are maintained along the entire supply chain, from ingredient sourcing and product manufacturing to storage, distribution, and consumption.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplement product and label guidelines under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. The FDA has also established Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), a set of requirements to which companies that manufacture, package, label, store, and/or distribute supplements must comply.
Selecting quality supplements
Supplements should always be purchased from a reputable and trusted source as resellers may not have proper warehousing standards, training programs for staff, or formal quality control, recall, and adverse reaction processes. Without adherence to proper quality practices, there is an increased risk of cross-contamination of ingredients, improper labeling, incorrect storage practices, expired ingredients, and other issues that may adversely impact an individual’s health.
Reputable and trusted sources of dietary
supplements include:
• Brand/manufacturer websites
• Certain specialty or health-food retailers
• Healthcare practitioners/clinics who stock supplements directly from the brand
• Virtual dispensaries that stock supplements directly from the brand (e.g., Fullscript)
Common third-party certifications include:
- Gluten-free (e.g., Certified Gluten-Free)
- Non-GMO (e.g., Non-GMO Project Verified)
- Organic (e.g., USDA Organic, Canada Organic)
- Vegan (e.g., Certified Vegan)
Individual considerations
The definition of supplement quality can vary by individual, depending on your personal values, preferences, and factors such as allergies or sensitivities. While all supplements should adhere to basic quality measures, personal considerations can be taken into account to select the most appropriate product for your needs.
Third-party certifications
In addition to the basic guidelines set by the FDA, manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements may choose to follow various quality and manufacturing processes verified by third-party companies. Third-party companies provide unbiased assurance that certain quality criteria are met. In these cases, you will often see a certification mark on products indicating that they have been third-party verified.
Quality-at-a-glance checklist
As a starting point when looking for high-quality supplements, ensure the product is sold by a verified distributor or directly by the brand. Additionally, you can use the following checklist to determine your own quality standards and requirements when purchasing supplements. You may also consider sharing your checklist with your integrative healthcare provider when discussing your treatment plan.
Choose the label claim(s) (not third-party verified) that are important to you:
□ Animal product-free
□ Artificial colour-free
□ Artificial flavour-free
□ Artificial preservative-free
□ Artificial sweetener-free
□ Casein-free
□ Corn-free
□ Dairy-free
□ Egg-free
□ Fish-free
□ Gluten-free
□ Milk-free
□ Mustard-free
□ Non-GMO
□ Peanut-free
□ Rice-free
□ Salt-free
□ Sesame-free
□ Shellfish-free
□ Soy-free
□ Sugar-free
□ Tree nut-free
□ Wheat-free
□ Whey-free
□ Yeast-free
Choose the third-party certification(s) (independently verified) that are important to you:
□ Certified B Corporation®
□ Certified Gluten-Free
□ Certified Halal
□ Certified Organic
□ Certified Vegan
□ Current Good
Manufacturing
Practices (CGMP)
□ Friend of the Sea
□ Global Organization for
EPA and DHA Omega-3
(GOED)
□ International Fish Oil
Standards (IFOS)
□ Informed-Choice
□ Informed-Sport
□ International
Organization for
Standardization (ISO)
□ Kosher Check
□ MOSA Certified Organic
□ Non-GMO
Project Verified
National Sanitation
Foundation (NSF)
□ NSF Certified for Sport
□ Underwriter
Laboratories (UL)
□ USDA Organic
□ U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)
□ Vegan
□ Vegetarian
Burdock Alcohol-Free Liquid Extract, Organic Burdock (Arctium Lappa) Dried Root Glycerite Hawaii Pharm Natural Herbal Supplement 4 oz
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Dried Elderberries 1 lb. (16 oz.), Contains Organic Non-GMO Elderberries in Non-BPA Packaging, Whole European Elderberries Dried Organic, Dried Elderberry, Elder Berries, Whole
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Burdock Alcohol-Free Liquid Extract, Organic Burdock (Arctium Lappa) Dried Root Glycerite Hawaii Pharm Natural Herbal Supplement 4 oz
- Burdock Alcohol-FREE liquid extract contains ONLY natural ingredients!
- High Quality Burdock Alcohol-FREE liquid extract - we use classic conventional methods of extraction! We meticulously produce our extracts according to precise standards where each herb is extracted according to the distinct characteristic of each plant!
- The highest quality Burdock Alcohol-FREE extract made with love for plants and respect for Nature!
California Poppy Alcohol-Free Liquid Extract, Organic California Poppy (Eschscholzia Californica) Dried Above-Ground Part Glycerite 2 oz
- California Poppy Glycerite contains ONLY natural ingredients! Alcohol Free! Gluten Free! Non-GMO!
- High Quality California Poppy NON-Alcohol liquid extract - we use classic conventional methods of extraction! We meticulously produce our extracts according to precise standards where each herb is extracted according to the distinct characteristic of each plant!
- The highest quality California Poppy Glycerin based liquid extract made with love for plants and respect for Nature
Chaga Alcohol-Free Liquid Extract, Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) Whole Mushroom Dried Glycerite 4 oz
- Chaga Glycerite contains ONLY natural ingredients! Alcohol Free! Gluten Free! Non-GMO!
- Not filtered Chaga NON-Alcohol liquid extract - we use classic conventional methods of extraction! We meticulously produce our extracts according to precise standards where each herb is extracted according to the distinct characteristic of each plant!
- The highest quality Chaga Glycerin based liquid extract made with love for plants and respect for Nature!
Chrysanthemum Alcohol-Free Liquid Extract, Organic Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) Dried Flower Glycerite Hawaii Pharm Natural Herbal Supplement 2 oz
- Chrysanthemum Alcohol-FREE liquid extract contains ONLY natural ingredients!
- Not filtered Chrysanthemum Alcohol-FREE liquid extract - we use classic conventional methods of extraction! We meticulously produce our extracts according to precise standards where each herb is extracted according to the distinct characteristic of each plant!
- The highest quality Chrysanthemum Alcohol-FREE extract made with love for plants and respect for Nature!
Cilantro Alcohol-Free Liquid Extract, Organic Cilantro (Coriandrum Sativum) Dried Leaf Glycerite Hawaii Pharm Natural Herbal Supplement 4 oz
- Cilantro Alcohol-FREE liquid extract contains ONLY natural ingredients!
- Not filtered Cilantro Alcohol-FREE liquid extract - we use classic conventional methods of extraction! We meticulously produce our extracts according to precise standards where each herb is extracted according to the distinct characteristic of each plant!
- The highest quality Cilantro Alcohol-FREE extract made with love for plants and respect for Nature!
Dried Elderberries 1 lb. (16 oz.), Contains Organic Non-GMO Elderberries in Non-BPA Packaging, Whole European Elderberries Dried Organic, Dried Elderberry, Elder Berries, Whole
- ✔ Organic Sourced, Non-GMO, BPA-Free: Our non-irradiated whole elderberries dried are non-GMO and organic sourced from organically certified growers, and our resealable packaging is always BPA-free.
- ✔ Organic Elderberries Make Perfect Elderberry Syrup: Organic dried elderberries make a wonderful wellness syrup during cold and flu season. Dried elderberries organic bulk also make an excellent tea.