For your safety, please check the quality of the dietary supplements and vitamins you purchase. Also remember to discuss any supplements you take with your doctor as some can interact with your other medications.
Dietary supplements are NOT regulated by the FDA in the same way medications prescribed by your doctor are. The FDA does not ensure the safety or efficacy of dietary supplements in the same way they do for prescription medications. It is up to the company to deem that the supplement has met certain standards. Therefore it is possible that your supplements may contain harmful ingredients and that they may not deliver the results that they promise.
Below is a list of resources you can use to verify the company you are purchasing from and the quality of their products. Supplements are not cheap, and your health is of utmost importance, so please do your research. I strongly suggest you only purchase supplements that have met safety standards and testing by a reputable organization.
FDA Dietary Supplements Page Website
Visit here for information on what the FDA does and does not do in terms of evaluating supplements.
www.fda.gov/food/dietarysupplements/
Office of Dietary Supplements Website (coordinated by the Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH, Food and Nutrition Info Center, and the US Department of Agriculture)
This website includes fact sheets on supplements.
Consumers Labs Website
This company purchases supplements directly from the stores and runs a variety of tests on them. Many of the other companies obtain their samples for testing directly from the manufacturer. An annual individual subscription of $27 allows complete access to test results for hundreds of supplements. They evaluate them for composition, potency, purity, bioavailability and consistency.
United States Pharmacopeia
Details on their evaluation/testing process available on the website, as well as a list of companies that meet their inspection standards.
NSF International Website
This is a nonprofit public health and safety organization that provides a certification service for supplements.
Disclaimer: This website (including all pages and blog posts) is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. To schedule an appointment at Revitalize Medical Center, please call (847) 834-4018.