We are once again reminded that it’s important to be cautious when using supplements since they are essentially unregulated in this country.
There is only one company that does independent testing and we strongly encourage people who are using supplements to subscribe to Consumer Lab.
In an article from Consumer Reports about “Supplement Seals” (July 28, 2016) a comparison chart shows that only ConsumerLab.com purchases its initial test samples in stores, while U.S. Pharmacopeia, NSF International, and UL obtain samples from the manufacturer. This allows ConsumerLab.com to assess a product’s quality at the time of purchase, like a consumer, and avoid possible misrepresentations by manufacturers. The article notes that ConsumerLab.com is one of the three organizations which “have long histories of certifying supplements.” ConsumerLab.com is also the only group which freely publishes its testing methods and criteria.
They just revised their report on St. John’s wort, one of the supplements used to treat depression that has the best data supporting effectiveness, and in the most recent report only four products met their standards (among the list of usually reliable sources of products that failed their tests: Whole Foods).
“Only 40% of popular St. John’s wort supplements (for depression) passed our recent tests for quality. Find out which passed, which failed, and our Top Pick, in the new St. John’s Wort Supplements Review….”