Are All Supplements Created Equal?

May 21, 2020

The answers may surprise you, especially if you routinely purchase supplements online or from bargain bin stores. Companies that manufacture supplements are held to few standards in the United States, which has caused the market to be flooded with products whose quality ranges from unsafe to just barely adequate.  It is for this reason that from day #1, Castle Remedies only stocks nutritional supplements from companies that are able to satisfy our rigorous standards of quality.

NOW Foods recently released the results of a series of product tests they performed on almost two dozen CoQ10 and SAMe supplements purchased online from Amazon.com.  The tests were designed to reveal whether the products lived up to their labeling -- to determine if the products contained the ingredients and potency that they claimed. 

The results: for CoQ10, no products passed the test.  Out of 10 products tested, 5 out of 10 had less than 20% of the labeled potency.  All 10 had less than 80% of the labeled potency.  In 2 of the products, CoQ10 was not even detected!

For the SAMe trials, NOW was concerned not only about potency but also the stability of the product, since SAMe is relatively unstable and degrades rapidly unless it is protected by proper manufacturing techniques.

The results: for SAMe, no products passed the test and all products were suspected to be unstable or low potency forms of SAMe.  Out of 10 products tested, 2 did not have any detectable SAMe and the rest had very low potency.  Just a few products managed to squeak in at 50% potency.

The takeaways: not all supplements are created equal.  A unfailing commitment to quality is the first feature that a supplement manufacturer should possess.  Quality comes at a price, unfortunately, and companies offering bargain bin prices are often dangerously cutting corners.  It's not worth saving a few dollars if the discounted supplement doesn't even contain the advertised ingredient.

Another important note is that many high quality supplement brands, like Metagenics, Ortho Molecular, Xymogen, and Pure Encapsulations, are "Doctor's Line" supplements, and are generally unavailable to purchase online without a doctor's recommendation.  These brands have been targeted by fraudsters and counterfeiters who post real looking, but counterfeit products for sale online. 

Always check directly with the manufacturer before considering purchasing these brands online from a 3rd party. 

If only things could be simple again... Oh wait, you could just call Castle Remedies!  We work directly with these manufacturers, ensuring your access to quality supplements.  Ask about our generous Frequent Buyer Program, which nets you a $5 coupon every time you spend $100.

Read about NOW's test on their website by clicking the "Read More" button.

Also in Castle Remedies Blog