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What is in your supplement? - 11/4/2013 2:56:10 PM

angelikaJ

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Scientists from the University of Guelph in Ontario tested 44 popular herbal supplements (such as St. John's wort and echinacea) that are sold by 12 different companies in Canada and the United States. They found that one-third of the supplements contained none of the plant extracts indicated on the product label. Fifty-nine percent were contaminated with plant species not listed on the ingredients list, including some that were considered toxic or allergy producing, as well as other potentially hazardous substances. Only two out of 12 companies sold supplements that were all completely genuine and free of plant substitution, fillers, or contaminants.

(emphasis mine)

From:
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/herbal-supplement-scam-dna-tests-reveal-fake-200700726.html

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RE: What is in your supplement? - 11/4/2013 6:32:20 PM

peppermint

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Next time some of my friends tell me I need to take herbal medicines, I'll send them this article. With my allergies it appears some of that stuff could make me ill.

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RE: What is in your supplement? - 11/4/2013 7:11:28 PM

SweetAnise

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People do need to read before the purchase. Most don't until after the fact. Supplements should be taken sparingly like anything else.

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RE: What is in your supplement? - 11/4/2013 7:29:21 PM

kalikshama

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Thanks for posting that! I've thus far been unable to find a list of the results by company.

Dr. Mercola recommends:

How do you tell whether or not a supplement you're looking at is a good choice? For starters, make sure it has the following characteristics:

1. It is as close as possible to its natural (whole food) form.
2. Use independent third party labs that check the raw materials for contaminants and correct dosage.
3. Follows industry standards for quality assurance including ISO 9001, ISO 17025 and Good Manufacturing
4. Processes (GMP) certifications.
5. The utmost care has been taken in all phases of its production, from growing its ingredients, to manufacturing, testing for potency and quality control.
6. It works! I always try to select from companies that have a long track record of providing high quality products that produce good clinical results.
7. Read the labels carefully as companies need to declare added processing agents

I scrupulously read labels as recommended in #7. I am aware of issues such as there are both synthetic and natural versions of vitamin E , why d-alpha tocopherol is better and problems with the synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol / rac-α-tocopheryl acetate. I don't buy from brands that include artificial colors. Etc.

I periodically test for # 6 by going off a supplement for a period of time and seeing if I notice a change without it.

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RE: What is in your supplement? - 11/4/2013 7:37:02 PM

kalikshama

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More info here and the comments were quite interesting as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/herbal-supplements-are-often-not-what-they-seem.html?_r=0

We already know that fish, honey, pet food, and olive oil are subject to very frequent adulteration. We know that prescription drugs, while rarely adulterated, are often researched in disingenuous, if not fully dishonest, ways. We know that journalists and media outlets -- although rarely The Times -- play fast and loose with the truth. We know that physicians order procedures and tests that have no medical or diagnostic value.

Why are we constantly surprised that the world is full of dishonest people?

Please don't let this be an indictment of the natural products industry in particular!

Sorry if this sounds pessimistic. I'm the co-owner (son of the founder) of a natural products store that sells a lot of herbal supplements, among other things. And as a former journalism major who now holds a biology degree from Harvard, I have at least some of the tools to vet the manufacturers out there. Yes, I receive sales calls daily from companies that don't have a clue what they're doing, and don't really care about truth. But I also know, and work with, established and start-up firms that are deeply committed to doing things right. How do YOU tell the difference? The same way you do with fish, honey, pet food, and olive oil. You either bring a lot of tools to the table to vet people, or at least work with people you trust.

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RE: What is in your supplement? - 11/5/2013 12:21:20 AM

ShaharThorne

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I take potassium, niacin and pre-natal vitamins...if I need herbal supps, I wil ask my doctor...

Besides, I take 2 fish oil a day...he wants me to take krill oil which is a lot more expensive.

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