Need to Know Basis: Supplements
People want to know 3 things about the products they purchase:
1. Are they safe?
2. Do they work?
3. Are they worth the cost?
The FDA does NOTHING to regulate any of these. Does it surprise you, then, to learn that not all supplements are created equal? With no regulations, anyone could create a supplement, slap a fancy label on it, and sell it to the highest bidder by claiming it’s a cure-all to your problems. Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman anyone?
Let’s talk about the safety factor:
There is a law called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), but this law leaves the responsibility of regulation to the manufacturer. Some companies test their products, and some do not. A study in New York in 2014 of the quality of supplements revealed some shocking information. Out of 78 bottles of supplements analyzed, 4 out of 5 did not contain evidence of effectiveness, and many products contained contaminants NOT listed on the bottle such as houseplants, powdered radish, and even wheat in supplements that were labeled “gluten-free.”
However, some high-quality companies will pay for third party testing to ensure there are no harmful ingredients including heavy metals, solvents, pesticides and microbes. These third party certifications include USP Verifies Mark, Consumer Labs, UL, International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS), and the Emerson Quality Program. Some programs also hold a high standard to the actual facilities where the supplements are created—these programs include NSF international, NPA (Natural Product Association) and the Emerson Quality Program.
Do they work?
The FDA does not standardize dosages or ingredients in dietary supplements. YIKES! Now you have a company that can buy a cheaper form of a vitamin (such as Pyridoxine hydrochloride for vitamin B6) even though pyridoxine-5-phoshate (P5P) is the most biologically active form (in other words, it works WAY better). Or you might pick up an iron supplement (usually found in the form of iron sulfate) knowing you will likely suffer the common side effect of constipation, but iron citrate, which is formed with vitamin C, is readily digested and absorbed. High-quality companies use medical experts and evidence-based science, such as the Emerson Quality Program, to create the products they offer patients.
Are they worth the cost?
So how do you know you’re getting the best of the best? It kind of comes down to who you trust. I trust Wellevate, and here’s why. I hope you noticed a common theme in the above information: Emerson Quality Program. The Wellevate brand and store falls under the Emerson Ecologics umbrella, which utilizes the quality program. The Emerson Quality Program has a rigorous application process and high standards for products to qualify. From the horse’s mouth:
Brands must detail their manufacturing process, including current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), raw material testing and final product testing. The application is reviewed and summarized by Emerson’s quality department. Then they conduct a document audit which requires the brands to provide any requested Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as well as manufacturing records and analytical documentations.
This is followed by product testing through an independent laboratory and a day-long, on-site audit by their team. The process concludes with a detailed audit report, with manufacturers being responsible to correct findings as indicated. Brands are re-evaluated bi-annually [1].
Information for this article gathered from
- https://edu.wellevate.me/three-minute-difference/a-conversation-on-quality-3-things-new-patients-need-to-know/
- https://edu.emersonecologics.com/quality/
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Heidi Toy FNTP
I help people all over the world heal by identifying and treating the root cause of their body imbalances. Through diet and nutrition, I guide them towards wholeness and balanced lives.
Heidi Toy Functional Medicine Blog
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