[Kerry Adamson]

I’ve been taking supplements for many years and began to learn that many are not pure, potent, fail to have truthful labeling, and are not bioavailable. Many “cheap brands” are made by pharmaceutical companies. Looking for science based nutritional research I bought a book called “The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements” by Lyle McWIlliam. The book contents specifically look at pertinent criteria of supplement companies such as purity, potency, truth in labeling, bioavailability, and if a company is following Good Manufacturing Practices. I had the first 2 editions. Now there is a 6th edition. This helps one decide on a science driven, credible research- based product for optimal benefits and longevity. Therefore, I was able to select a quality supplement company that follows high standards. I use The Life Extension Foundation products. They are some of the top supplements.

[IMA-HelenT]

Thank you @kerrya for sharing this—really appreciate it! I love hearing tips like this from the community, especially when it comes to choosing quality supplements. There’s so much out there, it really helps to learn from others’ experience

[Brenda Andersen]

No question, the quality of supplements has become compromised over the last numerous years both in form & content, in addition to the supplement ingredients, I question the quality of the capsules, binders, glazes Big Business is using to streamline production and minimize cost. CAUTION!! Even when still privately owned, many supplement ingredients are now fermented. It took my doctor and I 2 years to figure out that a Wellness Formula I had taken every day, avoiding colds & flus for years, was so full of histamine it was causing me big problems with pain & exhaustion.

It seems easy enough to ask “who owns” and get AI responses such as these: <strong style=”font-size: inherit; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);”>NOW Foods is still a family-owned company, specifically owned by the Richard family. Founded in 1968, NOW Foods has grown from a small family operation into a prominent manufacturer in the natural products industry, offering over 1,500 products including dietary supplements, organic foods, and personal care items. The company remains committed to quality and affordability, maintaining its family-owned status throughout its expansion. <strong style=”font-size: inherit; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);”>Threshold Enterprises LLC is a privately held company. It was established in 1978 and operates as a wholesale distributor of dietary supplements and health care products. The company is known for its brands, including Source Naturals and Planetary Herbals. While specific ownership details are not publicly disclosed, it is common for such companies to be owned by private investors or family members involved in the business operations. It appears Nestle Health Sciences has since 2017 owned Pure Encapsulations, Atrium Innovations, Garden of Life and Douglas Labs. creating skepticism re quality & integrity.

[IMA-HelenT]

It’s a great reminder that quality isn’t just about the label, but everything behind it too.

[braves54]

Great topic. Our list of supplements includes fish oil, vitamin d3 with k2, vitamin e, multi vitamin, coq10, vitamin c, magnesium glycinate. All of these are from Costco. Some are kirkland branded, many high potency ones are from sports research sold at Costco. I have trust in what is offered at Costco for quality. We have been taking from 5-7 years. In general, one should try to use natural ways to consume key minerals such as turmeric, natto, seaweed, arjuna powder, pineapple stems and bone broth as food rather than take supplements. Example curcumin caps, collagen, nattokinase, bromelain etc. But others like fish oil, multivitamin, d3, magnesium are best taken as supplements. I had started looking at Bryan Johnson’s supplements like cocoa powder but his products are expensive. Thorne seems to be good brand for cardiovascular health. Again, it depends on individual but this is my thinking. Good to see the brands others trust like Now and life extension.

[IMA-HelenT]

I must say I too look at how I can add nutrient rich foods to my diet along with spices, and I did a course in herbalism so I could make tinctures.

[Paul Smith]

GROK provided the following information:

Yes, several independent organizations regularly test dietary supplements, vitamins, and minerals for quality, potency, purity, label accuracy, contaminants (like heavy metals, pesticides, microbes), and more. These groups operate independently of manufacturers (they buy products from stores or conduct ongoing audits/retests) and publish results or certifications to help consumers.

Here are the most established and active ones:

1. ConsumerLab.com (Best for regular, broad consumer testing)

• Independently buys popular supplements from retail stores and sends them to outside labs for testing.
• Tests for identity, strength/potency, purity (contaminants), dissolution, and label accuracy.
• Regularly reviews categories like multivitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins, minerals, herbals, and more — often updating tests every 1–2 years per category, with hundreds of products covered.
• Offers a subscription for full reports and has a “CL Approved” seal for products that pass.
• Highly regarded by consumers and healthcare providers for unbiased results.

2. NSF International (Strong for ongoing certification and auditing)

• Conducts its own lab testing (not just reviewing manufacturer data).
• Offers the NSF Contents Certified and NSF Certified for Sport programs.
• Performs annual audits of manufacturing facilities and periodic retesting of products (including off-the-shelf samples) to verify contents match the label and are free of contaminants.
• Especially thorough for vitamins, minerals, and supplements; they emphasize true independent testing.

3. U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) (Gold standard for quality standards)

• Runs the USP Verified Dietary Supplement Program.
• Tests for identity, strength, purity, dissolution/disintegration, and manufacturing quality.
• Uses off-the-shelf sampling for spot checks and verifies products containing common vitamins (A, B, C, D, E) and minerals (like calcium, magnesium).
• Products can display the USP Verified mark; it’s widely trusted because USP also sets standards for pharmaceuticals.

4. Labdoor

• Independently purchases supplements from stores and tests them in chemistry labs.
• Publishes free rankings and results focused on label accuracy, purity, and value.
• Covers many vitamins, minerals, and popular categories (though less comprehensive than ConsumerLab in some areas).

Other notable options

• Informed Sport / Informed Choice (from LGC): Batch-by-batch testing, especially for athletes (tests every batch for banned substances and contaminants).
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories): Increasingly involved in supplement testing and certification.
• Large accredited labs like Eurofins, SGS, or Certified Laboratories do testing for manufacturers or certification programs, but they’re not primarily consumer-facing.

Quick tips for using these

• Look for seals/logos on the product label (e.g., USP Verified, NSF Certified, ConsumerLab Approved).
• No single lab tests every supplement on the market, but these groups cover thousands of popular ones over time.
• The FDA does not routinely test supplements for quality (they’re not pre-approved like drugs), so these independent testers fill that gap.
• For the most current results, check the organizations’ websites directly:
  • ConsumerLab.com (subscription for full access)
  • NSF.org (search certified products)
  • USP.org (quality-supplements.org for verified list)
  • Labdoor.com (free rankings)

[hayden1]

Thanks.

[hayden1]

Here is my minimally researched Best Brands. Please let me know if you have any negative information that would kick any of them off the list: Amazon Elements, WA BioSchwartz Formula, NY Fresh Nutrition, CA Health Thru Nutrition, NY Nutricost, UT Nutriessence, NV Nutriflair, WA Nutrivein, WA Vitaraw Formula, CA Welessentials, CA Welluxa Lipo Formula, NV Bulk Supplements Deal Supplement (CA) Doublewood (PA) Health Thru Nutrition (NY) Micro Ingredients (CA) NatureBell (CA) and Now, Vitacost, Pure, Wakunaga

[IMA-HelenT]

Hi @Hayden1 a functional medicine doctor at the bottom of the thread is offering to answer questions about supplements.

[marthajean]

I’m sad to report my own data point to this thread. Just got an email saying that Rebel Lion, makers of Fierce Immunity, is shutting down.

[IMA-HelenT]

Always sad to loose a trusted provider 🙁

[aaronaf]

I trust NOW FOODS company for many of my supplements, because they are made and quality tested in the USA, and because their support staff answer my emails whenever I have a question. If it is available among competing brands, I feel confident in choosing it as my source. Sometimes, their cost is more than I like, and I search for other brands that have comparable quality. I also trust Life Extension supplements. Sun Ten is another brand I use because it is recommended by my acupuncturist; however, I suspect some of their product may have traces of heavy metals in them. I probably should have them tested for that.

[IMA-HelenT]

I love that you mention that they are avaliable to answer questions, always happy to pay a bit more for customer service.

[judy-j]

I do know that Dr. Ed Group’s company Global Healing makes excellent products. You should watch their video of their company and how they handle testing and production. I also use NOW and Life Extension.

[IMA-HelenT]

Thanks for this, on my watch list.

[IMA-HelenT]

Was watching a podcast yesterday when two of the hosts mentioned this app https://supp.co/ never used it, and believe its a paid for app, but may be worth exploring if you need some extra advice.

[IMA-HelenT]

Great conversation, thanks all for sharing your tips.

I found a couple of really helpful guides on the IMA site that actually dig into a lot of what’s being mentioned here—especially around quality, absorption, and whether supplements are even working.

The Nutrient Synergy Guide is particularly interesting—it explains how timing, combinations, and form can make a huge difference (and why some supplements might not be doing much at all).

There’s also a full Nutrition Library with loads of practical tools if anyone wants to go deeper—I’ll drop a few links in the comments 👍

https://imahealth.org/tools-and-guides/nutrient-synergy-guide/

https://imahealth.org/tools-and-guides/from-a-to-zinc-the-flccc-nutrient-guide/

https://imahealth.org/ima-nutrition-library/

[ksokspear]

Hi! I’m a Chiropractic Applied Kinesiologist and Functional Medicine Practitioner of 18 years. This is a great question because there are a lot of companies out there that sell supplements that do not meet their label claims. The raw materials used for these supplements are not tested for purity and the final product is not tested for efficacy. In my experience Costco fish oils (someone mentioned Costco) have been rancid and the bottle doesn’t list the source of EPA/DHA. It is very important when choosing a fish oil that the company list the source of the oil. Lots of B vitamins out there on the market are derived from petrochemicals and coal tar. Many of the herbs don’t contain the medicinal part of the plant. For instance, you can find bottles of echinacea for sale that contain only the leaves when the alkylamides are found in the root. Technically the bottle contains echinacea, but it will do nothing for your health. And beyond that, many herbal products on the market have not been extracted properly even if they contain the medicinal part of the plant. Mushrooms exploded in popularity a few years ago, and unfortunately that woke up a bunch of opportunists. I have studied mushrooms extensively, and it bothers me that so many companies stated coming out with mushroom beverages and powders and extracts that are fraudulent in one way or another. As a functional medicine practitioner, it makes me sad to think that people won’t believe in the health benefits of mushrooms and herbs because they will have only consumed fake products, and thus never experienced benefits and then blame the herb.

I primarily use Standard Process, MediHerb, Biotics Research, Quicksilver Scientific, Xymogen Nutri-West and Real Mushrooms supplements in my practice. I have visited the Standard Process farm multiple times and I have visited the Biotics Research facility. I have seen the standards they uphold for their locally grown raw materials and those that they out-source. I have seen the testing they do on all materials before they go into a product (to make sure the materials are what they say they are and that they are potent enough to have the desired effect on our health), and the testing to do after the product is complete (to make sure that in the process of putting the tablets together they didn’t lose any of the potency). I have spoken with the owners of five of these companies and representatives from the other two, and they have earned my trust.

If you’re not able to visit the company headquarters or speak to the reps in person, I would use this as a criteria for selection:

1. The company has been around for 30+ years

2. The company has not been purchased by Nestle or other food/pharma giant

3. Nothing within their product line contains food dyes/colors, artificial sweeteners, milk, corn, soy, sugar, gluten, MSG, corn syrup, soybean oil, other seed oils, caffeine

4. The company is transparent about where they source their raw materials. I have patients bring me supplements that they are taking for me to check, and more often than not, I can’t find any useful information about the supplements online. There are a ton of new subscription-based supplement companies out there that offer no transparency. Just label claims and lots of marketing.

I’m happy to answer any questions about supplements. I’ve had a lot of experience with these product lines in particular.

[IMA-HelenT]

What a fantastic offer—thank you so much for sharing your experience and insights! 🙌

These are incredibly helpful tips, especially around sourcing, testing, and what to look out for when choosing supplements. It really highlights how important quality and transparency are.

Anyone have questions they’d like to ask? 😊

[ksokspear]

You’re welcome 😊 I’m happy to help this community of healers any way I can!

I’ve really enjoyed these conversations, and I’m grateful to have finally been able to contribute some useful information.