• Dietary supplements are not approved by the FDA like medications.

• America’s leading supplement expert recommended purchasing third-party certified products.

• Health professionals can help you decide which supplements are right for you, Stefan Pasiakos said.

From colostrum to creatine to lion’s mane, it seems like every few months there’s a hot new supplement and debate over its effectiveness. But another, equally important issue — the quality and content of the product you choose — often gets less attention, America’s top supplement expert told Business Insider.

Dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA like drugs, and it is up to manufacturers to ensure their products are safe and accurately labeled. The FDA can remove a supplement from the market if it discovers that it is adulterated or mislabeled.

As such, dietary supplements are not uniform, said Stefan Pasiakos, director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. One multivitamin, for example, might contain a few essential vitamins and minerals, while another might contain a large number of micronutrients mixed with various unnecessary nutrients, he said.

According to studies, this can lead to quality control issues, including contamination and inaccurate labeling. For example, a 2023 research letter published in JAMA Network Open investigating performance-enhancing botanical ingredients found that 89% of 57 dietary supplements tested did not accurately list their ingredients, while 12% contained at least one banned ingredient. by the FDA. .

A 2020 editorial published in Annals of Pharmacotherapy, meanwhile, highlighted “major quality issues” with dietary supplements, including contamination with microbes or heavy metals, unapproved ingredients, lower doses than recommended. indicated and products not containing an ingredient indicated on the label.

Pasiakos therefore encourages people to do their “homework” before taking a supplement: “All I would say is that people make sure they are informed about these products, understand what is in them and knowing that the industry is not there to get them. But certain aspects of certain dietary supplements can certainly be considered dangerous. »

He shared three tips for finding good quality supplements and evaluating whether they’re right for you.

Find supplements with third-party verification

If you’re concerned about what’s in a supplement, buy a product that has been verified by a third-party organization, Pasiakos said.

There are several reputable organizations that rigorously test supplements to ensure they contain what says on the label and are free of contaminants, he said. They also help businesses ensure they comply with government guidelines. However, these organizations do not test the supplements for effectiveness or support the company’s health claims.

Pasiakos highlighted NSF certification and the U.S. Pharmacopeia Verification Program.

Usually, if a product has been verified by a third party, this will be stated on the packaging or on the company’s website.

Ask your healthcare professional for personalized recommendations

Pasiakos recommends talking to a doctor or healthcare professional before trying a new supplement.

They may be able to direct you to a dietitian or pharmacist who is familiar with supplements and can advise you based on your specific needs, he said. For example, if you already take supplements or prescription medications, they will know about potential interactions.

A dietitian will also evaluate your diet overall and give you nutritional recommendations, which is important because supplements should complement, not replace, a healthy diet, he said.

Do research based on reliable sources

If you can’t get advice from a medical professional, it’s important to get information from a trusted source, Pasiakos said.

“There’s information everywhere. You just type in a given supplement online and everyone will have an opinion on whether or not a dietary supplement works,” Pasiakos said.

The ODS has a lot of information on its website, including dietary supplement fact sheets, which are up-to-date, evidence-based analyzes of the information available, he said. There is a fact sheet for most existing supplement ingredients that explains what it is, how it works, and the evidence for or against the claimed health benefits.

Pasiakos also cited the National Center for Integrative Supplemental Health, part of the NIH, and the FDA website as good sources of information on supplements.

Read the original article on Business Insider