Dietary supplements can be a valuable way to improve health and longevity if consumed from an informed perspective.

There are two ways dietary supplements can be expended for such utility:

1. Filling nutritional gaps in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids

2. By providing supplement consumers with molecules whose benefits are rare even in the healthiest diets due to their rarity among commonly consumed food in the West.

Hence dietary supplements are primarily bland regarding what you can expect from them concerning benefits.

For instance, if you already have a healthy routine of consuming nutritious foods, engaging in strenuous exercise, and getting plenty of rest, adding supplements to your regimen can marginally decrease your chances of all-cause mortality by reducing inflammation and inflammation providing antioxidants.

If you’d like to know which supplements apart from vitamins, minerals, and fish oil are worth taking –insofar as they help to achieve such unremarkable ends, in most instances — click here to subscribe to my Medium page where I write about the history and science of such supplements.

Furthermore, supplements can marginally improve subjective markers like cognition and mood.

Thus, it is crucial to remember this when shopping for dietary supplements because it’s all too common –partly due to how they are marketed to consumers — to give them too much credit.

However, supplements are not worth taking in considerable measure because most supplement brands do not accurately label their supplements.

Very often, consumers have no clue what they are consuming.

How often are Supplement Labels Inaccurate?

According to a study published last August in Jama Network Open that analyzed 30 immunity supplements that were featured on Amazon.com by searching “the key word immune in ‘all departments’ and then sorted results by ‘featured,’ “thirteen of the 30 [i.e., roughly 43%] products had accurate labels.”

Additionally, “of the 17 products with inaccurate labels, 13 had ingredients listed on the labels that were not detected through analysis, such that their labels were misbranded.

Nine products had substances detected that were not claimed on the product label, some of which may be considered adulterated [i.e., diminished in quality.].”

Finally, “five were misbranded and contained additional components not claimed on the label.”

Researchers put the situation in stark terms, as they say in the majority of cases –not merely 43% — supplement brands “stretch what would be considered as allowable claims.”

However, we must remember that such stretching is in virtue of loose regulations on dietary supplements on the part of the FDA.

One should assume the rest of the supplement market would demonstrate comparably unacceptable quality-assurance results if studied in a manner comparable.

Indeed, that is what further research on this topic is unanimously showing.

For instance, a study published in the American Journal of Nursing also found that quality-control measures were insufficient for “most” products marketed as supporting or boosting immunity.

Another study from 2017 from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that more than 71% of Melatonin supplements fail to represent their melatonin content accurately, and 26% contained the controlled substance and neurotransmitter known as serotonin.

This presents a severe hazard for consumers “as serotonin overdose can be achieved with relatively low levels and can lead to serious side effects [such as serotonin syndrome], which in extreme cases can be fatal.”

The presence of serotonin in such supplements might be unintentional due to the biosynthesis and degradation of melatonin in storage or when processed initially. However, such quality-assurance mishaps of this magnitude are far too common to ignore as a consumer and health-conscious person.

Another study from Jama Internal Medicine shows that 45% of supplements claiming to contain caffeine on popular military bases fail to provide “clinically useful information regarding [their] caffeine content.” In conjunction, 30% of the supplement labels complied with legal standards.

It would be best to question taking any dietary supplements because the industry is highly unregulated, resulting in poor-quality products that can put your health at serious risk.

How to Avoid Risk when Using Dietary Supplements

In the studies and research reviews mentioned above, unusual patterns distinguish legitimate supplements from those that are mislabeled and legally [un]compliant.

For instance, in the Jama Open Network study on immune boosting or supporting supplements on Amazon, none of the products analyzed had third-party certification seals on any packaging.

One of the seals relevant for determining legitimate products is the GMP-certified seal because it means the product was made in an FDA-approved facility.

However, additional seals should be present. As we know, the FDA’s regulations are lax, so having a GMP-certification seal is essentially doing the bare minimum –but it’s important to mention that lacking such a seal means failing to do the bare minimum and risking consumer health.

One such additional seal should indicate that a 3rd-party lab has tested and verified a product for its purity and quality.

Arguably the most well-respected 3rd-party lab for those interested in consuming supplements safely and avoiding risk is Labdoor.

Labdoor tests dozens of products across numerous supplement companies and publishes their findings on its website.

Indeed, a prudent way to shop for supplements is to exclude all brands that fail to achieve an A — A+ rating on their products from Labdoor and exclude those that fail to do the bare minimum by forgetting to manufacture their products in FDA-approved facilities.

The dietary supplement industry is plagued by inaccurate labeling, poor quality control, and lax regulations, which can put consumer health at serious risk.

Individuals must approach dietary supplements cautiously and cautiously while recognizing that their benefits are often marginal.

When considering supplements, rely on reputable third-party certifications such as Labdoor and ensure that products are manufactured in FDA-approved facilities.

By staying informed and vigilant, consumers can make better choices when navigating the dietary supplement market and minimize the risks associated with low-quality or mislabeled products.