Veglog

Are all Vitamin Supplements Safe?

Author: Dorothy Hurtley · Date: October 21, 2007

Health.com has an interesting article on the safety and value of taking vitamin supplements. Consumerlab, a consumer watchdog, states the following:

Because there are no uniform manufacturing rules for supplements, a multi may not contain what the bottle claims, could be contaminated with something from the manufacturing plant, or might have tainted ingredients.

ConsumerLab also states your best bet is to take well known brands such as Centrum Silver or One-a-Day which when tested did not have impurities in them or Kirkland and Naturemade which carry the USP and NSF seals.

It is recommended that you avoid the following vitamins singled out by ConsumerLab.com.

General supplements:

• Eniva VIBE, a liquid sold in packets falls short of listed vitamin A
• Healthy Moments Mint Cream Flavor Vitamin Strips contains no vitamin A and exceeds listed amount of niacin
• Swanson Daily Multivitamin & Mineral short of listed folate
• The Greatest Vitamin in the World short of listed folate
• Andrew Weil, MD, Daily Multivitamin for Optimum short of listed vitamin A and exceeds the amount of calcium

Supplements for Women:

• Nature’s Plus Especially Yours Women’s Multivitamin doesn’t disintegrate properly and exceeds listed calcium

• The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women are contaminated with 15.3 micrograms of lead per serving—10 times the amount permitted without a warning label in California—and short of listed calcium

Supplements for Seniors:

• AARP Maturity Formula takes too long to disintegrate

Supplements for Children:

• Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears contains twice as much vitamin A as listed, which may lead to weak bones

It might be wise to get info on the vitamin brand you are taking and if you are taking prescription medications check with your doctor to see if they are compatible just as an extra precaution.