Your Guide to Choosing High-Quality Supplements & Vitamins
The supplement industry can feel vast and overwhelming, and it may be difficult to understand who to trust, what to look for, and where to purchase. My hope today is threefold:
I hope to share insight into the supplement industry pitfalls, testing and certifications.
I want to share the certifications and testing that my products available through the TDW Shop go through before they make it into your hands. I’m incredibly proud of the formulation and purity of my products from start to finish!
I want to educate you on how to know EXACTLY what supplements your body needs.
Why Supplement Quality Matters
Individual ingredients, dosage and formulation of a product all influence whether or not a supplement is safe, high-quality or effective. Additionally, the quality of a supplement can change depending on how it is packaged, where it is stored, and the length of time after a supplement is made until it is sold to you. The supplementation industry is massive, and unfortunately, it is not well regulated.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Supplements From a Third Party (Like Amazon!)
I do not recommend purchasing supplements from third-party sellers, such as Amazon or eBay. These online marketplaces host millions of third-party resellers, making it nearly impossible to regulate every item listed.
There are many risks associated with purchasing from third-party sellers. This includes the following:
Risk of purchasing counterfeit products. Amazon bots have been known to impersonate credible brands.
Risk of exposure to things like extreme light and heat, which can degrade supplements’ potency. Purchasing supplements from companies with quality control regulations matters! You’re best off ordering supplements stored in a cool, dry, dark and regulated place versus in direct light or in a hot warehouse for an unknown amount of time. The latter can expedite the “use by” date or make the pills moldy.
Risk of expired products. Sellers have been known to offload products near or after their expiration date, which impacts supplements’ effectiveness.
Risk of inaccurate product info, including misleading claims and false promises about supplement efficacy are also a common occurrence when supplements don’t come directly from the manufacturer or another reputable source.
Risk of customer reviews and ratings being manipulated by sellers.
So, where should you buy from? I’d recommend directly from a reputable brand or through a verifiable platform like Fullscript. These are both of the places where I source most of my supplements.
Certifications…Which Ones to Look for and What They Mean
Certifications serve the purpose of allowing the consumer to assess products for safety, efficacy, and quality. Third-party testing is independent testing by an organization that was not involved in the design or manufacturing process of the object being tested to ensure quality.
It is important to note that not all certifications are equal, and just because a product claims something on the label doesn’t mean that claim holds much value.
PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE AND CGMP – IT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU!
For example, “pharmaceutical grade” is often used when referring to supplements. These supplements are said to have been manufactured to the same standards as pharmaceuticals. Unfortunately, there’s no policing of the “pharmaceutical grade” label, and it doesn’t give you any true measurables about the product. That said, many exceptional companies claim to be pharmaceutical grade, and others I would not recommend make this same claim.
cGMP stands for “Current Good Manufacturing Practices.” In my professional opinion, this is the label/certification that carries the most weight in the food, drug, and supplement industry. cGMP refers to the regulations enforced by the FDA. cGMP provides for systems that assure proper design, monitoring and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. Adherence to the cGMP regulations assures the identity, strength, quality, and purity of drug products by requiring that manufacturers control manufacturing operations.
INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS AND THIRD-PARTY TESTING
While cGMP assures that the manufacturing processes and facility are safe, clean, and high quality, I also suggest looking at the actual ingredients of the supplement you’re considering purchasing. cGMP doesn’t necessarily indicate the effectiveness or potency of individual ingredients. This is where third-party testing can be valuable. Third-party testing can ensure individual ingredients aren’t contaminated with heavy metals, pathogens, or other harmful toxins.
For example, TDW Bone Broth Protein undergoes third-party testing for microbes, yeast, mold, etc. to ensure the purity and quality of individual ingredients.
In addition to third-party testing on individual ingredients, you’ll want to read supplement labels to ensure ingredients don’t include unnecessary additives or fillers.
Finally, there are helpful certifications/labels on ingredients that speak to their quality. This includes things like gluten-free, USP, certified organic, and non-GMO:
Gluten-free:
Gluten-free certification protects consumers with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders by confirming that a food, drink or supplement meets strict standards for gluten-free safety.
Many mainstream supplements and multivitamins contain gluten in either their casing or filler. In the shop, all TDW supplements have a “No List” where you can find whether or not something is gluten-free. For example, you can see my multivitamin The One is completely gluten-free.
USP:
The Certified U.S. Pharmacopeia mark verifies that a supplement’s label contains the ingredients listed on the label, in the declared potency and amounts.
USP-designated ingredients meet or exceed standards of purity set by the United States Pharmacopeia making them the highest quality grade.
TDW Supplement labels proudly display USP behind many of their ingredients. For example, you can find the USP certification on TDW B Complex’s ingredient label.
Certified Organic:
This labeling term indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced according to the USDA organic standards.
You’ll find that many TDW products are certified organic, including the ingredients in my Bone Broth Protein Powder.
Non-GMO:
The Non-GMO Project is a mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to building and protecting a non-GMO food supply.
If an item is certified organic, it must also be non-GMO. As with the “gluten-free” label, you’ll be able to find all “Non-GMO” labeling of TDW products on each specific product’s “No List” on our website.
While looking at individual ingredient labels can feel tedious, it is truly the best way to ensure you’re getting your bang for your buck. If in doubt, send an email to the company. A company that stands behind its work will be happy to answer all your questions.
The TDW Standard: Specific Product Certifications and Testing
All TDW supplements and nutritional products are manufactured according to cGMP practices in facilities regularly audited by the FDA. Not only that, but I’m also proud of the ingredients from which my products and supplements are made. You will find many of my products are made with certified organic, third-party tested ingredients.
Note, it is impossible for some ingredients to be labeled as certified organic. For example, TDW Omega sources its omega from fish off the Chilean coast – the least industrialized, cold-water coastline. This is the cleanest fish omega you can find. But, neither wild fish nor farmed fish can be certified organic because no organic standards exist in the U.S. to regulate them, so TDW Omega cannot technically be labeled “organic.” I say this only to point out that you should not be scared away from a product simply because it doesn’t contain an “organic” or third-party tested label.
All TDW supplement ingredients were chosen intentionally and with scientific research to back their effectiveness. For example, the ingredients in TDW Immune Boost were chosen based on 19 different references and studies. If you go to a particular supplement in the TDW Shop, you can reference the “Click to download the information sheet” link under “Ingredients” to discover its exact ingredients, the research behind each ingredient, and additional information.
From manufacturing practices to formulation to individual ingredients, I stand behind all of my TDW products, and the results and testimonials we’ve received speak for themselves.
Test, Don’t Guess
If you aren’t sure what supplements are right for you, I always say, “Test, don’t guess!” Lab testing can tell you exactly what your body needs more or less of. I offer the exact functional medicine lab tests I ran for my private practice patients through TDW Community at a special price.
If you want to know what supplements to take, insight into toxin markers, are constantly stressed or a pregnant or postpartum mama, I’d recommend the Metabolomix Nutritional Assessment. It offers a great overview, especially if you can’t invest in multiple labs at once.
If you struggle with gut issues or even issues like brain fog, acne, rashes and joint pain, I’d recommend the GI Map stool test.
If you want to check inflammation levels, liver function, methylation, and see how your organs are doing at that moment, you should consider the TDW Blood Work Panel. This is one I recommend doing every year!
