On June 22, 2007, the FDA announced that dietary supplements:
- Have to contain what they say they contain.
- Have to be free of contaminants and things they aren’t supposed to have.
Here’s the link: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01657.html
While the makers of supplements complained of higher costs, there have been many instances where potency of supplements has been way off, there have been contaminants, and sometimes even prescription pharmaceuticals!
It would be nice if regulations weren’t necessary, but they are.
It’s going to take a while for manufacturers to comply, and until then, the only way you can be sure is to ensure that the supplements you take are USP Verified. There aren’t many supplements that are verified, but at least you can be pretty sure that what the bottle says it has in it is actually in the bottle. Supplements can be expensive – it would be a waste, and maybe even harmful, if you’re not taking what you expected you were taking.
To learn more about USP Verification check out this link:
http://www.usp.org/USPVerified/dietarySupplements/
It’s important to note that the claims – what the stuff is supposed to do – is not certified by anyone. Supplements might or might not do what they claim. Let the buyer beware. The price of a free society is doing your own research before you start popping pills.
Low Carb Confidential 