Why Supplement Shopping Feels Overwhelming
Recently it seems like every other ad on the TV or on social media is about the latest and greatest medication, supplement, or health product. It can be overwhelming, and honestly hard, to navigate fact from fiction when it comes to these products, especially dietary supplements.
Why the Right Supplement Can Matter
The right supplement has the ability to be a powerful tool for your overall health and wellness, so today, I want to give you a better idea of how the supplement industry works and how to find supplements that really are what they claim to be.
The Big Picture: How the Supplement Industry Works
To understand specific products, first we need to look at the big picture–the supplement industry as a whole.
As their name implies, supplements are designed to supplement or add to your diet and health. Many supplements boast claims of improving health or reducing symptoms of various conditions, and while these claims can be true, not all supplements are the same.
How Supplements Are Regulated in the United States
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating the supplement industry, but this regulation looks different than it does for food or medicines. In fact, supplements do not require FDA approval.
What It Means That Supplements Don’t Require FDA Approval
What does this mean, though? This may sound confusing, but the FDA allows for supplements to be marketed and sold if they meet the following guidelines:
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Evidence provided–Supplement companies need evidence that they are selling products that are safe.
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Truthful claims–The label needs to be honest, promoting claims that can be backed by science and the FDA.
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Tested ingredients–As long as the supplement contains only ingredients that have already been FDA approved, the supplement company does not have to give new evidence to the FDA.
Good Manufacturing Practices and Ingredient Standards
Now, looking at the ingredients within a supplement, the FDA has created Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for supplement companies to follow. These GMPs aim to ensure that all supplements contain what they claim to and do what they intend to.
The FDA and Federal Trade Commission monitor supplement companies to promote safe practices and ensure that products that are unsafe or ineffective are recalled or removed from sales.
Even with this oversight, not all supplement companies act in accordance with these regulations. Studies have shown that a shocking amount of products are inaccurately labeled, including problems with false ingredients, unlabeled ingredients, added chemicals, bulking agents, binders and more.
How to Avoid Low-Quality Supplements
So, how do you ensure that the products you choose are more than just “sawdust and fillers?”
The answer can be found in research, doing your own research to ensure that the company has done theirs.
What to Look For When Choosing a Supplement
When looking for the right supplement for you, look for products that have been tested in clinical trials and third-party and accredited labs. Now, not all companies can conduct their own clinical trials, but they can use ingredients from manufacturers that have done their own clinical trials.
This information should be accessible to consumers through words like “tested,” “physician-formulated,” or “clinically studied.” Not only should it be accessible, but it should be defendable, allowing the user to find the studies and evidence.
The Bottom Line
Whenever you’re considering adding in a new supplement to your routine, remember to do your research to ensure you are consuming only the highest quality ingredients, supplements like those at FeelGood Company.
Company Response
Sebastien Hebbelinck, CEO:
Here at FeelGood, that is our goal, creating a product that is backed by science with only the purest and most effective ingredients. How do we ensure this?
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Vertical Integration–We control every step of our supply chain and production, ensuring our products are free from fillers and additives. If you take one of our supplements, you are consuming only the ingredients on the label.
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Clinical Studies–Each of our products is clinically studied, tested, and proven, confirming that we can back our claims.
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Consumer Centered–We value the feedback of our customers to make the best products, ones that show real results for real people.
FeelGood Company, also known as FeelGood Superfoods, has been manufacturing and distributing nutritional supplements in America for over 14 years.
By Delaney Gilmore, BSN, RN
