When it comes to vitamin supplements, it is easy to get lost in the maze of available information. Unfortunately, the FDA will only take action when clinical trails finds a vitamin dangerous. If the government does not conduct these studies, the FDA is not required to regulate an herb or vitamin. This makes it difficult for a consumer to choose a quality vitamin to enhance his style of life. A few tips can start you on your way to making informed decisions next time you think about taking a vitamin supplement.
Instructions
1. Examine the bottle of vitamins for the ConsumerLab quality seal, which is a small picture of a beaker with a CL in it. This will tell you immediately if the supplement has a satisfactory quality rating.
2. Search the bottle for the US Pharmacopeia or National Formulary Standards symbols, which appear as USP or NF, if you cannot find the ConsumerLab symbol. These guarantee that a vitamin has its claimed value of purity and potency in its dosages.
3. On the Internet, check websites such as ConsumberLabs.com or SupplementWatch.com, which will tell you about the vitamin brand's health claims, scientific research, safety level and side effects.
4. Look at the nutrition label located on the back of the pill bottle. Notice the percentage of daily value in one serving of the supplement. This is based on a normal 2,000 calories per day diet. According to the American Dietetics Association, as long as your diet is healthy you do not need one hundred percent daily value or higher of any vitamin supplement, so avoid brands that claim you do.
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