How to Judge the Quality of Your Supplement
Since there is not a lot of regulatory oversight, as a consumer, you’d struggle to know if the supplement you’ve got in your hands:
Thankfully, there are a few telling signs of a supplement’s quality.
Here’s a list, so you’ll be better able to avoid sketchy ingredients and choose the safest, most effective supplements available that’ll work as advertised (be it for immune support or stress relief).
Check for supporting science
If a supplement’s claims sound too good to be true (e.g. ‘drop 10 pounds in a week’), then chances are, it is. Avoid a tall costs.
Make sure that there is scientific research backing all health claims. Plus, note that there are different levels of evidence.
The lowest tier of evidence will include authorities' opinions and/or reports of expert committees, while the highest level of evidence will be either a systematic review or meta-analysis of all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Of course, the highest level of evidence may not be available.
In general, though, there should still – at the very least – be a few well-designed controlled trials that support your supplement’s claims.
Do a thorough screen of the manufacturer’s website
Has the brand invested time and effort into maintaining its website?Does the website contain up-to-date information about the manufacturer?
If the site is sparse on details – and features plenty of images that look like they've been ripped off the stock image libraries, run. In general, a quality supplement's website will feature the following:
The better and more updated the website looks, the more you can rest assured that you've got a quality supplement on hand.
Scan through its ingredient list
The better quality your supplement is, the fewer ‘filler’ ingredients you’ll find listed on its ingredient label. These include sweeteners, preservatives, and additives.
Fillers are cheaper than active ingredients(e.g. your herbs and spices)– they help cut costs.
And that's bad news for you. You'll still be parting with hard-earned cash for a supplement that doesn't even contain much of the beneficial ingredients as advertised. Admittedly, additives may be necessary in some cases (i.e., texture, color, taste, or consistency).
But when you see a long list of additives? That’s a red flag. A few of the most common additives to watch out for include:
Look for third-party verification
The above tip sounds great and all … until you realize that there have been cases where scientific reviews revealed that some supplements out there on the market don’t even contain all the ingredients it says it does.
Worse still, certain supplements aren't even labeled clearly enough for you to know what you're getting (and not getting!)
What do you do in such cases? Easy. Look for a product that’s been certified through a third-party regulatory body, such as the Natural ProductsAssociation and Good Manufacturing Practice.
These organizations – which are not involved in the production and sale of the supplements – set strict standards for the purity and potency of products. This is why certifications are typically the best indicator of quality.
Still trying to locate quality supplements?
Has the search for quality supplements proved too challenging? No worries.
Just take a look at all the products available on Herb Affair. Every supplement listed ticks all the boxes mentioned in this article: science-based, updated site, free of unnecessary additives, and third-party certified (good example: our Pure Bliss supplement, the best-selling natural stress-relief solution).
High-quality, always. Guaranteed.