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by Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World

Did you know that unlike drug products, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not "approve" dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are sold?

As with many other products and regulatory agencies, the FDA only has the authority to act after people get sick or some other risk reveals itself. While there are some regulations, they are weak and flawed. Case in point: the rules do not set limits on many toxic contaminants and questionable ingredients..

According to 2009 coverage by the Associated Press, “one quarter of supplements tested by an independent company over the last decade have had some sort of problem. Some contained contaminants. Others had contents that did not match label claims. Some had ingredients that exceeded safe limits. Some contained real drugs masquerading as natural supplements.”

And, a Congressional study from 2010 found: “trace amounts of lead, mercury and other heavy metals in nearly all products tested, plus myriad illegal health claims...The levels of heavy metal contaminants did not exceed established limits, but investigators also discovered troubling and possibly unacceptable levels of pesticide residue in 16 of 40 supplements...”

Find safer supplements and vitamins by following these tips:

1. Assess whether you really need it. It used to be assumed that if some vitamins were good for you, more was better. And, that taking supplements was like insurance for better health. Not anymore. New studies are emerging showing that:

• eating healthier is far better than relying on supplements,
• beneficial impacts of supplements are sometimes negligible; and,
• unnecessary supplements can be potentially harmful.

While the science is still unclear, your first step in avoiding contaminants in supplements is finding out which ones you need in the first place.

2. Look for the USP Verified Mark. Seeing the USP Verified Mark on a label indicates that the dietary supplement product inside:

• Contains the ingredients listed on the label, in the declared potency and amounts. There may be health risks when supplements taken for a specific health condition do not contain ingredients in appropriate quantities. USP Dietary Supplement Verification helps assure customers that they are getting the value they expect from a product they are purchasing.
• Does not contain harmful levels of specified contaminants. As mentioned, some supplements have been shown to contain harmful levels of certain heavy metals (e.g., lead and mercury), pesticides, bacteria, molds, toxins, or other contaminants. At specific levels these contaminants can pose serious risks to one's health. (Check the current regulated levels to identify if you are comfortable with the “acceptable” exposure levels.)
• Will break down and release into the body within a specified amount of time. If a supplement does not break down properly to allow its ingredients to dissolve in the body, the consumer will not get the full benefit of its contents. USP Dietary Supplement Verification tests products against federally-recognized dissolution standards.
• Has been made according to FDA current Good Manufacturing Practices using sanitary and well-controlled procedures. Assurance of safe, sanitary, well-controlled, and well-documented manufacturing and monitoring processes indicates that a supplement manufacturer is quality-conscious and concerned for public well-being.

3. Look for local. Be extra cautious about supplements manufactured outside the United States. Herbal products from some European countries and elsewhere are highly regulated and standardized, but toxic ingredients and prescription drugs have been found in supplements manufactured elsewhere, particularly China, India and Mexico.

4. Avoid artificial dyes. As with any other food or beverage, avoid synthetic dyes linked to asthma, allergies, hyperactivity, and more. There are nine certified color additives approved for food use in the United States and they are classified as either dyes or lakes. Dyes are water soluble and lakes are the water insoluble form of the dye. They will be listed on the label as follows:

• with ‘FD&C’ preceding the color (e.g. FD&C Blue #1);
• abbreviated, with just the color (e.g. Blue 1); or,
• the color followed by ‘Lake’ (e.g. Blue 1 Lake).

5. Scan the label for sweeteners. While a little bit of sugar helps a child’s vitamin go down, make sure you’re looking for supplements - for your child and yourself - with the safest kinds and lowest levels of sweeteners. Some artificial and highly processed sweeteners have questionable or lacking safety data. Others, like high fructose corn syrup, are typically made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Which brings us to the next tip...

6. Skip those made with GMOs. If you take a look at the label on your children’s vitamin and you see corn syrup, glucose syrup from corn, high-fructose corn syrup, soybean oil or soy lecithin, the odds are these ingredients have been derived from genetically modified corn and soy. Over 90% of the soy in the US and over 80% of the corn in the US are now produced using genetically modified seeds. (Learn more about GMOs.)

7. Watch for reactions. Consumers should be wary of unanticipated symptoms when taking supplements and alternative remedies, and should stop taking the supplements and discuss their symptoms with their doctor.

BONUS TIP: Opt for organic ingredients!

Warning: Make sure to keep vitamins and all other medicines and supplements out of the reach of children. Overdosing can be fatal. This is not a comprehensive list of safety qualifications, nor is it meant to be construed as professional medical advice.

What qualities do you look for in a supplement?

GIVEAWAY (CLOSED): Congratulations to our winner, Jesus Duran!  He said, "I make sure I check the nutrition label to see if it's all natural :)"  Thanks everyone for participating!

Answer this question in the comments by Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 11:59PM for a chance to win a 3 pack of SmartyPants vitamins, valued at $59.85. For an extra chance to win, sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment saying you did so! We will pick a winner and announce it here on Monday, October 31, 2011.  

Additionally, SmartyPants will provide a free Sample to first 500 respondents who email them at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Just reference this article by Healthy Child!        

Eligibility Statement: Contest open to U.S. residents. Employees of SmartyPants Vitamins and Healthy Child Healthy World and their families are not eligible. Entry into the contest is premised on the leaving of a comment and eligibility is not conditioned on the payment of consideration.

Legal Disclaimer: SmartyPants is a Trusted Partner of Healthy Child Healthy World, a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring a movement to protect children from harmful chemicals. Trusted Partners are companies that offer superior products that meet Healthy Child Healthy World's high Quality Standards, demonstrate a long-term commitment to their mission by joining their Trusted Partnership program, and contribute financially to the organization.

Photo courtesy stemcellbiotherapy / CC BY 2.0 

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