Doctor Reveals 3 Ways to Know If Your Supplement Is Real or Fake
People turn to supplements to boost their nutrient intake and tackle all kinds of issues, from getting better sleep to enhancing their gut health. But due to the unregulated nature of the industry, capsules and powders can make their way onto shelves despite not living up to quality standards. Therefore, arming yourself with a bit of knowledge can help you make the right decision when you want to know if that supplement you’re holding is real or fake.
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1
Check if the ingredients are natural.
In a recent TikTok video, naturopathic doctor and health advocate Janine Bowring, ND, laid out what you want to look for before adding supplements to your regimen.
The first step is looking at the ingredients label, especially if you’re trying to figure out if the product is natural.
“If you look at your vitamins, if there’s a chemical name in brackets after the name of that vitamin, that’s a great indicator that it is synthetically derived—and a lot of them come from the petrochemical industry,” she explains.
Bowring then cites a 2014 study that looked at five synthetic adulterants in eight common herbal weight loss supplements, such as sibutramine, phenolphthalein, phenytoin, bumetanide, and rimonabant. Results showed that “adulterated synthetic substances were detected” in the products not shown on the labels.
2
Avoid supplements that contain synthetic folic acid.
While perusing the ingredients label, you should also look out for synthetic folic acid.
“Folic acid does not exist in nature,” Bowring explains. “[But] folate does, and that’s what your body knows how to absorb and assimilate—not that folic acid, which is a chemical form.”
In this specific case, the body can sometimes take a longer time converting folic acid found in supplements into vitamin B9, according to Healthline. This can be particularly tricky for those who are trying to address a folate deficiency, as this slower metabolism can sometimes lead to elevated levels of folic acid in the bloodstream when coupled with folate-fortified foods.
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3
Consider the whole food advantage.
Bowring says the “whole food advantage” should be another guiding factor in your search.
“You want to look for vitamins that are whole food vitamins from nature, which have superior bioavailability,” she says.
She then cites a 2013 meta-analysis published in the journal Nutrients, which compared vitamin C uptake from both whole foods and synthetic supplements. The results showed higher levels of vitamin C absorbed in the spleen, liver, and adrenal glands when consuming natural food sources.
Other things to keep in mind:
When selecting a supplement, the first step should always be speaking with your doctor or healthcare provider to ensure it’s safe or advisable to begin taking them, suggests the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).
Once you’re in the aisle, remain wary of any products that make lofty claims of broad or quick success. You can also opt for trusted brand names sold at trusted retailers, including products with third-party certifications from organizations such as NSF International, UL, USP, and Informed Choice, per CRN.