Counterfeit, Fake, Expired, Oh My! Be Careful Where You Purchase Supplements

When someone buys a supplement, the intent is to help the body in some way, not hurt it. Safe supplements, when used correctly, can have numerous health benefits and fill voids that occur for hundreds of reasons. Supplements essentially include any one of the following: vitamins, minerals, nutrient, or herbs.

As a holistic registered dietitian, I have specific training in:

• Running labs and using supplements to correct nutrient deficiencies (extremely common due to poor food consumption patterns, absorption issues from stealth pathogens for example, food allergies, food restriction from GI symptoms, etc.)
• Well reversed in looking out for supplement/drug interactions
• Highly skilled in recommending supplements for therapeutic purposes.

I also know what to look for that are NOT health supportive in terms of ingredients. Supplementation when done appropriately is a wonderful and necessary tool. The caveat: using a “good” brand from a “good” distributor.

There is an overwhelming amount of supplements (good and bad) at stores and in the e-commerce space (good and bad distributors). This is what can make this process of selecting a quality supplement a challenging experience for someone who doesn’t have the right information.

The media has inundated the public in recent years usually about the downsides: unsafe supplements and/or from unsafe distributors being sold. Yikes! It conflicts me: it partially makes me cheer that awareness of the bad supplements and bad distributors is occuring but partially makes me want to scream because it further fuels unnecessary supplement fear when there are good supplements and good distributors. Quality supplements can serve a purpose and there is the right time and place for their usage.

It’s especially poor that obstructive rhetoric exists that supplements shouldn’t ever be used, because this isn’t helpful either; it’s actually harmful. You want to know the outcomes that can happen from this: patients not sharing what they are really taking for fear of retaliation or being talked condescendingly to which is a HUGE safety issue. If the landscape was more safe for patients to openly discuss what they are taking or discuss holistic/complementary/alternative/nutrition studies they have read about XYZ supplement, then productive and respectful conversations could be held about what supplements and prescriptions can safely coexist. And if the provider isn’t confident in safe supplementation, then they can and should refer to an expert Registered Dietitian who understands all these nuances arounds pharmaceuticals, medical history, labwork etc. and considers the whole health picture.

Summary so far:

Four main things:

1. Stop buying supplements with poor ingredients that are counterproductive and linked to health issues
2. Stop buying from distributors where there are too many unknowns, or there has been known fraud, or counterfeit products sold
3. Start getting quality supplements from quality distributors
4. Unsure if a supplement is a safe and appropriate option? Talk with an expert Registered Dietitian

Let’s break each one of these down more:

One. Stop buying supplements with these ingredients below.

Not all supplements (when comparing apples to apples) are created equally. Usually it comes down to ingredients being used that are not health supportive and less ideal forms of nutrients (like Cyanocobalamin instead of preferred methylated vitamin b12, or folic acid versus preferred folate). I do NOT instruct people to use the following brands for a multitude of reasons: Centrum, Kirkland, Equate, Up & Up, Flinstone Vitamins, Nature Made. Also don’t purchase if any of this applies:

• Colors & Dyes: FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6
• Titanium dioxide
• Hydrogenated oils
• BHT
• Maltodextrin
• Talc
• Magnesium silicate
• “Artifical flavors”
• Doesn’t have third party testing

Two: Stop buying supplements on Amazon

Counterfeit supplements have been sold on Amazon and reports of this have been increasing lately. Many lawsuits have been filed too and all over the news recently. The fact of the matter when it comes to Amazon is this: Amazon is not willingly allowing fraudulent supplement sales to happen; BUT is impossible for them to police every third-party seller’s products. To my knowledge, there is no regulation in place for them to prevent fake products (counterfeit, expired, stolen) from being sold. It is challenging if not impossible for them (or many sites) to even prevent fake reviews from being posted. Let’s say you do actually get the “real” product; you don’t know the regulation these third party sellers follow regarding storage and transport (temperature control? humidity control?) There are just too many unknowns.

Three: Obtain quality brands supplementations from reputable places.

I trust, recommend and personally use Fullscript because:

• “NSF | cGMP registered facilities: Our distribution centers operate according to cGMP standards and in compliance with the NSF International guidelines. Each location is audited annually for cleanliness, sanitation, temperature controls, preventative maintenance, and pest control.
• Exceptional customer care: Our commitment to quality follows products to patients’ doorsteps. In the rare instance that a customer has a concern, we go above and beyond to ensure they receive new or alternative products and work with brand partners to investigate possible quality issues.
• Fresh shipments: We follow a “first-in, first-out” policy to ensure that nothing is shipped with less than three months of shelf life remaining.
• High packaging standards: Our team members put care into packaging patient orders, with protective materials and cold packs added for temperature-sensitive products.
• Rigorous quality controls: We have controls to monitor storage, security, contamination, stock rotation, temperature, and traceability — backed by regular internal audits.
• Wellness products only: Our distribution centers preserve quality by specializing in moving supplements, vitamins, minerals, and other wellness products — nothing else.”

See below to access and create your own Fullscript account and have 40,000 quality items at your fingertips including third party tested supplements. Obtain your essentials (supplements, teas, protein powder, haricare, makeup, tampons, laundry detergent, soaps, etc. all from Fullscript). Always 10% off or more and free shipping! Affordable, safe, quality – what could be better? You can also purchase quality brands like Metagenics, Designs for Health, Integrative Therapeutics, Cellcore, directly from the manufacturer.

Four. Consult with a Registered Dietitian

If you have questions about supplementation, always best to get individualized care. A Registered Dietitian is the expert to go to for this one. (Medical schools are not nutrition or nutraceutical focused and nutritional care is the expertise of Physicians). RDs can help you decide what is safe and appropriate (because time and place does exist) versus what is just good marketing.

*This blog on the Dietetics with Driessens LLC website is maintained by Katie Driessens, Owner. All opinions are her own and for general educational purposes. Advertising, affiliate links or other forms of compensation are within this website and a small commission is earned for sales made through these links (with no extra cost to you) that help cover costs of running a small business. Products and services listed are prior carefully created and/or evaluated to ensure that they are accurate and supported by scientific evidence. Items or programs that are endorsed are based on Katie’s professional experience and expertise & are worthy of such endorsement. Dietetics with Driessens LLC assumes no responsibility or liability for damage or injury to persons arising from any use of any product, information, or opinion contained in the information of this blog, none of which is to be considered personal medical advice. By viewing, using, and shopping from this website, you agree to release Dietetics with Driessens LLC from full responsibility to the fullest extent allowed by law. Products & Services sold are not intended to diagnose or cure any disease. Consult your physician before beginning any exercise, supplement, meal plan or program. Thank you!