There are thousands of vitamin manufacturers in the United States. There are pills and capsules, liquids and powders. They come in boxes, bottles, pill packs and pouches. With so many options, it can feel impossible to know which brand to choose. What makes one better than another?
The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t evaluate dietary supplements before they go to market, which means there’s little oversight over their effectiveness and safety. It’s also unclear if vitamins actually contain the ingredients they claim to ― and many studies have found there are major discrepancies between what’s in the pill and what’s listed on the packaging label.
As a result, there’s no easy way to determine what’s top-notch. “You can’t look at a bottle and price and say, ‘OK, this is low-quality because it’s cheap,’” said Mahtab Jafari, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of California, Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences.
That said, there are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a good vitamin. Here’s what you should consider:
What even makes a vitamin expensive?
Generally speaking, there’s likely little difference between a cheap vitamin and an expensive one, according to Ebne Rafi, a clinical pharmacy specialist at University Hospitals in Ohio. Prices vary based on what the supplement is, what the ingredients are, and what health condition it’s designed to help. Factors like nice packaging may also come into play. (Who hasn’t been sucked in by a beautiful glass bottle before?)
“Similar to brand and generic prescription medications, cheap and high-quality vitamins advertise the same supplement,” Rafi said.
There’s a lot scientists don’t know about supplementation. It’s unclear, for example, how different formulations impact the way your body absorbs the nutrients or how, exactly, natural ingredients differ from synthetic ones. “We don’t really have the studies,” Jafari said.
That said, there are some factors that make for a better vitamin. For example, you want to select products that are made with high-quality ingredients and don’t contain a ton of fillers, such as soybean oil, or contaminants like pesticides or heavy metals (think: mercury or lead).
Reliable manufacturers ― like Theralogix, for example, or Nature Made ― contain details on their websites about how the ingredients are sourced and what their manufacturing process looks like.
It’s also important that the vitamin contains the correct dose. A low dose may not provide the intended effect and a too-high dose can lead to serious health complications.
“There have been many cases of drug-induced liver damage from supplements that have doses of vitamins that are too high or contain other ingredients that are dangerous to the liver,” Rafi said.
At the end of the day, however, a higher price tag doesn’t automatically mean it’s better. “A more expensive dietary supplement doesn’t necessarily mean it is high-quality,” Jafari said.
How can you tell if a vitamin is high-quality?
It’s important to consult with a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian before you start taking vitamins. There are a handful of deficiencies and health conditions supplementation is recommended for, including pregnancy, heart disease and diabetes. But people who are otherwise healthy and eat a balanced diet likely don’t need to take vitamins, Jafari said. A health care provider can determine if you may benefit from taking a supplement and share a list of recommended brands.
The best way to determine if a vitamin is legitimate: Check if it’s been vetted by a third-party testing company. “In my opinion, a high-quality vitamin would be one that is reviewed by an independent third party for quality assurance and has minimal fillers,” Rafi said.
It’s time-consuming and expensive for manufacturers to have a third-party company ― like US Pharmacopeia (USP), National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) or ConsumerLab.com ― conduct testing and confirm the products contain the ingredients and dosages that are listed on the packaging label.
“A dietary supplement company that has millions of dollars of income per year, this is really the least they can do. To show the consumer they do care about the quality,” Jafari said.
So, look for a USP or NSP certification badge on the packaging label. Jafari also recommended scouting the FDA’s website to see if the manufacturer ever received a seizure letter or injunction. If so, it’s probably wise to choose another product.
Finally, do your own research. Dig through the scientific studies on the nutrients you’re interested in, check out the manufacturer’s website, and, when in doubt, ask a medical professional to weigh in. There’s a lot of noise out there in the world of supplements, but if you do your due diligence, you can find products that are rigorously tested and widely trusted.