There is no ideal dietary supplement, but below is a partial list of some of the characteristics many people look for in the “perfect” product (these would be reported either on the packaging or the supplement’s Web site).
-Heart healthy
-Safe for mental health
-Safe during pregnancy and for children
-Respected quality-control testing and monitoring methods employed
-Supplement fact panel on the label is in a readable size and font (People misread things all the time because the type is just too small)
-Vegetarian or even vegan friendly (contains no animal products)
-BPA-free container
-Biodegradable container (or otherwise environmentally friendly)
-Phthalates free
-No artificial coloring
-No artificial flavoring
-No sugar or artificial sweeteners
-No fragrances
-No gluten
-Non-GMO
-No hormones
-No lactose
-No pesticides or herbicides
-No preservatives
-No or low sodium
-No starch
-No yeast
-No allergens (including soy, peanuts, tree nuts, etc.)
-Halal friendly
-Kosher friendly
-Tested for heavy metals (such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury)
-Tested for total bacteria count, yeast and mold, salmonella, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria
-Quality assurance report available online
This long list incorporates some of the issues that people have asked me about over the years. Personally, I just want to make sure that the company producing the dietary supplement uses incredible quality-control testing and monitoring methods and that the supplement contains few to no contaminants that are hurting the environment or my body.
Bottom line: Learn about supplements and decide what you’re willing to spend, what kind of quality control you want, and what factors are most important to you (you may not care about whether the pill contains gluten or sodium, for instance).
The Supplement Handbook - Mark Moyad
