Practically everyone takes some type of natural supplement including myself, but do they contain the ingredients that they claim? Recently PBS aired a Frontline story on the hidden dangers of vitamins and supplements.1 I would like to bring this story to your attention because quality of supplements and regulation is a very important subject that America needs to consider. This is a very controversial issue because many people fear that regulation will prevent them from being able to purchase their supplements. But is it safe or right that companies can sell supplements in the United States without any regulation which guarantees that what is stated on the bottle is actually in the supplement?
As a clinical nutritionist, I am very particular about the quality of supplements that I recommend and use. Like many of you reading this article, I also have had fears that regulation would affect my ability to acquire the supplements that I need to maintain good health. But since taking a Botanical Medicine course, I have become even more aware of quality issues with supplements. The supplements that I want to use for myself and recommend to my patients must be high quality and effective. I want to know that a product contains very specific levels of nutrients and phytochemicals and was produced with quality ingredients. Wouldn’t you want the same in a health product?
In European countries like Germany, supplements are more
