Warning: Avoid dietary supplements from these 12 companies (2024)

FAQs

Which supplement companies to avoid? ›

Taking more than you need costs more and might also raise your risk of side effects. For example, too much vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength, and cause birth defects. Excess iron causes nausea and vomiting and may damage the liver and other organs.

Some supplements can also cause problems if taken along with certain medicines. For example: Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, might make some chemotherapy medicines less effective. Vitamin K can make the blood thinner warfarin less effective and increase the risk of blood clotting.

1. Multivitamin. A good quality multivitamin is one of the most important supplements for optimal health.

“As long as a person's diet falls within a wide range of what medical professionals consider balanced, it's unlikely they would benefit from any dietary supplement,” says David Seres, MD, director of medical nutrition at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a leading expert on the topic.

Dietary supplements can help you improve or maintain your overall health, and supplements can also help you meet your daily requirements of essential nutrients. For example, calcium and vitamin D can help build strong bones, and fiber can help to maintain bowel regularity.

Experts recommend that healthy people get their vitamins and minerals by eating nutrient-rich foods instead of taking supplements. Few studies show a clear link between taking supplements and preventing disease — unless those diseases are caused by a nutritional deficiency.

Magnesium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Magnesium is important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA.

Is it OK to take dietary supplements everyday? ›

For vitamins and minerals, check the % Daily Value (DV) for each nutrient to make sure you're not getting too much. “It's important to consider the DV and upper limit,” says Haggans. Too much of certain supplements can be harmful. Scientists still have much to learn even about common vitamins.

Choose brands labeled with the NSF International, US Pharmacopeia, Underwriters Laboratory, or Consumer Lab seal. These verify that the product actually contains the ingredients that the label says it does, and that the product doesn't have any potentially harmful ingredients.

While Amazon is the largest online retailer, it's not always the best place to buy supplements. Amazon's marketplace contains millions of sellers globally. This can create risk for people who buy supplements there. Product labels may not reflect the contents of the supplements inside.

Nature Made® is the leading national vitamin and supplement broadline brand, with over 50 years of delivering high quality products that are backed by science.

Nutricost supplements are third-party tested to ensure they're free from heavy metals and other potential contaminants.