Health Benefit Claims and Testing For Safety

Health Benefit Claims
When looking at health benefit claims made by vitamin and mineral supplement companies, it's useful to understand how the vast majority of these companies make their vitamin and mineral supplements.

What's interesting is that most supplement companies get their ingredients from the same few suppliers.

This means that even though Company A may claim that their product is better, that product may very well be made from the same ingredients as a product made by Company B.

Also, it's important to understand the difference between health benefit claims that are based on a study that was done on a single ingredient vs. health benefit claims that are based on a study that was done on a product which is made up of several ingredients.

The only way one can claim a particular health benefit on a product is to have done actual clinical trials on that product. You may have noticed that you don't hear about many clinical trials being done on supplement products.

The reason is because it is extremely expensive to do such clinical trials. Only a company with deep pockets or a real commitment to quality will do those kinds of costly trials.

So one of the first steps you as a consumer can take to find a good supplement company is to find one that has actually done clinical trials on their product.

Be careful when you hear health benefit claims made by supplement companies. Only scientific research and trials by the company ensure that the claims they are making are true.

Testing for safety
There are strict requirements that pharmaceutical companies (companies that make drugs) must meet by law when producing their drugs. Over The Counter companies (pharmacies where you can buy "over the counter") must meet these requirements also. Here are some of these testing requirements.

• Master Batch Records
• Validation Documentation
• Raw Material Physical and Analytical Testing
• Shelf-Life Stability Testing
• Finished Goods Physical and Analytical Testing
• Retention Sampling and Lot Traceability

What's interesting is that companies that make vitamin and mineral supplements are only required by law to do 2 of these tests; the Master Batch Records and the Retention Sampling and Lot Traceability testing. The other 4 tests are optional for supplement companies.

So another thing to look for when choosing a vitamin and mineral supplement is a company that does all 6 of these tests, not just the required 2.