How to Know Your Supplements Are Safe, Authentic, and Properly Sourced by Mack Bruce

Not all supplements are created equal—there is a wide range of manufacturers, and consequently, wide variation in supplement types and quality. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, and the Partnership for Safe Medicines have identified pill presses and counterfeit pill molds as an overlooked health threat. Raw powders can be purchased inexpensively, mixed with fillers to increase volume, and used to produce counterfeit products; powders containing anabolic steroids and steroid precursors have frequently originated in China and been sold online (Denham, 2021). Synthetic vitamins and supplements are lab‑made chemical compounds designed to mimic how the body absorbs nutrients from food. However, they are produced through processes unlike the metabolic pathways plants and animals use to create nutrients naturally, and they do not account for the countless compounds and phytonutrients present in whole foods—factors that may contribute to various health consequences (2022). Risks of using unregulated supplements include possible contamination, consisting of banned substances, inaccurate labeling, adverse health effects, and wasted money (Isaacs, 2023). So it is very important to properly source vitamin supplements in order to ensure they are safe and authentic.

Counterfeit Vitamins

25 years ago, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) classified a wide range of products—vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, and amino acids—as dietary supplements. By placing them in a special category of foods rather than drugs, DSHEA permitted manufacturers to market these products without providing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with premarket evidence of safety or efficacy. Ideally, this exclusion from drug classification would allow manufacturers to avoid delays in bringing supplements to consumers who lack certain nutrients. In practice, however, the DSHEA has enabled the sale of adulterated and mislabelled products—often containing hazardous or untested ingredients and produced, packaged, or stored in violation of ethical manufacturing standards. Moreover, mislabelled products may contain false or misleading information or omit required product details. The FDA has identified more than ~1,050 tainted dietary supplements since 2007 and continued analyses identify synthetic drugs as product adulterants including contaminants such as anabolic steroids, erectile dysfunction medications, weight-loss drugs, workout stimulants. and mind-altering substances. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, and the Partnership for Safe Medicines have recognized pill presses and counterfeit pill molds as a neglected health threat. Raw powders can be purchased inexpensively, mixed with fillers to increase volume, and used to produce counterfeit products; powders containing anabolic steroids and steroid precursors have frequently originated in China and been sold over the internet. 

In 2011, a holistic healer in California was arrested for marketing a glue and cold remedy that consisted of arsenic and the Schedule I controlled substance  bufotenine, which is found in toad venom. In 2015, an individual received more than four years in prison for selling ‘Miracle Mineral Solution,’ a so‑called ‘cure‑all’ that actually contained industrial bleach. Also in 2015, a person was given a five-year prison sentence for peddling ‘Potion 9’—containing the substance butanediol, an industrial solvent which metabolizes into the date-rape drug gammahydroxybutyric. Hazardous drugs such as sibutramine—withdrawn from the U.S. market since 2010—have continued to show up in ‘natural’ weight-loss supplements; one individual received 6 months of home confinement for selling sibutramine she had bought from China in 2019. A federal court in 2019 indicted six individuals and two companies for distributing dietary supplements containing anabolic steroids (Denham, 2021).

Given the lack of required safety or efficacy testing before supplements reach the market, where people source their vitamins and supplements becomes critically important for avoiding potential health risks and ensuring nutritional effectiveness.

Dangers of Synthetic Vitamins

Organic vitamins and supplements originate from whole‑food sources and are produced by condensing and concentrating specific fruits, vegetables, and other natural foods into a convenient form, preserving the naturally occurring nutrients they contain. Many of the nutrients found in vitamins and supplements can also be obtained by consuming whole foods and certain herbs. Because organic vitamins are derived from whole‑food sources, they come packaged with naturally occurring compounds that may support absorption and utilization.

On the other hand, synthetic vitamins and supplements are lab‑made chemical compounds designed to replicate the chemical structure of nutrients found in food. They are produced through processes unlike the metabolic pathways plants and animals use to create nutrients naturally, and they do not include the diverse compounds and phytonutrients present in whole foods—factors that may influence how nutrients function in the body. The body absorbs and uses nutrients based on their chemical structure, not on whether they are synthetic or natural. In some cases, synthetic forms differ in bioavailability, depending on the nutrient and formulation. Synthetic vitamin formulas may also contain very high nutrient doses, often far exceeding typical dietary levels, and such megadoses can increase the risk of adverse effects, particularly when taken without medical guidance. Manufacturers sometimes market synthetic vitamins as ‘natural’ because their chemical structures are virtually identical to nutrients found in whole foods. However, the processes used to produce synthetic vitamins differ from the metabolic pathways plants and animals use to create nutrients naturally, and synthetic forms do not include the wide range of accompanying compounds present in whole foods. These differences can influence how certain nutrients are absorbed or utilized, depending on the nutrient and formulation. In addition, some synthetic supplements are sold in very high doses, and excessive intake of any vitamin—natural or synthetic—can increase the risk of adverse effects. A few high‑dose synthetic nutrients have been associated with specific health risks in certain populations, underscoring the importance of using supplements judiciously (2022).

Nonregulated Vitamins & Risks

In August 2019, the Blue Ridge Poison Control Center in Virginia received a report of a patient who developed hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) following the use of a supplement pill called ‘V8,’ obtained at a gas station. 12 additional cases were reported by hospitals over the following month. The Central Virginia Health District and the University of Virginia conducted an investigation that found the supplement—sold at numerous gas stations and convenience stores—contained a medication used to treat diabetes. The Virginia Department of Health then worked to remove the V8 pills from store shelves to prevent further exposures (Ellick, 2020). 

A risk of using nonregulated supplements is that they may include unlabeled ingredients, which may be deleterious. Supplements such as protein powders, pre workout, and vitamins that carry a Supplements Facts (rather than a Nutrition Facts) panel aren’t regulated the same way as food and medicine. Moreover, the largely unregulated global supplement industry, valued at over $152 billion, poses additional risks such as contamination, banned substances, adverse health effects, and wasted money (Isaacs, 2023). 

Unregulated supplements may contain substances not disclosed on the label, such as banned compounds, allergens, or other unintended ingredients. A literature review published in BioMed Research International, which surveyed studies indexed in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, identified 3,123 dietary supplements that had been analyzed for undisclosed compounds. Of these, 875 were found to contain undeclared substances, most commonly sibutramine and anabolic‑androgenic steroids, both banned by the World Anti‑Doping Agency. Overall, more than 28% of the analyzed supplements carried a potential risk of unintentional doping (Kozhuharov et al., 2022).

The ingredients in a supplement may not correspond to what is declared on the label, which can lead to unintended effects or unfavorable reactions, especially if you have allergies or sensitivities to specific ingredients. Substances that are poor in quality or contaminated can trigger harmful health effects. Some supplements may also interact negatively with medications you are taking or cause other unwanted effects on your health. Lastly, supplements that fail to deliver their promised benefits—whether due to poor quality or inaccurate labeling—amount to wasted money (Isaacs, 2023).

To mitigate the risks associated with unregulated supplements, there are several steps you can take. First, look for products that have undergone third‑party testing; choose supplements from reputable brands that have been independently tested for quality and purity. Second, consult trained professionals [such as those at Naturally Radiant or other qualified wellness providers]. Finally, whenever possible, aim to obtain your nutrients from food rather than supplements; supplements should be used to fill specific nutritional gaps, not to replace a well‑balanced and healthy diet (Isaacs, 2023). Because your health matters, taking a cautious and informed approach to the supplements you use is essential for protecting your overall well‑being.