Why Supplements Can Be Dangerous
Amidst COVID-19, while many families face the challenge of juggling tight finances with keeping their immune systems high, it’s understandable for wanting to save a few bucks paying for cheaper vitamins being sold on Amazon or eBay versus more “upscale,” expensive stores.
However, this must be done cautiously as cheap supplements are dangerous for three main reasons:
- Counterfeit- They tend to be fake and are consequently potentially dangerous;
- Expiration- They’re expired but have been repackaged as if they’re new; and
- Theft- They’re stolen products that have been released on the black market without any further quality control.
We will now discuss these three in more detail.
Counterfeit Supplements
It’s very easy to sell a pill that mirrors a quality, name-brand multivitamin, especially after you create lookalike packaging and sell it for an insanely cheap price. Counterfeit pills are prevalent with vitamins and so-called health capsules having already made their way into the general consumer market.
To make matters even worse, in many instances these pills are not only fake, but also contain 10x the medicinal amount written on the label, making them very dangerous to consume. These counterfeits also often tend to be accompanied by forged paperwork, making it very difficult to stop this trade and find the pills’ origins.
To ensure that you’re getting legitimate pills, we suggest buying directly from credible manufacturers or certified health practitioners. More importantly, take the time to call the customer service line and watch out for companies that are only able to give vague answers and the nature of a product’s manufacturing process.
Expired Products
It’s also very common for people to buy cheap multivitamins that appear to be genuine but for the fact, unbeknownst to the consumer, they’re past their expiration. Legitimate supplement companies often have fire sales when their product is about to expire, making it very easy for counterfeiters to create a false impression of doing the same. Counterfeiters typically replace the pre-existing label and print a new label with a fictitious, future expiration date.
Resold, Stolen Supplements
Counterfeiters frequently break into the warehouses of supplement companies or take trucks transporting supplements by force, while employees of genuine supplement companies embezzle products that will later be sold on the black market.
Buying Safe Supplements
Below are a few tips to ensure that you’re buying safe, authentic supplements.
Do your research to make sure to buy directly from reputable manufacturers, as opposed to a third party source, such as Amazon. If the company you’re considering buying supplements from is, for example, based in a foreign country and has no contact information, there’s a decent chance that they’re not trustworthy.
Most importantly, know your supplement standards and don’t buy cheap supplements. Reputable companies will always be informative about their supplements and will provide a wealth of information on their testing measures on the website. Additionally, legitimate companies who use high quality ingredients cannot possibly make high-end ingredients at a bargain price.
For further reading on the subject we recommend The Simple Life Guide To Optimal Health: How to Get Healthy, Lose Weight, Reverse Disease and Feel Better Than Ever. This author even has his own line of reputable supplements for sale.
If you’re looking for additional support in looking for healthy and legitimate supplements, reach out to our providers at GritWell. Your health is our top priority so don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] to speak with the GritWell care team and one of our health practitioners.
About The Author
Gary Collins, MS, is a former Special Agent for the United States Department Diplomatic Security Service, US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US FDA. Outside of his career as a special agent, he also works as an author, college professor, and health consultant. Gary has earned acclaim as being one of the premier health experts in the country on this subject because of his unique industry background. Visit this page for more information about his work and to view his original blog post.