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Product Review: DHEA Supplements

HOW PRODUCTS WERE EVALUATED:

How Products were Selected:
Products were selected to represent those commonly available in the U.S. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, on-line retailers, and direct sales or multi-level marketing companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers. For each product, the sample was composed of one or more purchased samples from a lot having an expiration date (if labeled) later than the date of testing.

Testing Method:
Products were tested for their ability to disintegrate, claimed amount of DHEA and for potential contamination with lead. Analysis for DHEA was performed using by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method in an independent laboratory. Products not having passing levels of DHEA were then re-tested in a second independent laboratory a HPLC method.

Analysis for lead was performed using an ICP-MS (inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy).

Disintegration of non-chewable, non-capsule, non-enteric coated and non-time-release formulations was analyzed utilizing USP (United States Pharmacopeia) <2040> recommendations.

Any product not passing testing was sent to another independent laboratory to repeat testing the criteria on which it did not pass.

Identities of the products were not disclosed to laboratories performing the testing.

Passing Score: *
To pass, a product must:

Have a minimum of 100% of its labeled amount of DHEA and a maximum of 125% of this amount.
Meet recommended USP parameters for disintegration for dietary supplements (excluding capsule, enteric coated, chewable and time-release products)
Contain less than 0.5 mcg of lead per daily serving with an additional allowance of 1.0 mcg for supplements containing 1,000 mg/day or more of elemental calcium and 0.5 mcg for supplements containing specific other minerals.** For supplements not marketed for use by children, ConsumerLab.com provides an additional allowance of 0.5 mcg if containing 250 to 499 mg/day of elemental calcium, or 1.0 mcg if containing 500 to 999 mg/day of elemental calcium, and an allowance of 0.5 mcg if containing one whole herb (not extract) ingredient or 1.0 mcg for two or more whole herb ingredients. If a maximum recommended daily serving is not defined, a daily serving size will be determined and applied by CL.
Meet FDA labeling requirements.

A "Pass" was based on meeting the above criteria in either the first or second rounds of testing.

* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing its testing if it considers such product to present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information in its labeling.

** Based on State of California's Prop 65 lead limit. California requires supplements exceeding this limit to bear a warning label regarding lead.

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